Howdy!
I am back! After taking some time to reflect on such things as what I want to do with my life, I am feeling more grounded and feel like getting back into the swing of things.
I had a couple month vacation from riding since July 6th, when my filly, Lil Red, took a spill with me and I ended up with a fractured foot and ankle. Long story short, over 2 months later and I am just now getting healed up and ready to ride again. As much as I love to ride, I missed just being around my horses and being able to cook and bake even more! Life on crutches is quite limiting and sitting all day long can be a very, very difficult thing for an active, outdoor cowgirl!
At first it felt like the whole world was passing me by and didn't care if I had fallen off the grid (well except for my friend Tammy!). That was the first sign of a little post accident depression. The world was passing me by, but I was still on it. I was just moving along with it a heck of a lot slower than I had been before! I found out that you aren't much fun when you are laid up and so you end up with a lot of alone time to contemplate the life lesson that you are supposed to learn from the situation. I am still contemplating.
The next stage of depression started in on me after about 2 weeks post surgery. My doctor insisted I had another 4 weeks on crutches and I nearly broke down crying right then and there! My activities were severely limited to reading, doing crossword puzzles, playing around on the computer and watching TV - all while sitting with an elevated leg. With all that sitting, that's when I noticed my house was quietly getting messier and dirtier and the kitchen started looking like it belonged to someone else! AHH!! That was the lowest moment for me. I was unable to even do the basics that keep my world tidy and running smooth. Having to rely on others for everything is tough enough, but to have to watch the everyday entropy of an untended household was almost too much to bear!
So after 2 excrutiating weeks of watching the slow decline of my home, I finally broke. It all started because I wanted to make some pound cake to give to a friend that had helped me with a computer issue. When I hobbled into the kitchen to start, I realized I didn't have the 8 eggs it takes to make the pound cake! I texted my husband and asked if it was possible that he stop by and bring me some eggs at lunch time or something, but he was tied up on a job and wasn't able to do it. I weighed the options...I could drive with my left foot into town and get the eggs, but I still wouldn't be able to push a cart or carry eggs with my crutches. I had it in my mind I was making pound cake and I didn't want this little obstacle to stop me. This was really irritating! Since I had been off my leg for 4 weeks straight and it felt fine, I made an executive decision for the sake of pound cake. Crutches be damned. I had had enough. I drove into town, taking my crutches with me (not sure why since I had no intention of using them), limped my way on the cast into the grocery store and did my first grocery shopping by myself in 2 months. It felt liberating and empowering. I am sure most people would think that the first time I swung a leg over a horse again would be my happiest moment after my accident and I am sure it will be a great feeling. BUT, being able to do for myself and grocery shop at my leisure was really a joyful event for me. It lifted my spirits and put the last 2 months into perspective.
I haven't used the crutches since that day a week ago and my ankle is doing great! My house and kitchen are restored back to clean order and there is peace in my world. I do see the doctor next week and hopefully I will get official permission to walk on my leg and move forward with physical therapy! My goal, which I probably won't share with my doctor, is to be horseback by month's end. But until then, I am really glad to be back in the kitchen, back on my feet and feeling in high spirits for the days to come!
So, I want to share with you the pivotal pound cake recipe that not only got me back on track mentally and physically, but is a really delicious treat!
I apologize for not having pictures to go along with this, but I will post pics from here forward.
Please enjoy!
POUND CAKE
4 cups of cake flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp mace (this really makes the recipe, so I suggest you don't skip this!)
1 lb butter, softened
3 cups of sugar
8 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
Remove butter from the refrigerator in advance, so it is slightly softened, but not greasy.
Grease and lightly flour (or line with parchment paper) 2 loaf pans. I like to grease, line with parchment paper and flour the areas the parchment paper doesn't cover.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift the cake flour, salt, baking powder and mace. set aside. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, mix the milk with the vanilla, set aside.
In an electric mixer, cream the butter, gradually adding in sugar until light and fluffy and no granules of sugar remain.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, just enough to not see any color difference from adding the egg.
Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk mixture. Start with the dry mix, approx. 1/3 of the flour and follow with wet mixture, approx. 1/2 the milk. End with the dry mixture and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. It is important to mix the batter for as little time as possible to avoid toughening the cake.
Put batter into prepared loaf pans and bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center nearly clean. I suggest you check the loaves at 50-55 minutes to avoid overbaking. All the loaves to cool slowly if possible to avoid them caving in in the middle. The cake should be golden brown on top, you should reduce the heat or cover with foil if the cake is browning too quickly.
Once the loaves are fairly cool in the pan, tip them out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before cutting or wrapping.
This is a rich, moist cake that can be enjoyed with fresh whipped cream and berries or all by itself.
ENJOY!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Chicken Paprika - A hungarian cowgirl's favorite dish
Chicken Paprika is a traditional Hungarian dish I learned from my mother, who learned it to feed my Hungarian father! All my family makes this dish and we all add something or do something a little different, but the fact is, it is delicious no matter what and is a real comfort food in my home. So, without further ado, here is Chicken Paprikash! ENJOY!!
Chicken Paprika
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
1 large onion chopped
3 tbsp Olive oil
1 clove garlic chopped
2-4 tbsps of authentic Hungarian Paprika
2-4 cups of chicken stock or water
2 tbsps of corn starch dissolved in a little water
1 pint sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large heavy pot, add olive oil and brown the onion.
Once they are lightly brown, add the garlic chicken pieces and brown the chicken well on all sides.
Once the chicken is browned, add the paprika and cover the meat well with it, turning it over until all surfaces are covered. Add the chicken stock/water - just enough to cover the chicken pieces
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and allow to simmer until the chicken is well tender.
Remove chicken from broth into a bowl
Bone the chicken pieces and set aside in warm place
Add cornstarch to the broth and stir over medium heat until thickened. Add the sour cream once thickened and bring sauce back to a low simmer. Add back the chicken and gently stir to combine.
Serve over rice or pasta! ENJOY!
Chicken Paprika
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
1 large onion chopped
3 tbsp Olive oil
1 clove garlic chopped
2-4 tbsps of authentic Hungarian Paprika
2-4 cups of chicken stock or water
2 tbsps of corn starch dissolved in a little water
1 pint sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large heavy pot, add olive oil and brown the onion.
Once they are lightly brown, add the garlic chicken pieces and brown the chicken well on all sides. 
Once the chicken is browned, add the paprika and cover the meat well with it, turning it over until all surfaces are covered. Add the chicken stock/water - just enough to cover the chicken pieces
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and allow to simmer until the chicken is well tender.
Remove chicken from broth into a bowl
Bone the chicken pieces and set aside in warm place
Add cornstarch to the broth and stir over medium heat until thickened. Add the sour cream once thickened and bring sauce back to a low simmer. Add back the chicken and gently stir to combine. 
Serve over rice or pasta! ENJOY!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Dutch Oven Pork Loin
The weather has been wonderful, but it started changing yesterday and a cold wind blew in. I had been out riding in the cold sunshine and when I got home I decided to make something cozy and easy so I could spend the rest of the afternoon with my own horses (for once) instead of slaving away in the kitchen. I just threw this together, but it turned out fantastic, so I thought I would share it with you for all your cold, rainy days that are left this winter.
Dutch Oven Pork Loin
2 lb pork loin
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh garlic
2 cups chopped green cabbage
2 cups chopped carrots
1 large sweet potato - cubed
1 1/2 cup saurkraut
1 tbsp dill weed
salt & pepper to taste
2-3 cups water
In a medium to large (5 qt or larger) dutch oven, heat olive oil on medium/high heat. Place chopped onion and garlic in the oil. Cook until lightly browned. Salt and pepper the pork loin and add to dutch oven and brown on all sides, ending with fat side up.
Once pork loin is browned, place cabbage, carrots, sweet potato, saurkraut in the dutch oven, surrounding the pork loin. Add water until it halfway covers the loin and vegetables. Sprinkle dill weed over top and cover.
Simmer over medium/low heat for about 2 hours or until the loin is tender and falling apart. Do not stir too much during the cooking process or you will break down the vegetables too much.
Serve with apple sauce and a warm roll and ENJOY!
Dutch Oven Pork Loin
2 lb pork loin
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh garlic
2 cups chopped green cabbage
2 cups chopped carrots
1 large sweet potato - cubed
1 1/2 cup saurkraut
1 tbsp dill weed
salt & pepper to taste
2-3 cups water
In a medium to large (5 qt or larger) dutch oven, heat olive oil on medium/high heat. Place chopped onion and garlic in the oil. Cook until lightly browned. Salt and pepper the pork loin and add to dutch oven and brown on all sides, ending with fat side up.
Once pork loin is browned, place cabbage, carrots, sweet potato, saurkraut in the dutch oven, surrounding the pork loin. Add water until it halfway covers the loin and vegetables. Sprinkle dill weed over top and cover.
Simmer over medium/low heat for about 2 hours or until the loin is tender and falling apart. Do not stir too much during the cooking process or you will break down the vegetables too much.
Serve with apple sauce and a warm roll and ENJOY!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Music, Cookies and good friends!
I have been very remiss in blogging since the New Year. Hard to think I am so busy when I am not working, but it is surprising how much you can find to fill your days when you want to!
I am super excited for tonight's festivities! We are attending a Dave Stamey concert (not my first, but Matt's first). Dave is an amazing Western singer (different than country/western) and is not only talented, but super humorous! The stories he tells between songs keep the tears of laughter in your eyes and the goodwill permeating the whole room. He's a kind, down to earth, honest kind of man and it shows in everything he does!
I volunteered to be the "Official Baker" for this event and make refreshments for sold out crowd of 120 people attending the concert in the intimate Elgin Club. I didn't know what to make at first...wanted to impress and create something that would bring some attention to my baking efforts, but when baking for 120 people I had to be realistic. My friend and music connoisseur, Patty Wands, who puts these lovely concerts on for us, requested something easy to serve and able to eat with a napkin...translation...keep it simple!
So, I decided that cookies were an easy way to feed the masses and keep it simple. I researched many recipes and decided to make 3 different kinds of cookies and about 30 dozen for the event! It took some critical math skills to decide on the portions, but with Matt's mathematical brain it was pretty simple to decipher! Boy, I love having a brainy husband! I can save my remaining brain cells for more important things than math...like blogging! My choices in cookies came from the type of people attending this concert. People who enjoy the western lifestyle and like to keep things simple rather then fancy. Cowgirls and cowboys, ranchers and locals. I was going to bake to my demographic!
Luckily for me I also had a secret weapon in my arsenal! My best friend, Della. She is also exploring her baking skills and interested in learning more like me, so when I mentioned what I was planning for this concert she jumped on board and offered to make one of the recipes for me. I gave her a choice and she chose the recipe with the most ingredients and the toughest to put together, but I knew if anyone was up for the challenge it was her! She loves to make baked goods that are intricate and have lots of ingredients. I am good at making the simple recipes taste like heaven, but she likes the challenge of making the tougher recipes seem easy to make and simply delicious! Together, we make a formidable team in the kitchen!
So without further ado...here are the three recipes.
Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies
1 tblsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tblsp vanilla extract
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened flake coconut
2 cups chopped pecans (or walnuts as Della used)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. In an 8-quart bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add in sugars, beat to combine, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla extract. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add in chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto ungreased baking sheets (this is the Texas size one...), spacing 3 inches apart. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, until edges are lightly browned, rotating sheets halfway through. Remove cookies from rack to cool. Makes about 3 dozen cookies. FOR 6 dozen smaller cookies, use 2 tablespoons dough for each. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.
ENJOY!
LOW COUNTRY COOKIES
Paul Deen
These are actually bars...SUPER rich and sweet.
1 16-oz box of Graham crackers
12 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cup shredded coconut
Topping:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tblsp butter
3 tblsp milk
For the filling:
Line a 13"X9" glass pan with whole graham crackers. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add sugar. Beat the egg and milk together, add to butter mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the nuts, coconut and 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs.
Pour this mixture over the graham crackers in the pan. Cover with another layer of whole graham crackers.
For the topping:
Beat all the ingredients together and spread this topping over the top layer of graham crackers. Chill. (preferably for several hours). Cut into squares.
Helen's note: FYI - These are SUPER rich, so I cut into very small squares...that should be more than enough!
ENJOY!
Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies
Paula Deen
Makes about 2 dozen
1 brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 box moist chocolate cake mix
Powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in powdered sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and gooey. Cool completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
ENJOY!
I am super excited for tonight's festivities! We are attending a Dave Stamey concert (not my first, but Matt's first). Dave is an amazing Western singer (different than country/western) and is not only talented, but super humorous! The stories he tells between songs keep the tears of laughter in your eyes and the goodwill permeating the whole room. He's a kind, down to earth, honest kind of man and it shows in everything he does!
I volunteered to be the "Official Baker" for this event and make refreshments for sold out crowd of 120 people attending the concert in the intimate Elgin Club. I didn't know what to make at first...wanted to impress and create something that would bring some attention to my baking efforts, but when baking for 120 people I had to be realistic. My friend and music connoisseur, Patty Wands, who puts these lovely concerts on for us, requested something easy to serve and able to eat with a napkin...translation...keep it simple!
So, I decided that cookies were an easy way to feed the masses and keep it simple. I researched many recipes and decided to make 3 different kinds of cookies and about 30 dozen for the event! It took some critical math skills to decide on the portions, but with Matt's mathematical brain it was pretty simple to decipher! Boy, I love having a brainy husband! I can save my remaining brain cells for more important things than math...like blogging! My choices in cookies came from the type of people attending this concert. People who enjoy the western lifestyle and like to keep things simple rather then fancy. Cowgirls and cowboys, ranchers and locals. I was going to bake to my demographic!
Luckily for me I also had a secret weapon in my arsenal! My best friend, Della. She is also exploring her baking skills and interested in learning more like me, so when I mentioned what I was planning for this concert she jumped on board and offered to make one of the recipes for me. I gave her a choice and she chose the recipe with the most ingredients and the toughest to put together, but I knew if anyone was up for the challenge it was her! She loves to make baked goods that are intricate and have lots of ingredients. I am good at making the simple recipes taste like heaven, but she likes the challenge of making the tougher recipes seem easy to make and simply delicious! Together, we make a formidable team in the kitchen!
So without further ado...here are the three recipes.
Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies
Makes 36 HUGE cookies or 6 dozen "non-Texas" sized cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tblsp baking powder
1 tblsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tblsp vanilla extract
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened flake coconut
2 cups chopped pecans (or walnuts as Della used)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. In an 8-quart bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add in sugars, beat to combine, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla extract. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add in chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto ungreased baking sheets (this is the Texas size one...), spacing 3 inches apart. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, until edges are lightly browned, rotating sheets halfway through. Remove cookies from rack to cool. Makes about 3 dozen cookies. FOR 6 dozen smaller cookies, use 2 tablespoons dough for each. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.
ENJOY!
LOW COUNTRY COOKIES
Paul Deen
These are actually bars...SUPER rich and sweet.
1 16-oz box of Graham crackers
12 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cup shredded coconut
Topping:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tblsp butter
3 tblsp milk
For the filling:
Line a 13"X9" glass pan with whole graham crackers. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add sugar. Beat the egg and milk together, add to butter mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the nuts, coconut and 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs.
Pour this mixture over the graham crackers in the pan. Cover with another layer of whole graham crackers.
For the topping:
Beat all the ingredients together and spread this topping over the top layer of graham crackers. Chill. (preferably for several hours). Cut into squares.
Helen's note: FYI - These are SUPER rich, so I cut into very small squares...that should be more than enough!
ENJOY!
Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies
Paula Deen
Makes about 2 dozen
1 brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 box moist chocolate cake mix
Powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in powdered sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and gooey. Cool completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
ENJOY!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Happy New Year!
I just wanted to wish all my friends and family a very Happy and Healthy New Year 2010.
I am looking forward to creating more fun recipes and relating all the crazy stories that make up my cowgirl life!
Keep checking in for good things to come here at cowgirlcuisine.blogspot.com.
I am looking to make some great cookies for a musical evening with in January. I will be posting my weekly meals (if they are worthy) and blogging about the spring works soon.
Thank you for the support and Happy, happy, happy New Year!
Helen
I am looking forward to creating more fun recipes and relating all the crazy stories that make up my cowgirl life!
Keep checking in for good things to come here at cowgirlcuisine.blogspot.com.
I am looking to make some great cookies for a musical evening with in January. I will be posting my weekly meals (if they are worthy) and blogging about the spring works soon.
Thank you for the support and Happy, happy, happy New Year!
Helen
Monday, December 21, 2009
Good Old Chocolate Chip Cookie!
Yesterday I spent a ridiculous amount of hours baking Christmas cookies. I made my doughs the night before and transported everything over to a friend's house where we baked and baked and baked batch after batch, then iced a million sugar cookies with toxically sweet frosting (but needless to say delicious), and then put together mixed cookie plates to give to our friends/family as gifts.
Together, we made hundreds of cookies, 7 different varieties, plus fillings and icing! I decided that I would make a double batch of my now 'famous' chocolate chip cookies because my friend's husband, Jack loves them and since he was going to have to tolerate our whole day of baking in his house and I figured he deserved a treat for that.
Throughout the day as we baked one recipe after the other, I watched the most interesting phenomenon. The cookies that were "sampled" the most during the day by Jack and my husband, Matt were the plain old every day chocolate chip cookies! We made snickerdoodles, Linzer cookies filled with jelly, Russian tea cakes, Red Velvet (which turned out purple, but that's another story) sandwiches filled with fresh cream cheese frosting, gingerbread, chocolate chip and frosted sugar cookies. We had to force the guys to try the fancier cookies, some attempts failing. Every time Matt would take a batch of chocolate chips out of the oven for me, he had to perform quality control and eat one warm out of the oven. Needless to say I was glad I made a double batch, and Matt ended up with a stomach ache for his valiant efforts to make sure the cookies were good enough to send out. I am not even sure how many Jack squirreled away from the cooling racks, but I am sure it rivaled Matt's count.
So...for all the fancy cookie recipes out there...beware....taste tests prove that men still prefer the "Maryann" over the dressed up "Ginger" of cookies!
Here is my own chocolate chip cookie recipe that I hope you will share with your men!
Helen's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER
1 package of butter flavored crisco
3/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Milk and Semi-Sweet chocolate chips to taste
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
In a medium bowl, cream together the crisco with the sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add vanilla and mix well.
In another bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking soda.
Mix dry ingredients into sugar mix, a little at a time, mixing well in between.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Make 2 inch balls of dough and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes - depending on your oven or altitude. The cookies should be light golden on the edges (not brown!!) and still soft looking in the center when you remove from the oven. Let the centers set before removing from the cookie sheet and moving to the cooling rack.
ENJOY!!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Marriage, bliss and donuts....
Well, since my last blog I got married. We drove up to Las Vegas, met some friends there, had a limo driven "drive-up" wedding and then drove home. Short, sweet and VERY fun. Unlike most weddings, we didn't have stress, we didn't get ourselves into debt and the best part, we had a blast! There were only tears of laughter shed and we will remember sharing the funky, fun experience with our friends for the rest of our happily ever after life!I must admit, I am totally head over heels crazy about this guy and feel completely blessed to be able to share the rest of my life with him.
I would do it all over again! Except maybe not eat at a Buffet every meal like we did! UGH! So, what exactly is the BUFFET PHENOMENON? We ate ourselves to the gills at every meal! We ate sushi, crab legs, elk, salad, steak, prime rib, salmon, shrimp, and whatever other delicacy they offered up...ALL IN ONE MEAL! We would never consider doing this at home! As a matter of fact, we could hardly clean our plates of one measly serving for the whole week following our gluttony in Vegas. I don't understand how the mind overrides the body's "I am full" sensor when a huge buffet of food faces you, but it did. For breakfast and dinner every day we were there. Most days we skipped lunch because we had snacked on goodies at all the trade shows (like mini donuts...OMG!! Those were fantastic! http://www.minidonuts.com/).
So...for those who didn't have the chance to taste the mini donuts at the Sands Casino Trade Show...this recipe is for you!
Mini Donuts...not for the faint of heart...
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, plus more for deep frying
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup canned evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch ground mace
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup canned evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch ground mace
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
Directions
For coating: 3/4 cup granulated sugar, or 3/4 cup granulated sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, or sifted confectioners' sugar
For filling: raspberry jam
For coating: 3/4 cup granulated sugar, or 3/4 cup granulated sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, or sifted confectioners' sugar
For filling: raspberry jam
Melt the 2 tablespoons shortening in a small sauce pan. Set aside to cool slightly but remain liquid.
In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and melted shortening together on medium speed. Add the egg and beat well. Add the evaporated milk and vanilla, continue beating until the mixture is light, about 2 minutes.
Sift the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, mace, and salt into a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture on low speed until just combined. The texture of the dough will be soft and loose. Turn dough out of the bowl onto a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap it well. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Roll the chilled dough out on a very lightly dusted workspace until its about 1/2-inch thick. Dip the edges of a 2-inch round cutter in flour and cut the dough into discs. Place cut dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Heat about 2-inches of shortening in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 375 degrees F. Line a large plate with paper towels.
Working in batches, fry the doughnuts, turning once, until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer the doughnuts from the oil with a slotted spoon or skimmer to the prepared pan. Cool. Repeat with remaining dough, taking care the oil comes back to the correct temperature between each batch.
For jelly filled doughnuts: Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with raspberry jam. Let the donut cool slightly. Make a small opening with the pastry tip and gently fill each donut with some of the jam. Dust with sugar as desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
For sugared doughnuts, roll the doughnuts in sugar or cinnamon sugar while they are still warm. For confectioners' sugared covered doughnuts allow the doughnuts to cool completely before rolling in the confectioners' sugar.
ENJOY!
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