D is for Doughnuts...sorta

My not so little guy asked for some doughnuts. While most people would have jumped in their cars and headed for the nearest DD or KK, he asked if we could make ours. Of course, I replied. We always have canned biscuits in the pantry because of their million and one uses, so how could I say no.

I first got my peanut oil and added about an inch of this into my medium-sized pot. While this was getting up to temperature, I popped open the can and JC prepped the biscuits.

JC used a decorator's tip and made the holes in the biscuits. When the oil was hot, I put them in two at a time and kept flipping them until they were golden in color. When they were all done, I dropped the centers in and made doughnut holes for myself-cook's treat! I let them cool on a rack. While they were cooling, I made a powdered sugar glaze , JC dipped them and placed back on the rack glazed side up for it to set a bit. The doughnut "holes" were coated w/ sugar and cinnamon. We had a great time making these together. I really enjoy cooking w/ my other man of the house. Here's a pic of the fruits of our labor....

Stuck on C

Just when I thought I was done w/ the letter c, I stumbled upon this:

Land O Lakes now has butter in half sticks. They are really easy to use. When I opened the box, inside there was a recipe for Favorite Chocolate Cake. I read over the ingredients and had everything in the pantry to try it out. The recipe is a follows:

1 cup of sugar
1 Half Stick of Land O Lakes butter,(1/4 cup) , softened
1/4 cup sour milk*
1 (1-ounce) square unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup boiling water
Powdered sugar or heavy whipping , whipped, if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan, set aside.

Combine sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add sour milk, melted chocolate, egg and vanilla. Continue beating until smooth. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed. Add boiling water; continue until smooth.

Pour batter in prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Dust cooled cake with powdered sugar or serve w/ whipped cream.
Makes 12 servings


*Substitute 3/4 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to equal 1/24 cup; let stand 5 minutes

I pretty much followed the recipe except instead of sour milk, I used buttermilk. I also noticed that when I added the boiling water, the mixture seemed a bit thin. After the cake cooled, I dusted it w/ powdered sugar and dark cocoa powder. The cake had a nice crumb to it and is just the right size as it only makes one layer.

While eating a piece, I started thinking about the possibilities. This cake could be covered in a chocolate ganache or even a buttercream icing. Orange zest could be added to the mixture as well as orange flavoring instead of vanilla flavoring. The possibilities are endless! Hope you try it.

Now I Know my ABCs

So, this time around, I will try to tackle the ABCs.

A for roasted aparagus w/ shallots

B for basil roasted chicken, w/ the basil tucked under the skin
I had a chance to visit my parents over the weekend. Now that school is out, my dad has a lot of free time, more time to tend to his garden. This year he planted an herb garden. He has chives, peppermint and basil. While I was there I clipped some basil. I think this fresh basil will be a welcomed addition to the chicken.



C-chocolate mousse and coconut cake. The coconut cake was leftover from Father's Day.

This is enough for now to get me started. What about you? What's on tap for the week??

TTFN

Salad Dressings-My Way....

So DH's last doctor's visit went okay. He was told to stay away from prepared salad dressings. Later that evening, I went in and tossed all of his stash from the fridge. Now, the only prepared dressings he has on his salads are the ones that I make. If we are eating out, he will request EVOO and balsamic vinegar.

I thought that I would share with you all one dressing that he seems to like right now. I try not to make a lot of dressings that call for cheese as some can be very salty. If I do use it, it is used very sparingly. He complains, but he will just have to get over it!!

Creamy Buttermilk and Parmesan Cheese Dressing

Here's what you will need:

1/4 cup reduced fat or light sour cream
1/4 light mayonnaise
shredded Parmesan cheese or grated, if you want a finer texture(not the canned stuff!!)
buttermilk
pinch of kosher salt
cracked black pepper or for you purists, white pepper

These measurements are not set in stone. With that said, go with how YOU would like for it to taste. I like to make my dressings the day before I will need them. This gives all the flavors a chance to meld together.

Mix the sour cream and mayo together. Add the cheese. If this mixture seems a little too thick, add some buttermilk to thin it out. If you are going for a dip texture, you may want to leave it on the thick side. Add salt and pepper to taste. Store in an air-tight container and keep in the fridge. If you make up several types of dressings, you may want to label them. Don't ask me how I know this, 'kay?

Now with just the base of the mayo and sour cream, you can add bleu cheese and a splash of red wine vinegar (or not) and you have bleu cheese dressing or bleu cheese dip.


This same principle holds true for vinaigrette dressings. You can vary this in a number of ways like by adding sun-dried tomatoes, shallots, garlic, etc. Have fun with it! Onced you've made it your way, you may not go back to the pre-made dressings.

Happy cooking!!