CHURROS

It has been "churro week" at our house. We love this sweet (stick shaped) donut rolled in cinnamon sugar and served warm!!

"Churro week" came about because I was trying to find a new churro recipe for the grandkids. I tried several new ones and they all had promising results, but none of them were exactly what  I was looking for. I ended up combining the best parts of each recipe and came up with a churro that was light as air and delicious.

I love this recipe for several reasons. First of all they are quick and easy to make. Secondly, you KNOW they are tasty when you have people waiting around in the kitchen for the next ones to come out of the fryer...that is always a good sign. Thirdly, they cost (literally) pennies to make and finally, served with a chocolate dipping sauce or whipped cream, they are great for company.

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Set up a frying station, with about 2" of vegetable oil in a frying pan and bring it to 375 degrees.  I like to use my electric frying pan because I can just set the temperature and forget it.

Next, line a cookie sheet with paper towels to drain the churros on once they are fried.  Also, mix 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and put it in a pie plate (you will roll the churros in the cinnamon sugar after they are fried).

Now, for the batter:

1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
pinch of salt
4 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan with a heavy bottom, bring the milk, butter, sugar and salt to a boil.  Once it reaches a boil, add the flour all at once and STIR until the dough clumps into a ball and comes away from the side of the pan; this will happen almost immediately.

Remove the pan from the heat and put the dough in your stand mixer fitted with a paddle blade (not the whisk); let it sit for about 2 minutes (to cool down just a tad).

Start up your mixer on medium speed and while the mixer is running, add the vanilla and then the eggs,  one at a time, to the dough, beating well after each egg. The final batter will be very thick and sticky, but smooth.

NOTE: When you put the first egg in,  it will seem like it doesn't want to mix in, but keep mixing, it WILL. As soon as it mixes, in, add the next egg.

Place the batter in a frosting bag fitted with your largest (star) frosting tip.  I use a Wilton 1M.

Your oil should be good and hot by now, so squeeze 4" strips of the batter directly into the hot oil.  I use the tip of my finger to "pinch off" the dough. Fry a few at a time and don't over crowd; they will puff up as they cook.

Fry for about a minute on each side or until they turn golden.  Drain on paper towels and roll in cinnamon sugar while they are still hot.  Serve warm.

Picky-picky husband loves smaller churros, so I make some little 2" churros for him:

 

These churros are the real deal!!

GLAZED DONUTS...Live a Little!!

This is my "go to" recipe when Hubby asks for homemade donuts. I have tried many, many donut recipes over the years and this is his favorite; it is simple, delicious and it has never failed me.

 2 envelopes of dry active yeast (I use 2 scant tablespoons)
¼ cup warm water
1½ cups warm milk
½ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs (room temperature)
1/3 cup butter flavored Crisco
5 cups all purpose flour
Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let it stand for 5 minutes or until foamy. In a stand mixer, mix 2 cups of the flour, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and yeast mixture until well mixed (takes just a minute on low speed).
Beat in the rest of the flour, ½ cup at a time, until the dough doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl anymore. Once it is at that stage, knead for about 5 minutes.
Place the dough in a greased (I use cooking spray) bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and sit it in a very warm part of your kitchen for an hour, or until the dough doubles in size.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently roll it out to ½" thickness. Cut with a floured donut cutter (see note below). Set cut out donuts on a square of parchment paper that you lightly sprayed with cooking spray. This will help you tremendously when it comes time to lift the donuts into the cooking oil.
Spray the tops of the donuts with a little cooking spray and cover loosely with plastic wrap for a second rising (takes about 45 minutes to an hour). Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer (see note below) to 350 (I cooked mine at 375) and gently lower donuts into oil. Fry until they turn nice and golden then flip them.

Drained cooked donuts on a baking rack and before they cool all the way down, dip them in a simple sugar glaze (or cinnamon sugar).

SIMPLE SUGAR GLAZE
1/3 cup melted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
4 tablespoons hot water

Mix everything together (starting with 3 tablespoons hot water, then adding the last tablespoon if you need it).

NOTE: My donut cutter is a small pineapple can that I've removed the top & bottom from. For the center hole, I use a small circle cookie cutter.

NOTE: I heat my oil in an electric frying pan so I can regulate the temperature (and it doesn't take as much oil as a deep fryer).

LIGHT AS AIR DONUT HOLES FOR THIS WEEKEND

This recipe comes from the April edition of Cooking Light...go figure. Why a fried donut recipe is in a magazine called Cooking Light, I'm not sure, but it is...I tried it, and they were delicious...light as air.
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6 tablespoons warm water (see note)
¼ cup granulated sugar
1+ 1/8 teaspoons dry active yeast (I used 1¼)
6.75 ounces flour (about 1½ cups) divided (see note)
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
6 cups peanut oil (I used vegetable oil)
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Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl, let stand for 5 minutes or until bubbly. Weigh, or lightly spoon 5.63 ounces (about 1¼ cups) flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife, add salt.
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Add sour cream and lightly beaten egg to yeast mixture and mix until smooth. Add the flour mixture and mix until a moist dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 3 minutes); add enough of the remaining flour (1 tablespoon at a time) to prevent dough from sticking to your hands. (dough will feel slightly sticky). See note.
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Place dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place (85 degrees) for 1 hour or until almost double in size. (see note)
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Punch down dough. Divide into 36 equal portions; roll each portion into a ball. Cover dough with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray; let sit 30 minutes.
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Fry in 375F oil, for 2 minutes or until golden and done. Drain donuts on paper towels. Glaze or roll in sugar.
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OK, now that was their instructions...here's mine: I ended up using two cups of flour because their recommendation was simply not enough. I shaped the donut holes and placed them on a square of parchment paper that I had sprayed with cooking spray and then wiped off with a paper towel. This allows you to pick up each donut hole without deflating it.
Yeast dough's only cooperate with you if they are kept warm, so, either bring the egg and sour cream to room temperature before you use them, or sit your bowl of dough (and later your pan of shaped donut holes) over a large bowl of very warm water (the hottest water coming from your kitchen sink).

This dough was supposed to take only an hour to raise the first time. However, I didn't use room temperature ingredients, so it took almost 2 hours. Once I sat it over the bowl of warm water, the dough became beautifully light and fluffy.

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I find that an electric skillet works well for frying donuts because you can set the temperature and it doesn't take all that much oil. Just make sure you flip them over every 30 seconds for a total fry time of 2 minutes.

Drain them, initially, on several layers of paper towels. Once drained, dip the hot donuts in a glaze or roll them in sugar.
Glaze

1½ cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons warm water

(I added a half teaspoon vanilla)
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NOTE: Recipe starts with 6 tablespoons warm water. You can actually use fairly hot water in this step because the granulated sugar will cool down the water before you mix in the yeast.
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NOTE: This recipe needs a lot more flour than is called for. I used two cups of flour (lightly spooned into a measuring cup and leveled off with a knife), and I didn't put it in 1 tablespoon at a time, like directions suggest, I just dumped it in.

GLAZED SPUDNUT (style) DONUTS

For those people who are old enough to know what a Spudnut is...this recipe will be a treat. For those of you too young to remember Spudnuts...let's just say that they were the best donut in the universe. I heard that there are still a few Spudnut shops around, but it appears that they are few and far between.

This recipe (from the Idaho Potato Commission) makes a LOT of Spudnut-style donuts (about 4 dozen) so you might want to half the recipe if you decide to make them. If you are not experienced with yeast doughs, I don't recommend trying this recipe, however, if you have had even moderate success with yeast doughs, I hope you give the recipe a try (it is not a hard recipe at all).

The donuts are very moist, sweet and have just a HINT of lemon. My hubby is a donut (and Spudnut) connoisseur from way back, and he gave these donuts two thumbs up!!

 

 2 pkgs. dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup shortening (do not use butter)
1 & 1/2 cups cold instant mashed potatoes
3 eggs well beaten
2 cups scalded milk (cooled to luke warm)
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon extract
6 to 8 cups all purpose flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and set aside. Cream the sugar and shortening and beat in the cold potatoes, eggs, cooled milk, yeast water, salt and lemon extract. Gradually add the flour to make a soft dough, knead well. The dough will be quite sticky, but holds together well. It should be a softer dough than bread dough.


 Cover dough with plastic and let it raise in a warm place until doubled in size (this takes a huge bowl and about an hour). After an hour, pull dough out of bowl and onto the counter. Sprinkle with flour and knead it a little to get most of the air out of it. If dough seems really sticky, just flour your board. Roll the dough out to a half inch thickness. Cut with well-floured cutter.


Spray a piece of parchment paper (or waxed paper) with a little vegetable spray and then wipe it down with a paper towel. Cut the paper into squares and put a cut out donut on each square. This will help you when it is time to transfer the raised donuts from the counter to the hot oil (see notes).

 Let the doughnuts raise until they get nice and puffy, then

deep fry the donuts in 375 degree vegetable oil until they are deep golden (mine took about 2 minutes a side). Only fry two or three donuts at a time.
Drain on paper towels. Glaze while still warm

CLICK ON THIS PHOTO FOR BREAKFAST

GLAZE

1 pound of sifted powdered sugar

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

Whisk in enough boiling water to make a thin glaze, drizzle over donuts.

And don't forget the donut holes!!!

NOTE: Recipe calls for shortening, I used butter flavored Crisco.

NOTE: Recipe calls for prepared instant potatoes. I prepared my potatoes per the box instructions including water, milk, butter and salt.

NOTE: Recipe calls for a tablespoon of lemon extract. That sounds like a lot, but it leaves just a tiny HINT of lemon flavor in the final product.

NOTE: Recipe calls for 6-8 cups of flour. I used all 8 cups and it was no where near as "solid" as bread dough, so expect a sticky dough.

NOTE: I let my donuts raise on squares of sprayed parchment paper. If you do that, then you can pick up the donut without deforming or deflating it and gently turn it over in your hand and gently peel off the paper before you ease the donut into the hot oil.

NOTE: I have a 2" donut cutter, but it just seemed to make a very tiny donut, so I cut the bottom and top out of a pineapple can and used that as my cutter. I cut out the center of the donut with a tiny cookie cutter.
NOTE: I used my smallest electric frying pan with 3" of vegetable oil to fry these donuts. The electric fry pan allows you to easily adjust the oil to 375 degrees and since you should only fry two or three donuts at a time, the smaller electric fry pan makes sense.