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Meyer Lemon Doughnuts | Recipe

5 · · 28 Comments

I have made no secret of the fact that I am falling in love with baked doughnuts. Last month I made Vanilla Bean Heart Doughnuts for Valentines Day. This month I am loving experimenting with the Meyer Lemons that my local grocery store has started to stock. This is my first lemon recipe this season. Last year we had Lemon Crinkle Cookies and Lemon Curd Cheesecake.  Believe me, I'm sure it won't be the last.  I love lemon!!

First off, what is a Meyer lemon? Well, since you asked so nicely… a Meyer Lemon is a cross between a lemon and a Mandarin Orange, thus taking the sweetness of the orange and the tart from the lemon and making a wonderful hybrid for us lemon lovers. It's perfect for baking with and for adding a little slice of one to your or Diet Coke.

For this doughnut I took the standard vanilla doughnut recipe added some zest from the lemons and then glazed them with a lemon infused glaze. Here is the recipe…

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs slightly beaten

3 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray pan with non-stick cooking spray

In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl add buttermilk, vanilla, lemon zest, and eggs. Add wet mixture to the dry mixture and then add the melted butter. Mix just until combined. Fill each doughnut cup 1/2 full and bake accordingly.

I find the best way to fill the pan is to fill a pastery bag with the doughut batter and with a simple round tip gently add your batter to the pan.  Better yet, a pancake pen is PERFECT for the job!

large doughnut pan or heart shaped pan 10-12 minutes

mini doughnut pan 4-6 minutes

4 cups confectioners sugar

4 tablespoons Meyer Lemon juice

In a small bowl combine confectioners sugar with lemon juice. Add lemon juice slowly until you reach the desired consistancy.  The doughnuts in the pictures had a pretty thick glaze, but if you would like a light glaze add more lemon juice.

Let me know how your doughnut adventures go. Send over some pictures if you make some. I would LOVE to see them!!

Jalapeno Craisin Salsa Appetizer | Recipe

3 · · 6 Comments

A few years ago my sister-in-law shared a fun recipe with me that she just raved about.  It came into my inbox only to be lost in the mix until today.  I was working on some fun entertaining ideas and immediately this recipe jumped into my head as something I would love to try for a party.  Well my sister-in-saw was right, this is Jalapeno Craisin Salsa is one of those recipes that quietly becomes the star of the show.

Jalapeno Craisin Salsa Appetizer Recipe

  • 4 jalapenos ~ finely chopped
  • 1 med onion ~ finely chopped
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup cilantro ~ finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 lb dried cranberries {Craisins}

Combine juices, salt and honey. Whisk until combined. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill for a few hours so juices absorb into Craisins, jalapeno and onions. Place over softened block of cream cheese. Serve with your favorite crackers. 

This recipe makes enough for three blocks of cream cheese.

Vanilla Bean Heart Doughnuts | Recipe

0 · · 18 Comments

Ahhhhh… can you feel it? Love is in the air.  As promised I have the recipe for the Vanilla Bean Heart Doughnuts that I featured last week with our Gift Gloss post.  These little gems are perfect for any Valentine goodie or gathering.  Don't worry, you don't have to make them heart shaped.  Any good donut baking pan will do.

I found my heart doughnut pan at Target if you want to make the heart shaped variety or you can find a good ole' round doughnut pan large or small at your local baking store or online. Here is the recipe that I used.

Vanilla Bean Doughnuts

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean

2 eggs slightly beaten

3 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spry pan with non-stick cooking spray

In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add buttermilk, vanilla, eggs and butter. Cut the vanilla bean length wise and using a knife scrape out the vanilla seeds and add to the mixture.  Mix just until combined. Fill each doughnut cup 1/2 full and bake accordingly.

large doughnut pan or heart shaped pan 10-12 minutes

mini doughnut pan 4-6 minutes

The top will only slightly brown and the doughnut will spring back when touched.  Let doughnuts cool in pan for a few minutes and then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Now my little secret is… I dip the doughnuts in melted chocolate to create that lovely glazed look.  The funny thing is I now prefer my doughnuts with a chocolate topping!  I used the red colored candy melts along with some white jimmies from Sweet baking & candy making supply. I prepared the chocolate according to package directions and then added a tablespoon of canola oil to the chocolate to thin it out a bit.  You'll have to check the consistency of the chocolate and may need to add a little more.  Just start slow until you get your desired consistency.  Don't worry, the chocolate will still set-up with the oil.  Carefully dip the doughnuts into the chocolate and then sprinkle the top with the jimmies.  Put doughnuts into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes until the chocolate sets-up. The lovely thing about the chocolate is that it makes it super easy to package your goodies without making a huge mess and they taste aaaaaamazing!!

What kind of goodies are you making this year? Here's another fun Valentine idea from WhipperBerry…

Heart shaped cookies with a free packaging printable.  Yes… I have a thing for heart shaped goodies!

The Best Salsa to Beat the Winter Blues

0 · · 8 Comments

I don't know if any of you are like me, but every January, at least one of my New Year's resolutions includes some kind of healthy eating goal.  I try new recipes and tricks to stay fuller longer on fewer calories, boost my fruit and veggie intake, etc. etc.  But the bottom line is, if I don't like it, I'm not going to eat it.  When my sister brought this salsa dip to a family function last year, I ate half the bowl before dinner ever started; it is SO good, and SO healthy.  So without further ado, here is a new, wonderfully healthy and satisfying recipe to add to your "good foods" list this year.

You'll need…

1-2 Roma tomatoes
2 ripe avocados
3 sprigs of green onions
1 can of black beans
1/2-3/4 c. frozen petite white corn
1/4-1/2 cup fat free Italian dressing

Dice the tomatoes and avocados and chop up the green onions and add them to your dish.  Strain and rinse the black beans and throw them into your dish along with the corn and dressing.
Serve with chips or as a topping for tacos, burritos, etc.

 

There you have it!  Super straight forward and easy.  I have to warn you though, this stuff only stays good for about 12 hours.  Avocados go bad quickly, so don't make it too far in advance.  You really shouldn't have a problem with making too much… at least, I never do!