Baked Mini Donuts

 I love donuts more then anything that you can consume. I love them I love them I love them. Last year I picked up a Sauveur magazine because of the donuts on the cover. I bought some donut pans and pulled out the article. However I did not use the recipe in the article. I changed the whole thing to get my own light version of the baked donut. I feel like the magic of the doughnut is the fried bread. When I read the recipe I thought that it would be heavy and dry, so I changed the typed and quantities of the flours and butter/ shortening. The recipe came out great. Here is my version of the baked donut.

Ingredients
1/2c sugar
1/2c butter
1/4c Crisco
1c flour
1 1/4c cake flour
1/2tbsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt
1/4tsp nutmeg
dash of cardamom
1 egg
1/2c milk

Sprinkles

Glaze
1 1/2c confectioners' sugar, sifted to remove any lumps
3 to 4tbsp milk or water
2tsp vanilla extract 
For chocolate (add 4tbsp cocoa powder)

Place the sugar in a medium bowl and slowly stir in the milk and vanilla, a little at a time, to make a smooth, pourable glaze.  

Method
Heat oven to 400°. Grease donut tins with butter or baking spray; set aside. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cardamom in a bowl; set aside.

Using a hand mixer, beat  butter and sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add egg, beating well after addition. Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk  beat until batter is smooth.

Spoon batter into prepared tins; bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into donuts comes out clean, 15–20 minutes.

 











Invert donuts onto a baking sheet with a wire rack; let cool completely.

Dip in glaze and desired sprinkles

Beer Steamed Chicken

I have been Christmas shopping for my man and I keep picking up BBQ stuff, My Daddy LOVES his girl. Hehe I meant grill! I found a fun gadget on zulilly. It was a rack for a beer can for a whole chicken. Wow I thought he would love that. I bought it, and I hid the gift in my big box o gifts.
We were lying in bed and he says "Baby, Lets make a beer chicken for Labor day"...... Hmmmm this is the second gift I have had to pull out because I read his mind on a regular.
We made the chickens without the rack we used 40oz cans and they sit straight up on the grill just fine. They came out so moist and delicious!!

Ingredients 
1 whole chicken 
1 can Beer

Spice Rub
4tbsp garlic salt 
1/4c  brown sugar
2tbsp smoked paprika
1tsp cayenne pepper

Method
Season chicken with Spice Rub, Make sure you rub down chicken under skin too.. I put mine in a zip lock bag over night

Pour out (or drink) half of beer.Insert into cavity of chicken.

 

Prepare grill for high, indirect heat charcoal grill, bank coals on 1 side of grill and put drip pan on empty side;  Add water to pan to a depth of 1/2". Place cavity of chicken, legs pointing down, onto open can so that it supports chicken upright. Place can, with chicken, on grill over indirect heat (and above drip pan).

Grill chicken, covered, until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, 45-60 minutes.  Let chicken rest 10 minutes before carving.

Crispy Onion Rings

I love onion rings. This is a very recent thing. My Man ordered some from IHOP and it turned me forever. I seriously love IHOPS onion rings the best. I have tried many times to make my own using lots of different recipes but I never get them to stay crispy until this last time I tried... OMG I nailed it they were so perfect and delicious!

Ingredients
2 large onions, cut into 1/4-inch rings
Vegetable oil, for frying 
1 1/4c all-purpose flour 
1/4c cornstarch 
2tsp baking powder 
1tsp garlic salt
1 1/3c ice-cold water\

Method
Place onions in a large bowl filled with cold water and soak 10 minutes. Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot to 365 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in ice-cold water and place batter bowl over a bowl of ice. Drain onions and dry thoroughly between layers of  paper towels.
Working one handful at a time, dip onions in batter, allowing excess to drip back into bowl, and gently place in oil.

Fry, turning once, until crisp and golden, 3 minutes.

Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray to drain and sprinkle with garlic salt to taste.