by Jessica Beck
Only time would tell if I’d ever be able to go back.
But regardless of what the future might hold for me, I knew that I would be okay. After all, I had Jake, Momma, Grace, and an entire town full of people who loved me, and in the end, that was really all that mattered.
Recipes
Spiced Buttermilk Donuts
There’s something about buttermilk that really enhances baked goods for me. I’ve been using buttermilk as a substitute for regular milk occasionally for years in many of my donuts, and my entire family loves them. I don’t always bother with buying fresh buttermilk, though. The powdered variety works just fine in this and any other donut recipe you might care to use it in. These donuts are best when there’s a slight chill in the air, or so I think, but they are perfectly lovely any time of year!
Ingredients
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar, granulated
1⁄2 stick butter, unsalted and softened
1 cup buttermilk
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
Directions
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and then add the butter and sugar, creaming the mixture into a consistent form. Add the buttermilk, mix well, and then set this mixture aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
Next, add the dry mix to the wet slowly, making sure to mix thoroughly as you go. If the mixture is too stiff, add a little more buttermilk. If it’s too runny, add more flour.
Chill the dough for at least an hour, and then turn it out onto a floured surface. Knead into a ball, then roll out to approximately ½ inch thick. Cut out donuts with a cutter, and then set them aside.
Heat enough canola oil to 375 degrees F, and then drop the rounds and holes into the oil, being careful not to overcrowd them.
Fry for approximately 2 minutes per side, and then pull out of the oil and drain on a rack with paper towels below. These are good as is, or you can always add powdered sugar, icing, or even cocoa powder, if you are so inclined.
Makes approximately 1 dozen donuts and 1 dozen holes.
Donuts (Sort of) Your Kids Can Make
This recipe is a real winner with the younger crowd, but that doesn’t mean that adults can’t make them and enjoy them, too! It’s kind of messy, so be prepared for it, but what kid doesn’t like to make a mess? These are quick and easy, a winning combination on a rainy or even snowy afternoon!
Ingredients
1 egg
3⁄4 cup milk
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 cup flour, unbleached all-purpose
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
Additional Ingredients
Slices of bread, any kind (we use white)
Jam or preserves (your favorite)
Cinnamon sugar or icing sugar
Directions
Start heating the canola oil, enough to cover the donuts, to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, beat the egg and add the milk and sugar.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder, and then mix the dry ingredients into the batter.
Here’s where the fun begins!
Let your kids cut the crusts off the bread, and then have them make regular jam sandwiches themselves. Cut the sandwiches into four equal pieces, dip them into the batter, and then fry them until they are golden brown.
Once they are out of the oil and cool to the touch, let your kids add their favorite toppings, from powdered sugar to cinnamon sugar to even regular icing.
Enjoy!
Yield: 8–12 squares
Cranberry Treats
I have a real affinity for cranberries, and they are great in these easy-to-make-and-serve treats. They go great with coffee or hot cocoa, but don’t forget to share them with your kids! You can also use other mixes as well, and we’ve made blueberry treats in the past as well!
Ingredients
1 package cranberry muffin mix (7 ounces)
3⁄4 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
3⁄4 cup buttermilk
cranberries, frozen (purely optional), then thawed.
Directions
Heat enough canola oil to 375 degrees F to fry your treats, and then get started on the batter while you wait for the oil to come up to heat.
In a medium bowl, add the extra flour to the muffin mix, combining well.
Next, add the beaten egg and the buttermilk, stirring but not overmixing this. If you decide to add extra cranberries, here is when you should do it.
It’s as simple as that. Drop little balls of dough into the hot oil, frying two to three minutes per side until they are brown. Drain them directly onto paper towels.
You can eat these like this, or dust them with powdered sugar for an extra touch of sweetness.
Makes approximately 12 treats
A Different Kind of Baked Donut
I think everyone should invest in an inexpensive donut maker, but then again, I’m a bit donut crazy, and I don’t care who knows it! We use portable little countertop units more these days to bake donuts than ever. We will still fry donuts on occasion, but these are so much easier, especially the cleanup, which is a real plus in my kitchen. If you don’t have the space for a donut baker, though, there are donut-shaped pans you can use along with your conventional oven, as well as muffin tins in a pinch. Any way you can make yourself these baked treats is excellent as far as I’m concerned!
This particular recipe makes cake donuts denser than you might be used to, but my family loves them as a break from my usual offerings.
Ingredients
1 egg, beaten
1⁄2 cup sugar, white granulated
1⁄2 cup mashed potatoes
1⁄4 cup whole milk (buttermilk works great here, too)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup flour, unbleached all-purpose
2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
Directions
In a large bowl, beat the egg thoroughly, and then add the sugar, mashed potatoes, milk, and melted butter. Mix thoroughly, and then set this aside.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet and mix together until the consistency is smooth.
Using two spoons or a cookie scoop, add portions of batter about the size of a walnut to each cavity in your baking vessel and bake 9 to 14 minutes at 360 degrees F, or until golden brown. Your method of baking may impact the cooking time, so keep an eye on them.
Once they are cool, top with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Yield: 8–12 small donuts.
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Other Books by Jessica Beck
The Donut Mysteries
Glazed Murder
Fatally Frosted
Sinister Sprinkles
Evil Éclairs
Tragic Toppings
&nb
sp; Killer Crullers
Drop Dead Chocolate
Powdered Peril
Illegally Iced
Deadly Donuts
Assault and Batter
Sweet Suspects
Deep Fried Homicide
Custard Crime
Lemon Larceny
Bad Bites
Old Fashioned Crooks
Dangerous Dough
Troubled Treats
Sugar Coated Sins
Criminal Crumbs
Vanilla Vices
Raspberry Revenge
Fugitive Filling
Devil’s Food Defense
Pumpkin Pleas
Floured Felonies
Mixed Malice
Tasty Trials
Baked Books
Cranberry Crimes
Boston Cream Bribes
Cherry Filled Charges
Scary Sweets
Cocoa Crush
Pastry Penalties
Apple Stuffed Alibies
Perjury Proof
The Classic Diner Mysteries
A Chili Death
A Deadly Beef
A Killer Cake
A Baked Ham
A Bad Egg
A Real Pickle
A Burned Biscuit
The Ghost Cat Cozy Mysteries
Ghost Cat: Midnight Paws
Ghost Cat 2: Bid for Midnight
The Cast Iron Cooking Mysteries
Cast Iron Will
Cast Iron Conviction
Cast Iron Alibi
Cast Iron Motive
Cast Iron Suspicion