October Daring Bakers - Doughnuts!

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

What an October!! Well, what started out as a month I'd rather skip has turned into an epic adventure thanks to the San Francisco Giants!! And the pumpkin doughnuts from this month's Daring Bakers challenge yielded the perfect orange for cheering with a doughnut in hand during these October ballgames. GO GIANTS!

I've never had the pleasure of chomping down on a warm, homemade doughnut fresh out of the deep fryer before this month. But hoo-de-doo were they delish! I suppose one of the best things about making homemade doughnuts is that there is no use cringing over calories and fat content (that freaky thing) .... they're going to be delicious, they're going to be homemade, so just close your eyes, take a deep breath and succumb to doughnut heaven! 

So, get ready to make some doughnuts today. You know you want to. It will make everything better. 

And GO GIANTS!

Pumpkin Doughnuts:

Recipe Source: Bon Appetit

Preparation time:

Hands on prep time - 15 minutes

Chilling time - 3 hours

Cooking time - 10 minutes

Yield: About 24 doughnuts & 24 doughnut holes

Ingredients

All Purpose Flour 3.5 cup / 840 ml / 490 gm / 17 ¼ oz

Baking Powder 4 teaspoon / 20 ml / 24 gm / .85 oz

Table Salt 1 teaspoon / 5 ml / 6 gm / .2 oz

Cinnamon, ground 1 teaspoon / 5 ml / 6 gm / .2 oz

Ginger, ground ½ teaspoon / 2.5 ml / 3 gm / .1 oz

Baking Soda ½ teaspoon / 2.5 ml / 3 gm / .1 oz

Nutmeg, ground ¼ teaspoon / 1.25 ml / 1.5 gm / .05 oz

Cloves, ground 1/8 teaspoon / .6 ml / ¾ gm / .025 oz

White Granulated Sugar 1 cup / 240 ml / 225 gm / 8 oz

Butter, Unsalted 3 Tablespoon / 45 ml / 42 gm / 1.5 oz

Egg, Large 1

Egg Yolk, Large 2

Pure Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon / 5 ml

Buttermilk ½ cup + 1 Tablespoon / 135 ml /

Pumpkin 1 cup / 240 ml / 285 gm / 10 oz (Canned pure pumpkin or fresh cooked and pureed pumpkin – DON’T use pumpkin pie mix!)

Canola Oil DEPENDS on size of vessel you are frying in – you want THREE (3) inches of oil (can substitute any flavorless oil used for frying)

Powdered Sugar Glaze:

Powdered (Icing) Sugar 2 cup / 480 ml / 250 gm / 9 oz

Whipping Cream (About 32% butter fat) 4 Tablespoon + more if needed / 60 ml

Directions:

1. Whisk together the first 8 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until blended (the mixture will be grainy and not smooth). Beat in egg, then yolks and vanilla. Gradually beat in buttermilk; beat in pumpkin. Using rubber spatula, fold in dry ingredients in 4 additions, blending gently after each addition. Cover with plastic; chill 3 hours.

2. Sprinkle 2 rimmed baking sheets lightly with flour. Press out 1/3 of dough on floured surface to 1/2- to 2/3-inch (12 mm to 15 mm) thickness. Using 2 1/2-inch (65 mm) -diameter round cutter, cut out dough rounds. Arrange on sheets. Repeat with remaining dough in 2 more batches. Gather dough scraps. Press out dough and cut out more dough rounds until all dough is used.

3. Using 1-inch (25 mm) diameter round cutter, cut out center of each dough round to make doughnuts and doughnut holes.

4. Line 2 baking sheets with several layers of paper towels. Pour oil into large deep skillet to depth of 1 1/2 inches (40 mm). Attach deep-fry thermometer and heat oil to 365°F to 370°F (185°C to 188°C). Fry doughnut holes in 2 batches until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Fry doughnuts, 3 or 4 at a time, until golden brown, adjusting heat to maintain temperature, about 1 minute per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer doughnuts to paper towels to drain. Cool completely.

Thanks soo much to Lori of Butter Me Up this was such a fun challenge! If you'd like to see the magic the other Daring Bakers cooked up check this out! 

Don't Stop Believing!

Doug Pensinger | Getty Images

         Ooooh 

                  ooooh,

 WE'RE HALFWAY THERE!

                                                                  

October Daring Cooks - Dolmades!

Our October 2010 hostess, Lori of Lori’s Lipsmacking Goodness, has challenged The Daring Cooks to stuff grape leaves. Lori chose a recipe from Aromas of Aleppo and a recipe from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food.

    A dolma by any other name…

töltött káposzta        Hungarian

       σαρμάδες           Greek

         يبرق                   Aleppo

сармa/sarmam        South Slavic

        sarmale           Romanian

   محشي ورق عنب           Arabic            

 kələm dolması      Azerbaijani

     gołąbki                   Polish

      голубцы               Russian 

        japrak              Albanian

This month's Daring Cooks challenge was to make stuffed grape leaves. This dish has truly survived the test of time. Originating in Turkey while the Ottoman Empire still had power over most of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa, the idea of the dolma has travelled far and wide. 

As there are many different names for these tasty morsels, there are also many varieties of fillings and wrappers. Fillings are only limited to the imagination of the person preparing the dolmades (the plural of dolma). However, generally speaking, fillings tend to include rice, onion, parsley, herbs, spices and minced meat (or not!). Wrappers can also be widely variable. While grape leaves are traditional wrappers, chard, kale and cabbage may also be used.

It's so satisfying rolling each of the little dolmades, tucking them snuggly into the gentle embrace of my favorite pan, savoring the aroma while they cook and finally feeling connected to that far off land, over a hundred years ago when the adventures of the dolma had just begun. 

Additional Resources: Wiki-Dolma, Wiki-Sarma, Wiki-Ottoman

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Ground Meat and Rice with Apricot Tamarind Sauce/ Yebra

Adapted from Aromas of Aleppo by Poopa Dweck and Michael J. Cohen. Published by Harper Collins, 2007

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients for hashu/filling:

1 pound (455 gm) ground (minced) beef

1/3 cup (80 ml) (2 1/3 oz) (65 gm) short grain rice

1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) all spice

2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil

1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) cinnamon

1 teaspoon (5 ml) (3 gm) kosher (coarse) salt **if using regular table salt only use ½ tsp.**

¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) white pepper

1 onion, chopped **optional**

1 cup (5½ oz) (150 gm) pine nuts **optional**

Directions:

1.Soak rice in water, enough to cover, for 30 minutes. Combine meat, rice, allspice, vegetable oil, cinnamon, salt, white pepper, and if desired, onion and pine nuts, in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

Ingredients for assembly:

1 pound (455 gm) hashu/filling (see recipe above)

36 preserved grape leaves, stems trimmed, drained, rinsed and patted dry

1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil

6 dried apricots – or more if you desire

3 tablespoons (45 ml) tamarind concentrate **if you can’t find it, you can omit it**

¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon (15 ml) (9 gm) kosher (coarse) salt **if using regular table salt only use 1.5 tsp.**

Notes:

If using grape leaves preserved in brine, to remove salt put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Make sure that the water penetrates well between the layers, and leave them soaking for about twenty minutes, then change the water a time or two using fresh cold water.

If using fresh leaves, plunge a few at a time in boiling water for a few seconds only, until they become limp, and lift them out.

Tamarind is actually fairly easy to find.  There is a paste that is in package already made up.  You can find it at Asian, Mexican or Indian grocers.  You can also find the pods (a little more difficult) and make it yourself.  It is akin to a sweet/tangy tea flavor. If you can’t find it, you can skip the sauce all togheter. The grape leaves will be just as delicious without the sauce. But we hope that those that can find it will use it.

Directions:

1.Place a grape leaf on a flat surface, vein side up. You can trim the little stem if you would like.

2.Place about two teaspoons (10 ml) of the filling in the center of the leaf, near the stem edge.

3.Roll the leaf end to end, starting from the stem edge. As you roll, fold the sides of the leaf in toward the center. The leaf should resemble a small cigar, about 2 to 2 1/2 inches (50 mm to 65mm) long.

4.Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.

a.(You can freeze the stuffed grape leaves at this point. Just line a baking sheet with wax paper. When firmly frozen, transfer to an airtight plastic bag place back in the freezer.)

5.In a medium saucepan put in the vegetable oil and then place the filled grape leaves in the pot.

6.Place apricots in between the stuffed grape leaves. Cover and cook over low heat for 5- 8 minutes or until the grape leaves begin to sweat.

7.Using all three tablespoons, place a little of the tamarind concentrate, if using, over the rolls.

8.Combine lemon juice, salt, and water then add to pan, filling it ¾ full.

9.Weigh down the grape leaves with a heat proof plate or board to prevent them from unraveling. Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes.

a.Alternatively, place the saucepan in an oven preheated to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 and cook for an hour.

10.Spoon cooking liquid over the grape leaves occasionally. You will know they are done, when the grape leaves are neither soupy nor dry.

11.Tilt pan sideways over serving platter, allowing the grape leaves to tumble out. Try not to handle them individually to reduce unraveling.

a.Alternately you can try spooning them out very gently.