Raspboozy Donuts

I've been making donuts a lot lately. I am trying to get a recipe down that yeilds super poofy, tender and delicious donuts but also isn't too fragile and fussy when raising the dough and getting it into the oil. I really like the ease and results of Wayne Schmidts recipe, and all his thorough research. However, it is heavily yeasted and the dough is so airy that it inevitably begins to fall before it even makes it into the oil. The slightest jostle deflates them. The recipe is very quick though....

Another recipe I've made a few times is from Sherry Yards in her book The Secrets of Baking.  It is for a brioche donut. It is super rich and not sweet. Also it is built very slowly with only a small amount of yeast to start. It takes 3 times as long to make but part of me really enjoys the process and flavor of slowly risen breads. For this recipe, you must first make a sponge. This is a wet starter that allows the yeast to easily multiply before slowing it down with salt, butter and eggs.

Brioche Donuts


Sponge

2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 Tbl brown sugar
1/2 C milk
1/2 C flour

Whisk together and then cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit for 30-45 minutes. 

3 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
1/4 lb  butter



Add flour, salt and spices. 

Beat eggs seperately and add to dough. Add butter 2 Tbls at a time. 

Knead forever if making by hand, until smooth and shiny. 

Cover bowl and let raise until doubled, about 2 hrs. Punch down, cover and raise again for 45 minutes. 

Roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. 

Cut with 2 1/2 inch donut cutters (or a tin can and a soy sauce cap!) and deep fry about 1 minute for each side. 

after sitting an hour out of the freezer

I've been making the dough up until it is ready to fry and freezing it. This recipe takes far too long to make for breakfast but they can be thawed and fried in an hour or 2.









Glaze
raspberry infused vodka
powdered sugar

Whisk until you get a good thick dipping frosting/glaze.

Chairry Cookie

When I bake, I use a scale. It ensures accuracy of the recipe and it ensures consistency every time. Texture and flavor are preserved. When I first try out recipes, they are usually written in volume. I will measure by volume while I have the measuring cup on a scale and a notebook on the table. From there, I slightly modify the ingredients until I am most pleased with the results. One recipe leads into another and yet another varies from that...
This recipe started with a snickerdoodle; devolved into a sugar cookie; adjusted into a chai snickerdoodle; and, seasonally apporpriately, morphed into a chai flavored cherry cookie.

Chairry Cookie (Chai/Cherry)


123 g butter (or earth balance margarine)
8 g chai spice (or if, like normal people, u don't make yr own chai spice for baked goods in bulk, perhaps 1/2 tsp cardamom, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp clove)
182 g cane sugar


216 g flour 
2 g baking soda
1 g salt

12 g brown flax seed
47 g Cherry Herring
4 g vanilla
4 g vinegar

10 fresh cherries

Cut Cherries in half, pit and dust with cane sugar. 
Let sit in a small bowl while you prepare the dough.
In a small bowl, whisk flour baking soda and sea salt. (maybe about 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp of soda?)
Cream spices with butter in a large bowl.
Cream sugar into butter.
Make vegan eggs in a small bowl.
-grind flax seeds super fine in a coffee grinder
-whisk flax seeds with liquid for about 30 seconds
--for the liquid; strain out the cherry/sugar water from the fresh cherries into a measuring glass and then add Cherry Heering to make 47 grams
Beat fleggs into butter/sugar jawn.
Stir in vanilla and lastly vinegar.
Preheat oven to 350.
Line half sheets with ripped in half parchment.
Scoop cookies using a number #20 ice cream scoop and youll get about 15.
Use a tablespoon scoop or actual spoon and youll get about twice as many. (10-12 min bake)
Space cookies about a dozen/ half sheet and theyll bake in 15 mins or so.
You want the edge to be just barely golden.
Let cool on the pans on a wire rack at least ten minutes.

The bigger size is more appropriate for half of a cherry.