Fudge is such a staple of my family’s Christmas tradition, for weeks around this time of year my Mom kept a 9×13 on the back porch (where it would stay cool, but not dry out like it would in the fridge) and the intention was to make pretty plates of it for friends and neighbors, but my brothers and I were always sneaking pieces so, to everyones delight, she would end up having to make it a number of times. Momma May makes the most incredible, rich dark chocolate nutty fudge EVER! This is not the stuff on the back of your marshmallow cream label, it’s a unique and spectacular fudge experience for sure. I think the secret is the unsweetened chocolate, that’s what gives is such insane chocolate flavor. I traded out walnuts for pecans because I’ve been on a pecan binge lately and I added flake salt to the top. I’m not going to lie, I am deep deep in love with the way it turned out.
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1/3 pound of butter (ends up being about 1 stick and 2-3 tablespoons)
2 cups chocolate chips
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate – chopped (I used 7 but who’s counting)
1 container (7 ounce) marshmallow cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups pecans coarsely chopped flake salt
Have all your ingredients ready – this is a must for candy making as things happened fast and are often timed so finding and measuring is not something you’ll have time for as you go. Grease a 9×13 baking dish (I use pyrex) with cooking spray or butter.
In a large saucepan (with a heavy bottom – or at least a good thick one) mix sugar, milk, and butter. Bring to a boil stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. As soon as it boils start a timer for 5 minutes and stir while it’s boiling for the full 5 minutes.
Take off the heat and add unsweetened chocolate and chocolate chips, then marshmallow cream and once there are no more white streaks vanilla and nuts stirring the entire time.
Pour into your greased 9×13 and sprinkle with flake salt then let cool. Don’t slice until cooled down, but if you wait too long slicing is a little trickier to do cleanly. I slice after about an hour of cooling for clean small squares. I recommend keeping your servings small because it’s crazy mad rich. Do not keep in the fridge or it will dry out your fudge.
I had a giant Rhubarb plant in my backyard growing up and no joke, my Dad and I would pull the stocks out and chew on them right there in the sun, I love that extra sour flavor! The sourness of rhubarb is what makes it so amazing in desserts, and this makes me kind of a purist, like, I don’t want strawberries trying to sweet up my sourness! Which isn’t to say I would turn down a rhubarb dessert in any form. This is my #1 – the recipe came from my kitchen genius mother in law. It comes out amazing EVERY TIME and it sets up perfectly so there is zero sog or ooze, and there’s plenty of tartness with the sweet to make it just a rhubarb lovers dream.
Crust:
Double traditional pie crust – ours is easy and delicious and you can find the recipe here. 9″ pie pan – (I made this one in a deep dish pie crust and used 5 heavy cups rhubarb)
I make a lattice with the top crust, but you can just lay it on with vents or put cut-outs in the top crust. You could even do a streusel top!
Filling:
4 cups fresh chopped rhubarb
3/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
2 eggs well beaten
1-2 Tablespoons butter
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Roll half your double crust into a 9″ Pie pan (but a deep dish would work if add more rhubarb) Pinch the edge into a ridge and put in the fridge while you prepare your filling.
Combine the rhubarb, sugars, flour, spices and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir it up to get the rhubarb covered.
Pour the beaten eggs over the filling and spread out pieces of the butter on top.
Roll out your other crust and either lattice it, do some cut outs, or just lay on top with some vents. Pull the edge of the top crust into the ridge of the bottom crust so it’s one big ridge then crimp it how you would like.
If you would like you can do an egg wash on the crust, but I just spray it with water and sprinkle some raw sugar.
Put your pie in the hot oven for 25 minutes then take out and tent it with foil and reduce oven to 350. Bake at 350 for another 50-60 minutes – it seems like forever, but this is the trick to getting it to set up so perfectly every time and it caramelizes the rhubarb for incredible flavor.
I think this pie is amazing on it’s own, but I’m also not mad at it a-la-mode with some fresh salted caramel.
Nothing satisfies a craving for chocolate baked sweets faster than a brownie mix, and they taste pretty good. However, for about 2 minutes more effort you can have these chewy, chocolatey, corner crunchy, mind melting brownies using only one bowl and ingredients that are always on hand. They are so simple, and so fantastically delicious. My kitchen master sister in law Kristin dropped this knowledge on me and once I learned about them I never went back to the box. They are truly so much better tasting and it’s fun to see the people you serve them to expect a “normal” box brownie then get wide eyes and freak out over how much more delicious these are. They are also wonderfully versatile so add all the chopped nuts, chocolate chips, powdered sugar, frosting etc. that you feel like, or just leave them as is because they put on quite a show all on their own.
1 cup butter (melted)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
optional – 3/4 cup chocolate chips, chopped walnuts or other additions
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9X13 pan. Please note you can easily half this recipe in an 8×8 just use 2 eggs and do 1/4 plus 1/8 cocoa – it’s okay to approximate.
Mix sugars and butter until very well combined then add eggs one at a time until totally incorporated. Next add salt then pile the cocoa, flour and baking powder all on top of your mixture and whisk until smooth. Last add your vanilla and any additions if using until uniform and spread into your pan.
Bake for anywhere from 25-30 minutes depending on how done you like your brownies. If you enjoy a gooeyer texture opt for a shorter bake time, but go all the way if you like your brownies more done. Enjoy!
I’m well known for my love of cakes, so people often ask me my favorite, well HERE IT IS! Caroline’s world famous Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Frosting. I just deeply love and adore this cake. It’s the dessert I crave the most often, there’s something about it, that really sends me. Usually when I make it, I bring it directly to an event of some sort and never get a decent picture, it’s just that once it’s done, everyone wants to eat it so fast photos seem unimportant! I’m not ashamed to admit that this is a ‘doctor the mix’ cake, with a mix foundation that tastes better than many from scratch cakes, there are no ego’s allowed in my kitchen! The cake itself is soooooo rich and chocolatey, the zucchini makes it ridiculous moist. And the frosting is a legit, dreamy dark chocolate buttercream just poppin off chocolate flavor like nobody’s business. I like to put nuts on half my cake so nut haters can still enjoy but man alive does a pecan or walnut just belong on this beauty! I also adore this cake with a white sticky frosting, but if you make it that way you need to eat it day of, because the white sticky tends to break down after a day or so. I’m so excited to share this and I hope you love it as much as I do!
Chocolate Zucchini cake:
1 package devils food cake mix (I use the pillsbury one and it always tastes great)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
2 cups zucchini
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Chocolate buttercream frosting:
1/2 cup butter melted
3/4 cups cocoa
1/3 cup milk (or cream)
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 cup or so walnuts or pecans (optional)
Heat oven to 350. Grease and line 2 9 inch round cake pans (or it bakes up beautifully in a 9×13 – just pay attention to doneness rather than bake times).
In a large bowl blend cake mix, cinnamon, buttermilk, vanilla, oil, and eggs and beat for a few minutes. Add zucchini and mix until thoroughly combined and then add chocolate chips.
Distribute evenly into your cake pans and bake for about 22-25 minutes depending on your oven. It’s done when a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.
For the frosting, mix the butter and cocoa then add the milk, vanilla, salt and powdered sugar mixing on high until totally uniform and combined. I use a cocoa mix with 1/3 special dark cocoa and the rest regular cocoa for an ultra decadent flavor. Add more powdered sugar, or milk alternatively to get the desired texture.
Cut off the top rounds on your cakes with a large bread knife then put the first one cut side down on a plate or cake stand. Spread 1/3 of your frosting on that layer, then put your next cake on cut side down and spread the rest of your frosting, starting at the top and being careful to never touch your frosting spatula or knife to the cake itself but only on the frosting so you don’t pull crumbs. Spread over the sides and around the edges. Garnish with pecans or walnuts if you would like.
There is something so warm cozy and welcoming about a cinnamon roll, cinnamon rolls just want to love you, cinnamon rolls understand. There are many versions of this beautiful pastry, but these are BY FAR the best I’ve ever tasted. I was introduced to them from our sister Kristin who learned about them from our other sister Courtney who got the recipe from her husband Greg’s Grandma Ruth. I never had the honor of meeting Grandma Ruth, but based on all accounts she was a character with a talent for cute one liners and cinnamon roll perfection. The thing that makes these the most magical is….well, all of the things. The dough is soft, but bouncy, not too sweet, and the filling has no strange flavors, it’s brown sugar and cinnamon, but perhaps the very most special ingredient is the really unique icing. I’ve never met an icing like this one and PLEASE take the time to make it instead of wussing out on some easy sleazy pow sug and milk silliness. You thicken it on the stove with sugar and flour then add the powdered sugar later. It harden’s as it cools so it kind of closes in on your roll making it stay fresh longer, plus it allows you to easily freeze them individually and as Grandma Ruth used to say “zip ’em in the microphone for 20” to have a cinnamon that tastes like it just came out of the oven for weeks after the effort. I have made a few adjustments, such as tripling the icing because a cinnamon roll without enough icing is truly tragic and I would never treat these sweet buns that way. This is not the easiest thing on the planet to make but it’s not a finicky recipe, have fun with it, get your kids involved and don’t stress out. They will turn out amazing and make for a magnificent morning guaranteed!
Rolls:
2 cups milk
2 rounded teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (cut up for easy melting)
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
6 1/2-8 cups flour (enough to make your dough curl and handle easily – I usually use about 8)
Frosting:
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
6-7 cups powdered sugar
1. Scald the milk, either on the stove or I usually just warm in up in a large (4 cup capacity) pyrex for 3 minutes so it’s really hot. Add salt, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter to the milk and let stand until sugar and butter are dissolved and milk is no longer hot but just warm, -give this a mix before adding to your yeast mixture.
2. In a separate bowl (I do this in a stand mixer) put your yeast into the 1/2 cup warm water and let sit with the extra teaspoon sugar until dissolved and starting to puff. Add the two beaten eggs. Next add milk mixture. Combine and slowly add flour starting a few cups at a time but once you get to 6 cups slow down and watch how it curls and handles. When your dough is ready it will start to pull off the sides of the bowl and stick more to itself than it does to your fingers. It will still be a bit tacky, you don’t want it dry, just to the point where you can handle it. It does not require a long knead, I just kneaded with the dough hook for about 4-5 minutes until all incorporated.
3. Work dough into a ball and put into a lightly greased bowl covered for about an hour – until doubled. Punch down once doubled and let them come back again about 15 minutes. Divide dough into two and roll on a floured surface into a large rectangle. Try to even up your corners as best you can.
4. For the cinnamon filling melt the butter and use half for each half of dough – about 2 and a half tablespoons butter for each. Spread out on your rectangle evenly then mix up your brown sugar and cinnamon and use half of this mixture over the butter reaching almost to the ends all over the dough. Starting on a short side roll your dough rectangle into a nice tight rope and do your best to seal it at the end by pinching the dough into itself. With a nice sharp knife cut rolls from your rope in about 1 1/2 inch sections and place them on a cookie sheet with either a silpat baking mat, parchment, or greased with butter or oil. I just cut as many as my recipe makes instead of trying to do a set amount. In my last batch I was able to make 30 total rolls. Repeat step 4 with the other half of the dough.
rolled out dough for cinnamon buns by twocarolines.com
5. Preheat oven to 350. Let the rolls rise under tea towels or plastic wrap for a good 20-30 minutes until nice and puffy. Bake one cookie sheet at time for about 12-14 minutes. Mine were done at 13. You want them lightly browned and gorgeously puffed up.
6. Make frosting – please don’t be lazy and do an easier frosting, the frosting for these is so unique and spectacular – it’s what makes them so super special! In a large saucepan put evaporated milk, sugar, salt and flour. Mix on medium heat until mixture is bubbling and thick. Stirring constantly add butter vanilla and powdered sugar. You might add a bit more powdered sugar to get desired consistency, but this magical icing hardens as it cools so don’t stress out about it. Once it’s done, I pour it through a strainer and push it with a rubber spatula to get all the lumps out so it’s nice and pretty smooth. You can also sift your powdered sugar as you add it, but this is too messy for me. You could also just leave the lumps in, they taste fine, but are somewhat unsightly and won’t do if you’re a dessert blogger like me. When they are hot out of the oven put icing on each bun generously, there should be enough to cover all your rolls easily. You might have a little extra which is in my opinion better than not enough – if you don’t insist on gobs of frosting you can cut this in half, but I like to have plenty.
7. We always freeze what we don’t eat the first day in individual sandwich bags then heat them for 25 seconds and they taste incredible. This magic icing doesn’t stick to plastic so they are easy to freeze.
Of all the white carbs I adore, legit, chewy, fresh bagels have my whole heart. Maybe you’re thinking “why would I make them, when I can easily just buy them?” but you’ve been decieved! It’s actually really difficult to buy a legitimate bagel these days – the distinction being a bagel that is actually boiled before it’s baked. Even some large bagel chains have switched from poaching to steaming, which is so weak sauce! In order to achieve that super chewy texture that makes a bagel so much more special than circle shaped bread, they need to take a little bath in boiling water, trust me, it’s a difference you can taste. The cool bonus is that they are quite easy to make and don’t require any super secret ingredients. And think of how impressed the people at your table will be when you bust out these beauties! I cut, wrap in plastic, and freeze anything we don’t eat the first day then we eat them for weeks by throwing them in the microwave on defrost for a minute or so. I’m way to much of a bagel purist to ever toast a bagel (BLASPHEME!) But I won’t judge you if you choose to warm yours up that way, this is assuming of course that you have any left after the first day….
6-7 cups white bread flour (I’ve used all purpose flour with great results, bread flour just makes a little smoother texture, it’s’ not essential)
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon yeast – (I like this saf instant one that performs well mixed in with flour instead of needing to hang around in water)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons sugar for poaching in water (the recipe uses malt, but I’ve never found that and sugar works beautifully)
Combine the flour, salt and yeast together in a large bowl. Start with 6 cups flour but be ready to add 7 depending on how much your dough will take. Add the sugar and oil to the water in a different bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid, mixing to a dough with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Knead the dough either by hand or with a dough hook, trying to add more flour as it kneads- you actually want a quite dry dough vs. normal bread and yes, your dough will be stiff, but knead for a good 10 minutes until you have a really smooth, elastic dough. I use my kitchen-aid mixer with the dough hook and it takes about 11-12 minutes.
Form the dough into a ball, and put it into an oiled bowl (I just use my kitchen-aid one) turning once to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it to rise for about 1 hour. It should be well risen, and when you poke it with your finger the impression should remain.
Punch down the dough and give it a few kneads then divide it into 3 pieces. Using your hands roll each piece into a rope then cut each rope into 5 fairly even pieces. I line up my 3 ropes and cut with my pastry scraper that also helps me measure.
Roll each piece into another rope and curl it around to form a ring. Seal the ends by over-lapping them a little and pinching them together – I usually dip one side in a little water.
At this point put a large pot of water to boil and once it’s boiling add your sugar. Preheat your oven to 500 – I know it’s hot, but that’s what your bagels want!
Set the bagel on baking sheets, cover with tea towels and leave for about 25 minutes by which time they should be puffy.
To poach your bagels drop a couple at a time (I do 3-4 because I use a large pot) into the water and boil for only about 1 minute turning once. I use a slotted spoon for this which works great.
As you poach them put them back on your baking sheet that is either oiled or has a silpat on it.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until they’re shiny and golden brown. Let cool for a good 10 minutes, but they are incredible served warm.
Note: You are welcome to get creative with toppings etc. I like to sprinkle a coarse salt/flour mixture on some and it’s also yummy to do a cinnamon sugar/butter combo on top as well. If I have time I will even mix my last 5 with various things like chocolate chips, blueberries or cranberries before I boil them. They always turn out tasty but some of my combinations make them look a little busted. Do what sounds good to you!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies by twocarolines.com
It’s a well established fact that those Caroline girls love things of the peanut butter chocolate variety, and these cookies hit all the right notes with amazing texture, chewy, crumbly, and melt in your mouth chocolatey. This recipe was adapted by Smitten Kitchen from Magnolia Bakery in NYC. I insist on the peanut butter chips, they make such a difference and I think that’s what makes these my favorite of all the many peanut butter chocolate chip cookies I’ve met. In the batch that’s pictured I substituted some of the chocolate chips for m and m’s because the kids love that kind of business, and it was really delicious. They are a cookie I only make when I know I can share them with a crowd because I want to EAT THEM ALL! And so will you!
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (I used smooth, but Deb notes that the bakery uses chunky so if you want little peanut chunks go that route)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
for sprinkling 1-2 tablespoons sugar (I use turbinado or demerara sugar)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips.
Place sprinkling sugar on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. I like to put them on a silpat. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern, but do not overly flatten cookies.
Bake for 9-11 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies by twocarolines
If you haven’t met Oatmeal Coconut Pecan Cake, let me introduce you to one of the great loves of my life. Trust me, this one is for the record books people. I’ve never served it without loud praise, wide applause, and urgent requests for the recipe. My husband, who isn’t really a cake guy, calls this his favorite and it’s the only cake he actually requests on the regular. There is so much that’s right about this cake, the always moist and magical oatmeal texture, the not-to-sweet with brown sugar cinnamon flavor, and the coconut pecan topping just sends it into the prize winning cake hall of fame (that’s a thing, or at least I should make that a thing). It’s one of those rare combinations of show stopping deliciousness that’s embarrassingly easy to make. Try it and see!
Cake: 1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping: 1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
Set oven to 350. Prepare a bundt pan by either spraying with baking spray that has flour or greasing well and tapping in flour to coat.
In a large bowl combine melted butter, oatmeal, and boiling water. Let sit for 20 minutes.
Add sugars then eggs, one at a time mixing well after each. Add flour and before mixing just put the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon on top of the flour heap then mix it all together adding vanilla last.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until set and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes before turning out onto a dish that can go in the oven. If you don’t have one put it on a cookie sheet for the application of the topping then transfer to a plate once it’s completed.
For the topping put the sugar, cream and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When sugar is dissolved and mixture starts bubbling on the sides mix in coconut and pecans then remove from the heat. It will stick on the cake a bit better if you let it cool 10-15 minutes before spreading on the cake.
Once your topping is on put cake under the broiler (I keep it on low) for only a minute or so, just long enough to brown the topping.
Serve anytime, keeps at room temp for a number of days.
My Mom Cheryll is an incredible woman- she has a PhD from Tufts School of Law and Diplomacy, she raised 3 children along with my Father, while working and fulfilling challenging church callings and she’s an absolute wonder in the kitchen! Her carrot cake is one of the most rare and spectacular privileges of my life on earth- you guys it’s BEYOND delicious! I get mad at carrot cakes that are jam packed full of raisins, nuts and pineapples, those are all good things that have no place in my cake. I am a carrot cake purist, I want a full rich cake with strong carrot flavor and texture, and a hearty portion of slightly tart cream cheese frosting to set it all off. What’s most magical about this cake is how the carrots start to caramelize in places and you get little crunchy, chewy sweet bits of carrot with a perfectly seasoned cake keeping it all together for a truly unforgettable cake experience. I love it with fresh chopped walnuts on top of the frosting, for some reason they taste way better to me on top of the cake than they do in the cake. My Mom usually makes this in a 9×13 pyrex, in which case you bake it for about 45-55 minutes (pay more attention to doneness than bake times). I made it into an layer cake for dramatic effect, but suit yourself, it’s incredibly delicious either way!
For the Cake:
1 1/4 vegetable oil or coconut oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 generous cups finely grated carrots
For the Frosting:
1 pound cream cheese (two 8 oz bars) room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temperature
2 pounds powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk
1 cup walnuts (more or less as you desire)
Preheat oven to 350 and grease (I also parchment line) two 9 inch round cake pans. If you haven’t yet get out your butter and cream cheese to get them to room temperature for the frosting.
Blend oil and sugars until really well combined. Beat in eggs two at a time until totally incorporated. Whisk together your dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Sift in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add carrots and give is a good mix so they are evenly distributed but don’t over-mix.
Pour into your pans trying to keep them as even as possible. Bake for 28-35 minutes rotating once. Pay attention to doneness more than bake times. Cakes should be raised, pulling slightly from the sides and a toothpick in the middle should come out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 or so minutes before turning out on to a rack to cool completely.
For the frosting, beat your room temp cream cheese and butter until nicely combined. Add vanilla, then start to add your powdered sugar scraping down completely a few times to make sure your frosting doesn’t have any dry spots. I found I like the consistency better with a tablespoon or so of milk, but that’s optional. Use as much sugar or milk as is needed to reach a nice sturdy frosting that can hold up in a layer cake – thick, but still spreadable.
Put first cake layer down on your cake board or plate then spread a generous layer of frosting on the top. Try to only touch your frosting tool to the frosting and never to the cake to avoid pulling up crumbs. Another tip is to use more frosting than you think you need – really pile it on, you can always take it off as you frost your cake, but if you’re needing to add more it isn’t as easy to work with. Once you have a solid 1/2 inch plus layer on your bottom cake put your next cake on top and pile frosting high then work it over the top and sides with a knife or frosting tool. I love this offset frosting spatula from Ateco. Turn your cake as you frost to evenly distribute your frosting, you will probably have some left over for your next batch of cupcakes or to decorate cookies with.
Chop walnuts and carefully press them into the top of your cake. Keep at room temperature and enjoy!
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Walnuts by twocarolines.com
These Apple Cider Doughnuts go with tea, hot chocolate, hunger, anything because they are tops
Every Halloween season, I look forward to carrying on the family tradition of making donuts and wassail and sharing with my friends. I’ve always made my dad’s grandma’s recipe but this year, I saw a post from Bon Appetit about their Apple Cider Doughnut recipe and saw that it had APPLE BUTTER in the ingredients list and I was totally sold. You can keep the dough chilled in the fridge for a day, so it’s easy to make ahead, or do what I did and make two batches—cooking them one day apart.
Normally I like to alter a recipe that I find from another source if I post it to the blog—even just a little bit—but this was so perfect that I followed it exactly. So get to your local grocery store and get some cider and some apple butter and taste this glory!
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup (packed) light brown sugar
1¼ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
Vegetable oil (for frying; about 4 cups)
Special Equipment
A 3¼-inch-diameter cutter, 1¼-inch-diameter cutter, deep-fry thermometer (my batteries ran out for my thermometer, so I sort of guessed and put the heat on med-high and tested a doughnut hole to make sure they were frying correctly)
I used my ceramic coated cast-iron pot and I had more even results with the temperature than other methods I’ve tried.
Directions
Bring cinnamon sticks and apple cider to a boil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until liquid is thick, syrupy, and reduced to about ⅓ cup, 20–30 minutes. Scrape into a medium bowl and whisk in apple butter, buttermilk, and vanilla until incorporated; set aside.
Whisk baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, 3½ cups flour, and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, brown sugar, and ¼ cup granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Reduce mixer speed to low and add dry ingredients in 2 additions, alternating with cider mixture in 2 additions, starting with dry ingredients and ending with cider mixture (dough will be very soft and sticky).
Scrape dough onto a parchment lined-rimmed baking sheet thoroughly dusted with flour (about ⅓ cup). Dust hands and top of dough with more flour, then gently pat dough to ¾” thick. (Dough will be really sticky!) Dust with more flour and tightly cover with plastic wrap; chill dough at least 3 hours.
Whisk remaining 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp. cinnamon in a small bowl until no lumps remain. (We ended up using more than this)
Working on baking sheet, punch out as many rounds as you can with 3¼” cutter, then use 1¼” cutter to punch out center of each round. Gather doughnut scraps, reserving holes, and gently re-roll without overworking dough; repeat until all dough has been used (you should have 18 doughnuts).
Set a wire rack inside a paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet. Fit a large pot with deep-fry thermometer and pour in oil to a depth of 3″. Heat over medium-high until thermometer registers 350°. Working in batches (I did about 4 donuts at a time), fry doughnuts until deep golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to prepared rack and let cool slightly. Fry doughnut holes until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to prepared rack and let cool slightly. Toss warm doughnuts and doughnut holes in cinnamon sugar.
Do Ahead: Dough can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill.
I had a giant Rhubarb plant in my backyard growing up and no joke, my Dad and I would pull the stocks out and chew on them right there in the sun, I love that extra sour flavor! The sourness of rhubarb is what makes it so amazing in desserts, and this makes me kind of a purist, like, I don’t want strawberries trying to sweet up my sourness! Which isn’t to say I would turn down a rhubarb dessert in any form. This is my #1 – the recipe came from my kitchen genius mother in law. It comes out amazing EVERY TIME and it sets up perfectly so there is zero sog or ooze, and there’s plenty of tartness with the sweet to make it just a rhubarb lovers dream.
twocarolines.com 