Mashed Potato Doughnuts

Doughnuts

2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

3/4 cup mashed potato

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 quarts (3 pounds) lard, shortening, or vegetable oil, for frying

Coating

granulated sugar or cinnamon sugar, for coating

Directions:

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar. Add the eggs and mashed potatoes to the shortening mix.

Measure out the milk. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

The resulting dough will be quite soft, more like a drop-biscuit dough instead of a "rollable" dough. The dough can be covered and refrigerated overnight, if desired.

Turn the dough out onto a very well floured surface and knead a few times to make it stiff enough to roll with a rolling pin. Roll the dough using a well-floured rolling pin until it's about 1/2" thick. Dip a doughnut cutter in flour (each time you cut), and cut out the doughnuts. Save the holes; or re-roll them with leftover dough. Try to handle the dough as little as possible; the less you work the dough, the more tender the doughnuts will be.

Heat the fat to 365°F. Test the temperature with a thermometer; or with a slice of bread, as follows: lower half a slice of bread into the hot fat. If it takes 1 minute for the bottom side to brown nicely, the fat is at the best temperature for frying doughnuts.

Fry doughnuts about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on brown paper bags or paper towels. Check one of the fried donuts after it is cooled to be sure the center is cooked through.

While still warm, shake doughnuts in cinnamon-sugar or plain granulated sugar.

Yield: About 2 dozen doughnuts (plus holes), depending on the size of the cutter.

Farm French Toast

1 Loaf Challah (egg) bread

8 eggs

2 cups whole milk

½ cup whipping (heavy) cream

½ cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 T. vanilla

Cinnamon

Nutmeg (optional)

Maple syrup.

Directions:  Slice bread into thick pieces.  Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, sugars, and vanilla.  Heat griddle with melted butter.  While griddle heats, soak toast slices in milk mixture for 30 seconds or so.  Toast on the griddle until each side is golden brown.  While toasting, sprinkle sides with cinnamon to taste.  May add nutmeg as well.  Serve with maple syrup.

Comment:  The better the bread, the better the toast!  This is a breakfast favorite at the farm with a side of bacon.  Yum!

Fluffy Banana Milk Chocolate Pancakes (banana & chocolate optional)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted until browned and cooled slightly

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 heaping tablespoons light brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg, separated

1 cup buttermilk

1 ripe banana, sliced

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips or chunks

nonstick spray or canola oil for cooking

softened butter, powdered sugar, maple syrup for serving

Directions: In a small saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Melt until the butter begins to crackle and froth. That's the water cooking out of the butter. Continue cooking, keeping an eye on the butter until the crackling subsides and the butter begins to brown in speckled bits across the bottom of the pan. The butter will have a nutty sell. Once the butter browns, immediately remove from heat and transfer to a small dish to stop the butter from cooking and possibly burning. Allow to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

Separate an egg, placing the egg white in a mason jar with a tight fitting lid.

In a small bowl or in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup whisk together egg yolk, buttermilk, and browned butter.

Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir to just combine.

Place the lid on the mason jar with the egg white. Shake vigarously until the egg white is frothy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg white to the batter and stir to combine.

Heat a nonstick griddle pan over medium heat. Add canola oil or non stick cooking spray lightly. Dollop batter by the 2 tablespoonful onto the griddle. Top with one or two banana slices and a few chocolate pieces.

When the underside is golden brown, carefully flip and cook until golden brown on the other side.

Remove to a plate and allow to rest is a slightly warm oven (about 250 degrees F) until all of the pancakes are cooked and ready to serve.

Top with softened butter, powdered sugar, and maple syrup for serving.

Recipe from Joy the Baker

White Chocolate Cherry Macadamia Nut Granola

50 grams (1 cup) big coconut flakes                     

95 grams (1 cup) rolled oats

125 grams (1 cup) oat flour

30 grams (1 cup) rice puffs

1/2 tsp salt

50 grams (1/4 cup) sugar

70 grams (3/4 cup) roughly chopped macadamia nuts

85 grams (1/4 cup) honey

75 grams (1/3 cup) unrefined coconut oil, melted but not hot

1 egg white, room temp (if cold, it will cause the coconut oil to harden)

1 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped

1 bar lindt classic recipe white chocolate, chopped/broken into bite size shards

Directions: Heat oven to 300°f, and line a sheet tray with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl thoroughly combine the bee pollen, coconut flakes, rolled oats, oat flour, rice puffs, salt, sugar, and nuts.

In a separate bowl thoroughly combine the honey, coconut oil, and egg white.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir (or work with your hands) until thoroughly combined & all the dry ingredients are wet.

Pat the granola onto the sheet tray in one solid mass, a single layer, about 3/4 inch thick. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges start to turn golden. Remove from the oven, flip the granola, and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until it's just golden brown. Allow granola to cool fully (it will come out chewy but crisp up when it's room temp), and then break it up into desired size clumps. Gently mix in the cherries and white chocolate and store in an airtight container.

Comment:  The best granola recipe I’ve ever come across! You can subsitute whatever nuts and dried fruit you have on hand. Great for breakfast with milk or over yogurt, or for an afternoon snack.-Elizabeth