the quest for excellent homemade doughnut holes

I have been on a quest for the perfect homemade doughnut hole for us.  Koda Bear thinks that doughnut holes are the best thing in the world.  I would like to have a go to recipe so we do not have to go out.  A go to recipe for when the doughnut shop we like is closed.

There is another bit.  I am becoming more and more of a hermit and most doughnut shops do not have good tea.  Homemade means I can have an excellent cup of tea and not have to deal with people on the rode or interestingly strange people in the shop.  I am the anti-social hermit though so those people may be just fine.

These doughnut holes are sourdough and half whole wheat.  Which is why they are so dark.  I adapted Paul Hollywood's recipe I had found.  It was a simple dough and were good but not what we were looking for.  But be aware, that even though they were not right, they did not last two days. 

I think I need more of a brioche type dough.  Heavy on the butter and eggs.  My favorite doughnuts taste like brioche.  I also want to try a potato doughnut.  

I am getting better with frying too.  I am thinking I might tackle fish and chips soon.  It may mean one more reason not to go out.

the anti-peckish snack

I got my Beloved hooked on low key cooking shows like the Great British Bake Off.  We have tried others from the Food Network but they have not worked so far.  He wants low key, something he can learn from.  He has actually enjoyed "I Will Have What Phil is Having" as well.  Again, low key, PBS, food, travel.  What more can you want from a cooking show.

We were watching the last episode of the season which was based in Los Angeles of all places.  Phil went to a little French restaurant and was walked through how to make a French omelet.  It looked to die for.

Stories of myself I have never told is that I have probably always read cookbooks.  When I was much shorter then I am now, I came across how to make an omelet in the Better Homes and Garden cookbook my Mom had.  For many Saturdays after that, that was how I made an omelet:  separate the eggs, beat the yolks to lemony, whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks, gently combine, cook in a hot skillet with butter, add a bit of cheese if you wish when the center is just set.  Serve.  Not what most Americans think of as omelets.  

After seeing this episode, I decided I wanted to make an omelet again.  The difference was that they did not separate the eggs.  Yes, you whisk the eggs until your arm wants to all off but you do not separate the eggs like I used to.

This is more of a workflow then a recipe because it has not been perfected yet.  I am still working on trying to get the omelet not to brown, which is supposed to happen.  Cooked but not brown.

The first step is to get your cheese ready.  The chef on television used Boursin which he called French Velveeta.  The first time I made this, there was none in the house so I mixed together some bits of feta, grated parmesan, a few tablespoons of sour cream, a pinch of black pepper, and a bit of dry basil.

Then, I put my cast iron skillet that you see in the top picture on the stove at a low heat.  I put a 1/4 cup of butter into it to melt.  The butter is to be melted but not browned.

Since I was sharing this omelet, I put three eggs in a bowl and started whisking.  I whisked the whole time the butter was melting.  I whisked until the eggs were lemonny in color and foaming.  There were no bits of white showing.  Everything was well incorporated.  My arm wanted to fall off.  The right arm has the worse shoulder joint.

When the butter was melted, I poured the eggs into the skillet.  Not a sizzle to be heard.  I turned the heat down a bit since I was working with a cast iron skillet.  You must be most gentle with the eggs.  No sizzle.  No brown.  I used a silicon spatula to try to easy the eggs from the bottom.  I have only done this twice now since I was very short.  I am not very good at getting a try omelet shape yet.

When the eggs are mostly set, add the cheese.  Give the cheese a few moments to start to heat.  Start rolling the omelet up with the spatula.  Plate.

The omelet has a consistency of mousse.  I am also have been told that my Beloved will not be able to order an American omelet out again.  

I have never been asked why I do not order American omelets out.  This why.  

working on a tree

I have recipes to share but I will admit that I am so tired that I do not have the concentration to write them down.  Believe me when I say I can bake and cook when I can barely stand but write about it?  That is much harder.  

Because of the tired, I am going to write about the tree I am making.  I had seen the Ikea Christmas tree fabric panel from a year or so ago.  I kept my eyes open and finally found one.  I probably payed more then the original price but I will use it for years. 

And because I do not seem to like to do anything the easy way.  I am piecing the back and making it into a quilted wall hanging.

It will be neutrals with an emphasis on white, silver, grey, and natural.  Koda Bear is helping with the pins, cutting, and the fly wheel.  That is what he does until planes or cars or Star Wars action figures grab his attention.  At least it is not either one of my button boxes.  I got teased because when we were cleaning, another button box was found.  I got looked at and the comment was made "you know most people now do not have even one button box let alone two!"  That is my life.

At this point, the piecing is almost two-thirds done.  Koda Bear will be four this weekend so there will be cake and presents to make but maybe I will get more of this done.  

More energy.  More concentration.  Less tired!  Wahoo!

beignets

So far this week, I have had the early tireds.  I am ready to go to bed by 7:30 pm.  Yesterday, there was a rescue mission for soft friends that had been left at Daddy's house for Koda Bear.  By the time we got back, I was so tired I did not even have energy from tea.  That is very amazing!

Tonight is not much different.  I definitely did not gallivant as much but still seem very tired.  My concentration seems to be off as well.  I know it will get better.  Because it has too, yes?

I have been wanting beignets.  I actually would like to take a long weekend trip to New Orleans but I do not see that happening any time soon.  I am also being very anti-social which would mean that it would not be much of a success either.  But I can make beignets at home.  Make cafe au lait as well if I wish.  Right now I am drinking tea.  Either East Frissian TGFOP or Blood Orange Pu-Erh.  Both go well with beignets.

Most of the beignet recipes I read used evaporated milk and I just did not wish to use that.  I found a savoury beignet that used heavy cream.  I decided to go with that recipe, with a few adaptions, and cut it in half.  If there are only a few people in the house, a half batch is more then enough.  There were no leftovers because I had boyos and they had friends come over.  I did have enough for me.  I would make these again!

beignets

Note:  adapted from Southern Souffle.  I cut the original quantities in half.

sourdough starter

3/4 cup water 

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup whole milk

2 - 3 cups flour

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Canelo oil for frying

powdered sugar (icing sugar)

In a large bowl, mix the sourdough starter, 3/4 cup water, and 1 cup flour together.  Cover and let sit overnight or at least 8 hours.  It needs to be bubbly.  Take a bit out for next time.

Mix in the sugar, eggs, cream, milk, salt, and butter.  Add two cups of flour.  Beat hard with a wooden spoon breaking up the butter.  It should be a soft dough.  Turn out on a clean surface and knead until smooth.  Add a bit more flour if needed, but the softer the dough the better the crumb.  Bring up into a ball, place in a ball, cover, and let rise until double.

When risen to double, turn the dough out of the bowl on to a clean surface.  Pat into a rectangle that is about a 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into about 2 inch square pieces.  I find that even smaller is liked around here.  Place on a piece of parchment paper with space between each and let rise until double again.

When the beignet have risen until double, put a large amount of vegetable oil into a pot for frying.  I use a chicken fryer.  Heat until 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  When the oil is hot, carefully drop in the beignets.  They should slowly come to the top of the oil.  If not, the oil is not hot enough.  Cook until that side is brown.  Turn and cook the other side until brown.

Take out of the oil and let drain.  Dust with powdered sugar.  

These, of course are best hot, but I do find that the sourdough means that they taste good for longer then expected.

I need to make these again already.  I have been experimenting with a new recipe for raised doughnuts.  Still not right but I might be getting closer.

I can practice my frying skills with beignets though.  These are keepers.  They have been mentioned that it would be nice to have them again.

Already!

does not want to get it dirty

Koda Bear is back!  It is so nice having the small mister around.  The small thing does not really fit though because he is tall.  That is alright.  I just accept that he will be taller then me and I will be the shortest in the family.  Grandma just has to keep up and make bread.  He just seemed to eat only the bread I had made yesterday.  It is yummy!

I got a request for short sleeve shirts so my Beloved was destroying all of his.  What was nice was now becoming a work shirt, work shirts were being thrown out.  That is the process.  Work shirts are usually so ragged and dirty when they are done that they do not even make good rags.  I went through my stash and said, here are choices for shirts for you.  He made choices.  And I put it together.

It has been hanging there for about five days now.  I asked him if he did not like it.  He said he liked but did not want to get it dirty.  I do not know if this is success or failure.  Makes me sigh.  I am making more shirts though so at some point he will wear one of them.  They have been requested.

Maybe if Koda Bear and my Beloved matched?  Hmmm....  Probably would not work to get either one of them to wear the shirts.  Oh well.