Homemade Apple Sauce Donuts

These donuts are SO scrumptious! WAY better than I thought they were going to be!

Here's the lowdown (lol): 

• 2 quarts oil for deep frying
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

Heat oil to 375 F. We don't have a deep fryer, so we had to use a dutch oven. It worked great!

In a large bowl, mix together white sugar, butter, eggs and applesauce.
In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, mace and cinnamon.

Stir flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Mix until a stiff dough is formed.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 3/4" sheet.

Cut the donuts out with a donut cutter. We didn't have one, so I used a cup.

Carefully slide donuts into hot oil. Fry on each side until they are a golden brown on both sides. It took me about 3 minutes each side.

Drain donuts on paper towels and dust with confectioner's sugar (icing sugar). Serve hot.

They really are best eaten when they are hot and freshly made. But they are also very good cold. Just ask Alexander. He ate EIGHT of them while I was upstairs with Isabel one day. EIGHT of them. sheesh. 

Here is the nutritional stats for one donut:

Apple Pie in an Apple

I saw this on tumblr a while ago, and I wanted to make it! Jeffery left for training down in the states today, and I made this yesterday for dessert:

I used Cortland apples for this, since they do not break down when they are baked.

You want to make the dough a head of time.

Preheat oven to 375 F.
You cut off the tops of the apples, and then scoop out the insides with a spoon.

Remove any skin and seeds.

Cube apples. Mix in:
6 tsp white sugar - I will use brown sugar next time
3 tbsp flour - I will use less flour next time - I will probably use 1 tbsp instead
2 tsp cinnamon

Fill the apple bowls.

Roll out the dough and cut circles (I used a cup) to cover the top of the apple hole.
Poke holes in the dough with a toothpick to vent the vapour.

Pour water into a 8" x 8" baking pan, only to cover the bottom of the pan.
Place apples into pan, cover with foil  *shiny side IN*.
Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.
Remove foil, and bake for another 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

You can sprinkle the pies with icing sugar if desired. Serve with ice cream.

Enjoy!

Banana Muffins

Yummy banana muffins! Possibly the best you will ever eat!

3 large bananas
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
chocolate chips

Mash bananas. I used an electric beater - much quicker!

Add sugar and egg. Mix together. Add melted butter.

Add dry ingredients together. Mix well.

Add chocolate chips. so many as you want. :)

Spray Pam into the muffin tin. Pour mixture into tins. (I use the large muffin tins)

Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. It takes about 25 minutes in my oven.

Let the muffins cool for at least 10 minutes before taking them out of the tins. The Pam spray allows them to come out quickly and easily.

Just a tip for storing them: I don't have a container large enough to fit these muffins, so I individually wrap them in cling wrap so that when Jeff needs a quick bite to eat before an appointment, or wants to take a snack on the road with him without worrying about melting or going bad, he can just grab one of these out of the fridge and he's got a snack!

Enjoy!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have searched for years for a great chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe. I've tried at least five different recipes over the years, but have never been overly pleased with any of them. But then I found this one! YUM!

3/4 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs

Beat these all together with an electric beater until smooth.

2 cups flour (see the note at the bottom of the post)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Add these ingredients and mix all together. Of course, I put in more chocolate chips than the recipe calls for. Bake at 375 F for 8-12 minutes, depending on how large you make them. They are perfect!


NOTE: If you are using all-purpose flour, you may want to use 2 1/4 cups of flour.
         If you are using bread & pastry flour, you will want to use about 2 3/4 cups of flour.
         If you are using blending flour, you will want to use only 2 cups of flour.