Sunday, November 13, 2011

Easy Egg, soy, nut free Donuts

While searching for the Mini donut recipe I posted earlier, I came across an easy donut recipe and decided to give it a try this morning.  They are best eaten warm so I recommend making them in small batches.  My kids really enjoyed them.  Also, be sure you cook the donut "holes" until they are deep brown, otherwise the middle is raw.  Hope you like this easy, quick alternative.

Ingredients:
1 can Pillsbury buttermilk flakey biscuits
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon (or to your liking)
oil for frying (I use safflower oil)

Directions:
Take out the biscuits and lay a few out on a cutting board or pastry mat.  I used 4 biscuits.  Using a biscuit cutter or small glass, cut a hole from the middle of the biscuits.  Save the middle for donut holes.  Alternatively, you could have the children use their thumbs to push through to make a hole.

In a deep sided pan, heat enough oil to cover half way up the donut.  I used about 2 inches.  Heat oil until just shimmering.  Drop in donuts, brown on one side, flip. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels for a moment (to removed excess grease) then dip the donuts in the sugar cinnamon mixture.  You could also do this in a paper bag, shake donuts to coat but a shallow bowl works too.  You could also use powdered sugar.

Enjoy!! 

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Egg, soy, nut free mini donuts

When Alexa was a little over 1 year old I bought her a donut at Dunkin Donuts.  She spit it out.  I didn't know at the time she was allergic to Peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy and all legumes.  It probably made her mouth itch.  But I just thought "what kid doesn't like donuts?". Since then, I have been meaning to try to make some egg free donuts but just never got around to it.  I came across a mini donut pan the other day and decided it was time to give them a try.  I found this recipe at Vegan Yum Yum http://veganyumyum.com/2007/02/mini-donut-test-kitchen/ and decided to give it a try today.  The photos are the end result.  Used real milk and real butter (because we're not vegan) and they came out delish.  I overfilled the tins so the first batch looks more like muffins with holes than donuts but the taste was yummy.  Not too sweet, not too "cake" like or too "muffin" like in texture and they were a BIG hit with the kids.  I think they each had at least 4 and I'm embarrassed to say I probably ate at least 4 as well. (I hope my Jenny Craig consultant isn't reading this!).  Anyway-I give this recipe a thumbs up.  I may attempt an egg free fried version at some point but for now these were YUM YUM ;-)