Cinnamon Cake Doughnut Holes

I often wish I was standing in my Grammy’s kitchen. On some days, I miss her voice. On other days, I miss the way she could make the house smell. Yeasty breads, roasted chickens, and browning pies led to a pleasant association: Grammy and good, good food. My mom and aunt have told me about one of their favorite meals from her kitchen. Almost every Sunday night, she’d fry a chicken and make her famous shoestring french fries. My mom and aunt, then little girls, would stand beside her as she pulled the fries from the fryer. They’d often eat the entire batch before sitting down to dinner.

I, however, grew up in a VERY health-conscious home, so fried foods were regulated to occasional, out-to-dinner treats. I never watched my own mother fry anything. But on Sunday morning, I woke with a strong desire to make a batch of doughnuts. And in case you didn’t know, doughnuts are fried.

Seeing that I came to this task completely unprepared, I wished, even more, that I had my Grammy standing beside me! Over the past few years, I’ve learned how to make pies, rolls, even wedding cakes…but the thought of all that bubbling oil made me nervous. Thankfully, I knew that if I completely failed, no one would know besides Ryan and me. One of the wisest lessons I’ve learned is to never bake or make something complicated for the very first time if guests are due to appear.

Over the course of an hour (and yes, this recipe takes less than an hour!) I made a few rookie mistakes. I don’t own a deep-fryer (no surprise there) so I used Ryan’s wok and a candy thermometer to determine temperature. The wok worked wonderfully…the candy thermometer not so much. When I dropped my doughnut holes into the oil, they went from light pieces of dough to dark black char-balls within seconds. Clearly, the candy thermometer wasn’t registering temperature correctly. I learned my lesson, cooled my oil, and then relied on a simple old-fashioned test. I took a small piece of dough and dropped it into the center of my oil. If it began to bubble immediately and rise to the surface, I knew I was ready to go. And the result was a beautiful batch of freshly made doughnut holes that Ryan and I enjoyed along with pancakes and scrambled eggs (Sunday mornings should be a bit decadent, I think…especially when you’re 31 weeks pregnant).

So if you’re afraid of making doughnuts, know that part of the fun will be in ruining nearly all of them…just so you can make those five, perfectly fried, rounds of dough. Don’t make them for company, until you’ve practiced a few times. And channel your grandmother, who still knows how to make something as simple as a sheet of brownies taste a little like heaven. She’ll help you succeed. I know my Grammy did.

Cinnamon Cake Doughnut Holes

2 cups flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 egg

1/2 cup whole milk

1 quart oil, for frying

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

1/2 cup sugar

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon

Heat oil in deep-fryer or wok to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (or until a small piece of food immediately sizzles and rises to the surface of the oil).

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pour melted butter over dry ingredients and mix until crumbly. Stir in milk and egg until a thick batter/dough forms.

Take 1-2 tablespoons of dough and form into a small ball (doughnut-hole size). Once all dough has been shaped, carefully drop 5-6 holes into hot oil. Do not overcrowd pan. Fry, turning once, for three minutes or until golden. Place the fried holes on a cookie sheet set above a plate and allow the oil to drain off. Dip freshly fried holes in cinnamon-sugar mixture, tossing to coat. These doughnut holes are best enjoyed warm, just minutes after they’ve been made.

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Best Ever Banana Pancakes

As strange as it might sound, I think it finally hit me this week: we’re having a baby. At this point, I’m very comfortable with being pregnant, but in a matter of weeks, I’ll begin a new chapter. I’ll be a mom. And this reality–motherhood–is both exciting and terrifying. Maybe I’ve come to realize the realness of little Lucy because her kicks are no longer just playful jabs. Her movements are powered by real, strong, baby legs. And when she turns, I can feel the heft of her body. My stomach moves to one side, and Ryan can run his fingers along her back. Or maybe it’s because we’re finally in our new home. Lucy has a bedroom now. Her crib is sitting beneath her window. The changing table is by the door. This new environment, our first home, inspires visions. Visions of her crawling. Visions of her coming home from school. Visions of weeknight dinners with a family of three.

I’ve heard this is natural. These feelings of ambivalence and even fear. I’m thankful I have the support of my family. A well-placed sentence can do wonders to calm a nervous mama’s heart. And Ryan and I are so thankful for our new home. We still have LOADS of work to do, but I wanted to share at least a few pictures. There will be more to come soon!

Our fireplace mantle might just be my favorite part of this house. On it: a few favorite prints, spools of colored twine, and a recycled “heart” from my Aunt Sherry.

I just hung my collection of vintage plates on our dining room wall. I found all of these at the thrift store, and I love the small imperfections in each. I wanted to give you a “full-room” picture, but our table is still covered in boxes! Priorities right?

Now that I’m done with my MFA, I’ve organized my books by color. Highly impractical but visually stimulating. Unfortunately, we have about five more boxes of books that didn’t fit on the book shelf or in the color scheme.

Another favorite part of my new house? A built-in china cabinet. I have so many little things that make me smile, and it feels good to finally have a place to keep them. My sister Susanne gave me How to Cook the Perfect Day last year, and it’s become one of my favorite books. Not only is it full of good recipes, but the prints are beautiful.

And because home is much more than a pile of possessions, I wanted to share one of the first breakfasts I made in my kitchen. I’m fully convinced, you can never go wrong with a fresh plate of pancakes. Light, fluffy, and full of ripe bananas, these whole wheat pancakes are addictive, to say the least. The slight sweetness from the honey pairs perfectly with that ubiquitous yellow fruit. I know I had a hard time not eating the entire batch! These taste especially good when served with maple syrup or strawberry jam. As if you needed a reminder.

Best Ever Banana Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1/2 to 1 cup chopped bananas

In a small bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together honey, butter, buttermilk and eggs until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes). Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Stir in chopped bananas. Allow batter to sit while you heat your skillet.

Heat medium skillet to medium-high heat. A drop of water should sizzle upon contact. Grease pan with either oil or butter (butter is my favorite, of course). Pour 1/4 cup of batter into skillet. Allow to cook for approximately one minute. Bubbles should rise to the surface and the edges should be golden brown. Flip and allow to cook for approximately 30 seconds on the other side. Serve warm with maple syrup or strawberry jam.

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Double Poppy Seed Muffins

I’m back in Colorado, where we’ve received yet another burst of winter wind. I came outside this morning in hopes that a long walk with Margot would clear my mind…and found, instead, that seven days in Texas had spoiled me. Now I do realize that come July and August, I’ll be very glad for Colorado’s cooler temperatures, but I’m still not happy about 20 degree weather in April.

Thankfully, Ryan and I moved into our NEW HOME on Sunday (well before the weather took its chilly turn). Moving while 30 weeks pregnant isn’t advisable except that I had a good excuse to leave most of the heavy work to my husband and a handful of our generous friends. But as you might know, moving is much more than transporting boxes from a truck into a house. As you run a knife through the thick packing tape and open up box after box, your life sits around you, disorganized and cluttered. Old pictures, movie stubs, broken bowls, assorted books you read in high school. Spatulas and rice cookers. Notes from your freshman English class. The furniture your cat loved to sink her claws into no matter how hard you tried to distract her. All of it sits around you, waiting for your mind to reconfigure the oddness.

I will post pictures of our new house soon…but I need a few days (or weeks) to get it in better working order. I do know that Ryan and I already feel blessed to have this beautiful home in such a breath-taking part of our country. Little Lucy will have ample room to play and learn, to explore the physical world around her. And after four long months, I’m thrilled to have my mixing bowls in my own kitchen again. I know I’ll be baking as much as possible before Lucy comes. Our freezer will soon be full of muffins, bread, and bagels. These poppy seed muffins are moist and sturdy, almost like a good pound cake. The original recipe called for a scant 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds. I found this to be near deplorable, and so I doubled the amount, and then doubled it again. The result is a share-worthy muffin full of those little black seeds that taste even better than they look.

Poppy Seed Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 TBSP or 1/4 cup poppy seeds
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream or full-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a twelve-tin muffin pan with wrappers or grease well with butter. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds. In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy (about two-three minutes.) Whisk in eggs and then fold in sour cream and vanilla extract. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Using an ice-cream scoop or a large spoon, divide batter into prepared muffin pan. Bake in preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for ten minutes in pan before removing to a wire rack.

Yields: 12

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Knitted Treasures

My Aunt Sharon and I have always been close. I still remember making gingerbread houses in her kitchen when my head barely reached her counter. Although we were happy to move back to Colorado a few months ago, I was heartbroken I wouldn’t be as close to Houston, Aunt Sherry and my sweet Grammy (see picture above…Lucille Amelia’s namesake!).

On Thursday night, my aunt threw me a beautiful baby shower. My sweet Grammy couldn’t have been more thrilled to attend the happy affair. My belly is growing daily, and I’m having to stretch t-shirts and dresses over what’s become my basketball size stomach/uterus. Old friends and family were excited to see the progress. But these knitted treasures were the true stars of the evening. My aunt is an incredibly talented knitter. She works at Knitting at the Loop, a beautiful store in Houston that encourages community through their fine goods, classes, and patterns.

I thought I’d share her creations for little Lucy. I have no doubt they’ll be treasured for the rest of my life and my daughter’s life too.

Burp clothes

Pink Bloomers

A baby cap with pink rosette

All together now

GORGEOUS pink tutu

Did I mention how blessed I feel in this season of my life? So thankful for the beautiful community Lucy will join.

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Thesis, flowers, and April showers

Well, I’m happy to announce that I successfully defended my Masters Thesis on Tuesday morning. After three years of work (much of it done while battling either insecurity or morning sickness), I’ve completed my MFA in Creative Writing. Many of you know a lot about me…about my family…and about my passion for food. But my thesis is a memoir about a part of my life that I’m less apt to share with strangers (and even close friends). As a writer, I skirted around the heart of my memoir for years. My stories and novels were cloaked and heavy as I tried to disguise my writing soul.

Over the course of these past three years, I learned that a writer’s true voice only develops when we finally tackle that which we fear the most.

My thesis defense ended in a long discussion with my adviser and the director of the program. His enthusiasm for my work was surprising, and we’re hoping to send it off to an agent before Lucy is born this summer. Who knows what will happen, but it’s exciting to have such a concrete goal. I won’t share much more until I’m farther along in that process, but I appreciate your positive thoughts in the weeks and months to come!

In the meantime, we’re still celebrating the imminent arrival of our little Lucy. I’m in Houston for the next few days, and my Aunt Sharon is throwing me a baby shower (one just as special as the first, I’m sure!). The weather here in Texas is hot and humid. A nice change from the dry cold we’ve been bravely facing in Colorado. Ryan and I have enjoyed good food, seen old friends, and already driven in traffic one too many times (oh the joys of Texas!).

While I don’t have any recipes for you today, I hope you can enjoy these lovely blooms. My aunt makes it down to the farmer’s market each week, and she manages to find the loveliest of flowers. And in case you’re truly hankering for something sweet…here are a few of my favorite spring-time desserts. Click on the links below to find the recipe and more!

Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls

Lemon Poppyseed Cookies

Whole Grain Pancakes with Strawberry Agave Sauce