I thought these were going to be a sort of filler doughnut to help stretch out doughnut week. But they were actually a huge hit and everyone’s favorite.

The inspiration came from my citrus pancakes I did ages ago.

I used the same dough as I did for the Vanilla Bean Boston Cream doughnuts, so if you want to double the recipe, or even cut the recipe in half to make both kinds, be my guest.

Read the rest of this entry »

French crullers are probably one of my favorite kinds of doughnuts. They aren’t too sweet, and have a texture and flavor all their own—eggy and light on the inside and sweet and crispy on the outside.

It had never occurred to me that I could make my own until last summer I came across an old Martha Stewart Living that gave instructions on how to make them. I don’t recall the recipe they used exactly, but I do remember they used a pâte à choux—that wonderful, easy to make, easy to use French pastry dough—and piped it onto little squares of parchment paper with a large star tip, then lowered it slowly into the hot oil.

For my own version, I basically did the same. They were exceptionally easy, and were a great variation of texture and flavor from the other doughnuts.

Read the rest of this entry »

That pumpkin torte I made the other day was really delicious, so I thought I should fry some of the batter for our little party.

I honestly have no idea how people make cake doughnuts in a ring shape, so these were made into little doughnut holes, which actually worked perfectly at our doughnut party because they kept the kids happy while we worked on rolling out, filling, and frosting the other ones.

In the picture, I sprinkled them with powdered sugar, but in the recipe I’ll give you instructions to make a glaze, which makes everything taste better.

Read the rest of this entry »

Well, I’d just like to mention what fun I had with Trick-or-trEat, and hope you all did, too.

Sometimes I miss the place where I grew up so badly it physically hurts.  At times, I feel exiled, doomed to visit there for short stints at a time, only to be shipped back, all to soon, to wherever I am living.

In the fall, when things are most beautiful in New England, I feel the stab most acutely, and do my best to enjoy the season where I am.  This year, I think God has sent me a gift—cut me a break in light of the chaos in my life: the leaves in Utah have been almost as beautiful as they are in Massachusetts.

But, oh, how I miss the cranberry bogs, the smell of burning pine, the endless tangles of bittersweet, 18th Century houses.  And long drives on lazy Saturdays through winding back roads that lead to the ocean.

I can’t think of a better way to drown out homesickness than with a warm, custard filled, chocolate glazed doughnut?  Can you?

So I made some, and named them after my home.

Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to Sophistimom’s Trick-Or-Eat post. Today, nine favorite food, craft & lifestyle bloggers await behind nine haunted houses with an array of holiday treats created just for you. At the end of this post, you will find two of these mystery houses. To join in the holiday fun, simply click on one of the buttons and you’ll be linked to the next home on the block. You can also discover all of the Trick-Or-Eat contributors and find direct links to their posts at www.Trick-Or-Eat.com. Happy Halloweening!

You came to the right house! Come on in, we’re having a doughnut party!

In New England, where I come from, only friendly spirits roam our antique houses’ halls. Pierre of Kitchen Scraps did a lovely job on my house, didn’t he? It’s a Cape Cod with nothing spooky or creepy—just the way I like to celebrate Halloween. I love the way he made the windows glow! If I could live in any house, I would dream up something like this.

While you’re stopping by for Trick-or-Eat, help yourself to this recipe for pear beignets with cardamom crème anglaise. They are worth dying for—well, maybe not, but definitely worth smelling your whole house up with deep frying oil. When I knew I’d be making them, I invited friends over and tried out four other recipes for doughnuts. We had glazed French cruellers, Pumpkin Poppers, Citrus Twists, and Vanilla Bean Boston Creams! Come back everyday this week when I will post each of the recipes.

Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy the rest of the Trick-or-Eat fun!

Be sure to read to the bottom of the post, to follow all nine trick-or-eat blogs!

Read the rest of this entry »

Ah, yes, the end of pumpkin week. Sorry to ditch you yesterday, but I couldn’t cut this cake open to photograph it until this morning.

I made it a few days ago, but didn’t serve it until today when my friend threw a bridal shower for her little sister (our former babysitter, actually). When we ate it after it had sat in the fridge for a few days, it was still good, though the frosting was not as fresh (still delicious, though).

I think you’re really going to like it. This cake is just so dense and so moist and so versatile, you’ll be making it again and again. I am even planning on using this recipe for a pumpkin cake doughnut when I do doughnut week soon.

Also, the frosting is the best thing I have ever made, which is probably because it’s a recipe my friend Deborah shared with me. She’s a cake decorator extraordinaire. Go see for yourself. Click here for her blog.

Anyway, the frosting is amazingly easy, and completely dreamy. I think that’s what I should name it: dreamy brown sugar frosting.

Read the rest of this entry »

Someone made a comment on the pumpkin slices post that they wanted to see some savory pumpkin dishes that weren’t soup. I posted the oreccheitte the other day in hopes to answer that request, but unfortunately could not come up with anything more creative beyond that, and am now posting a pumpkin soup.

But really, those cans of puree just beg to be baked into a soup. How could I ignore that? When something is practically a soup already, and all it needs is a pinch of this and a swig of that, I say let the soup be made! It will save me at least 500 sit-ups, which is what I would be doing if I were to make the can of puree into the other obvious choice: pumpkin pie.

Oooh, that would be good. If you want a pumpkin pie recipe, click here.

If that is too boring for you, then click here for pumpkin crème brûlée.

Or better yet, come back in a few days for when I post the pumpkin torte with brown sugar whipped cream cheese icing.

Read the rest of this entry »

Oops, I was so tired I almost forgot to post something tonight! Here’s a little something I whipped up today that I was pretty happy with, though I might try it out again a little later and change some things. If that’s the case, and you plan on making it sometime, print it off on the day you make it—just in case I tweak the recipe a bit.

Read the rest of this entry »

Orecchiette is a pasta which literally means “little ears.” I love it because each piece acts as a little dish for the sauce. If you can’t find it at the grocery store (I found mine at Super Target), then you could substitute shells, rigatoni, penne, or anything you like that will trap the sauce and produce the most flavor.

I wanted this dish to taste like fall, so I used some lovely fresh sage leaves and chicken stock, but if I could do it again, and if I didn’t live next to all the grocery stores that don’t carry it, I would have added some shallots. Whenever I cook those, the whole house smells like Thanksgiving. They’re perfect.

The goat cheese brings a nice tang to the dish and balances out the flavors, and the toasted pepitas add a bit of crunch and texture.

Read the rest of this entry »

These roasted pumpkin slices are a sweet and inviting treat after a long walk home from the bus stop. They’re easy to make and are filled with hints of Halloween and Thanksgiving (not to mention Vitamin A).

I saw the idea once in an old Martha Stewart Living in the “Good Things” section. I’ve always wanted to make them, and though I don’t have any of my magazines with me right now, I thought I’d make up my own version.

I’m kinda liking these themed weeks, how about you? (I’d say it’s about time to post something in the well-read or well-bred categories, but all in good time, right?)

This week will be all pumpkin recipes.

And speaking of my other two categories, do any of you have any suggestions? What should I write about for good reading and good breeding?

Read the rest of this entry »