Spudnuts (Glazed Yeast Doughnuts)

Dough:

• 1 (0.25oz) package (7g) or 2 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (120-130°F)
• 1 cup mashed potatoes (warm, not hot)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 quart vegetable oil (for frying)

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
• 3-4 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

 

1. Combine the yeast, water, potato, sugar, shortening, eggs and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the paddle attachment until combined. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until combined. Replace the paddle with the dough hook and continue to add flour and mix until the dough forms into a ball and doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl. Continue to knead the dough for 5-7 minutes and the dough is satiny and smooth. Remove the dough from the bowl, spray the bowl with non stick spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
2. Gently remove the dough from the bowl. Roll the dough into a large circle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Using a doughnut cutter, or a cup (and a smaller lid for the inside circle) cut the doughnuts out of the dough. Place on a greased pan or counter top, cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes or until the dough is light and airy.
3. Cook the doughnuts in oil that has been heated to 350-375°F. You’ll need to watch the temperature and adjust as needed. The doughnuts should cook and become golden brown on each side within 30-45 seconds each. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
4. Combine the ingredients for the glaze and stir until smooth.
5. Dip the warm doughnuts in the bowl of glaze and then set them on cooling rack until the glaze sets.

Homemade Root beer

 5 lbs. sugar

1 bottle root beer extract

5lbs dry ice 

5 gal water

= delicious root beer
sometimes a little less water

Bavarian Red Cabbage

 1 large head red cabbage (2 1/2-3#), shredded

3 Tbls. bacon drippings

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium apples, peeled, diced

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tbls. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup red currant jelly

 Heat bacon drippings and saute onion, add cabbage and cook over low heat until wilted.  Add Apple, vinegar, sugar, salt, and bay leaf.  Cook over low 2 hours, stirring several times.  Add jelly, stil until blended.  Cook another 10 minutes. 

Easy Nacho Sauce

Ingredients:

2 lb. box original Velveeta Cheese

1 cup mild La Victoria Taco sauce

1 cup sour cream

milk for thinning

Directions:

Cube Velveeta and put in slow cooker with 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup taco sauce. Cook on high for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring often. Add milk to thin. Can keep on high while eating, keep stirring and add milk to thin.

HONEYCOMB ICE CREAM

Homeycomb Candy:

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup Golden Syrup

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons baking soda

Line 8x8 pan with parchment paper.  If you crumple it will stay in pan better but the hot liquid will weigh it down.

In heavy-bottom saucepan, add sugar and give it a shake so it lays flat in the pan.  Add golden syrup and honey and the water, so all of the sugar has been moistened.  Do not stir.  Turn the heat to medium high, and watch closely as the sugar starts to dissolve and the ingredients start to meld together.

Cook the mixture to 300°F, which should take about 5-10 minutes, depending on the strength of your stove, then remove the pan from the heat, Whisk in the baking soda for about 5 seconds, and once it has stopped foaming up, immediately pour the mixture onto the parchment paper.  Le cool at least one hour or until hardened, then whack the honey comb to break in pieces.  Must be used immediately or it will absorb moisture from the air and soften.  It can be stored in an airtight container.

ICE CREAM

Use the regular cooked ice cream recipe but only add 1/2 cup of golden syrup for the 1 cup corn syrup.  Cool as usual.  Just before freezing throw in about 1/4 of the honeycomb candy that has been broken up into the mix.  Freeze as usual.  As soon as the ice cream is removed from the freezing container and put into a large bowl, stir in the remaining honeycomb candy that is broken into piece and store in freezer

Apple And/Or Cherry Crisp

This is a recipe grandma used and turned it into the most perfect delicious cherry crisp. I have not figured out the perfect recipe (it always ends up runny for me) to do that but when she makes it again she will come on here and tell us all how.

4 cups sliced pared tart apples
2/3 c brown sugar
1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c oats
3/4 t cinnamon
3/4 t nutmeg
1/3 c butter, softened

Heat oven to 375. Grease square pan. Place apple slices in pan. Mix remaining ingredient thoroughly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake for 30 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown.

Cinnamon Carmels

Cinnamon Carmels

YIELD: MAKES 3 OR SO DOZEN CARAMELS, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE YOU CUT THEm

If you want to avoid using red food coloring, you can leave it out - the food coloring doesn't make it taste any more or less cinnamony. I use the Wilton no-taste red food coloring gel. About the cinnamon flavor, I used this extract that I bought (has great reviews) on Amazon since I couldn't find it at my small local grocery store. Using the amount in the recipe, the caramels are pleasantly cinnamony without being spicy or hot. Add more cinnamon extract if you want to amp up the cinnamon flavor. Also, if you are using cinnamon oil instead of cinnamon extract, add with care - it's much, much more potent than cinnamon extract.

FYI: My preferred brand of chocolate is Ghirardelli.

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided (meaning, you'll add half at the beginning and half later)
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon extract 
• 1 teaspoon red food coloring gel (see note above)

DIRECTIONS

1.                             Butter an 8X8-inch pan and set aside.

2.                             In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, salt, corn syrup, sugar and 1 cup of the cream. Over low heat, warm the ingredients until the butter is melted. Gently stirring during this part is ok to help combine the ingredients - just take care not to stir too vigorously and splash the liquid high up on the sides of the pan; also, take care to use low heat for this step. Too high of heat can cause the ingredients to melt unevenly and cause the butter to separate.

3.                             Once the ingredients are warmed and melted, increase the heat to medium-low (I keep my stovetop dial between a 3 and 4 the entire time; each stove is different so just keep an eye on the heat). Because these are no-stir caramels, too high of heat will burn the ingredients on the bottom. Moderate the heat of your stove so that the mixture maintains a simmer without burning. If you turn down the heat and the caramel stops simmering, simply increase the heat little by little until a good simmer is reached and then leave it there. You'll be good to go.

4.                             Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 236 degrees F. Pour in the remaining 1 cup cream. Gently swirl the caramel once or twice with a wooden spoon or spatula to incorporate.

5.                             Again, bring the mixture to a simmer (don't adjust the heat to sharply - I keep mine set the same as before) and cook until the thermometer registers 245 degrees F.

6.                             Off the heat, carefully stir in the cinnamon and red food coloring.

7.                             Immediately pour the caramel into the prepared pan - don't scrape the sides, just tip the pan until no more drizzles out. Let the pan of caramels cool completely at room temperature before cutting into pieces.

8.                             To dip into chocolate, melt milk, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate in the microwave on 50% power for 1-minute increments or in a double boiler on the stove. Simply drop a caramel into the chocolate, lift out once full covered with a fork, tap on the side of the bowl to let the excess chocolate drip off and then carefully slide onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once the chocolate has set, you can drizzle additional chocolate over the top for a nice pattern.

Recipe Source: adapted from my favorite foolproof, no-stir caramel recipe after my friend Lisa C. gave me the fabulous idea

Mel's Kitchen Cafe