DONUTS

SHORT CUT DONUTS WITH GLAZES


1 package refrigerator biscuit (10 in pkg.)

Preheat oil in deep fryer. Cut centers out of biscuits with a 1 inch cutter. Fry 3 donuts at a time for 1 1/2 minutes; turn and fry 1 1/2 minutes more. Fry donut holes for about 2 minutes, turning once. Drain on absorbent paper. Makes 10 donuts and holes.

MAPLE GLAZE:
1 c. sifted powdered sugar
3 or 4 tbsp. maple syrup

Combine powdered sugar with maple syrup, stirring until smooth. Dip donuts and holes in glaze. Sit on rack to drain.

FRUIT GLAZE:
2 tbsp. grape, apricot or peach jam
1 c. powdered sugar
1 or 2 tsp. milk

Put jam in a glass jar and microwave on high for 15 seconds; stir to melt. Stir in powdered sugar, adding milk and stirring until smooth. Dip donuts and holes in glaze. Drain on rack.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
2 tbsp. milk

Combine chocolate chips, syrup and milk in a 2 cup glass cup; microwave on high for 1 to 1 2/3 minutes; stir until melted. Dip donuts and holes in glaze.

Some other maple frosting recipes
Maple frosting4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup margarine
4 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons maple flavoring

or

1/2 cup butter, room temp
1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon maple flavoring

MAPLE FROSTING
1/4 c. Crisco
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. maple blend syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. confectioners' sugar
1/4 c. milk

Combine Crisco, salt, syrup, vanilla and 1 cup of sugar. Add milk and remaining sugar alternately. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add more sugar to thicken or milk to thin, if needed for good spreading consistency.


DONUTS FROM SCRATCH

Ingredients for Doughnuts

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
1 1/4 cups 2% milk, warmed up to 105 °F
6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 large 1 large egg yolk
4 cups vegetable oil, for frying

Maple Cream Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Maple Glaze
1 cup sifted icing sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons milk

Directions for Doughnuts

1.For doughnuts, stir ¾ cup of flour, yeast and ¾ cup milk together until blended, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour.

2.In a large mixing bowl using electric beaters, or in a stand-up mixer fitted with the paddle, add remaining 3 ¼ cups flour, butter, sugar salt and spices and blend for 1 minute on low speed. Combine the initial flour, milk and yeast mixture, with the remaining milk, egg and egg yolk and beat on medium-low speed until batter is smooth and thick. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic and let sit until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

3.On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to ½-inch thick. Cut doughnuts with a 3-inch cutter and place on a parchment lined baking tray. Cover with a tea towel and let doughnuts rest 15 minutes.

4.Heat oil in a deep pot to 365 °F. Set a doughnut onto a slotted spoon and set gently into oil. Let cook until brown on one side, then carefully turn over. Remove doughnut with slotted spoon and place on a plate with paper towel to cool. Make a few doughnuts at a time, but take care not to overcrowd the pot (to prevent oil from cooling, resulting in greasy doughnuts).

Maple Cream Filling

1.For cream, beat cream cheese until soft and beat in icing sugar, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth. Spoon batter into a piping bag fitted with a plain tip. Insert tip into side of doughnut and pipe in cream filling. Repeat with remaining doughnuts.

Maple Glaze

1.For glaze, beat all ingredients until smooth, adjusting consistency with milk, if needed. Dip each doughnut halfway into glaze and let dry for 10 minutes on a cooling rack before serving.

Vanilla Glaze

In a mug, microwave half of cup of milk with a teaspoon of butter (you'll use this later)

In a bowl mix:
1 cup of powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons of the milk mixture
1/4 teaspoon of lemon
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
If you a really thin glaze, just add a little more of the milk mixture.


Chocolate Glaze

Use the milk mixture from above.
In a bowl mix:

1 cup of powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons of Hershey Cocoa
3 Tablespoons of the milk mixture from above.

Put a slightly warm donut face down in the chocolate glaze, turn slightly and remove. Perfect!

Candy Corn Cheesecake Mousse

Candy Corn Cheesecake Mousse
This recipe yields a sweet and fluffy, light cream cheese flavored dessert.


1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk or cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 small container (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed


orange and yellow food color
candy corn (for garnish)


Directions ~
Beat cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer until fully smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar, then milk (or cream). Add vanilla. Continue mixing. Beat about 1 minute on medium to medium-high speed. Fold cool whip into cream cheese mixture, and stir until fully combined.


Scoop about 1/3 of the Cheesecake Mousse into a bowl, and color orange. Color another third of the mixture yellow. Leave the remaining third white. One color at a time (starting with yellow), scoop mixture into a piping bag or large ziplock bag, and squeeze a layer of the Cheesecake Mousse into small dessert dishes of your choice. Repeat with orange and then white Mousse.


Refrigerate 30 minutes (or up to 1 day) before serving. Garnish with candy corn if desired.


Recipe yields 4 moderate servings or 6-8 mini servings.


Recipe Source: Glorious Treats


Sugar Free Option: In the past, I have adjusted this recipe to be sugar free, with good results. Simply substitute 1/3 cup Splenda for the powdered sugar, and replace regular cool whip with sugar free cool whip. Omit candy corn garnish.


Recipe options: This general concept could be created using vanilla pudding or white chocolate mousse (from a mix or from scratch).

Philadelphia Cheese Steak Sandwich

There are so many different ways to make Philly Cheese steak sandwiches.....

Ingredients

1 12-ounce boneless beef rib eye steak (thin sliced eye of round, rib eye, or sirloin tip roast)*

2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1 medium red or green sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
4 French rolls or hogie buns, split
4 ounces thinly sliced cheddar cheese
optional
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
Dill pickle spears

Directions

1. Partially freeze beef. Thinly slice beef across the grain into bite-size strips. In a 10-inch skillet melt margarine or butter; add onions and pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat about 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove onion-pepper mixture from skillet with a slotted spoon. If necessary, add additional margarine to skillet. Add beef; cook and stir over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until done.
3. To serve, spread rolls open face on a baking sheet. Divide beef and onion-pepper mixture among rolls. Top with cheese. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

OR

Ingredients

2 fresh Italian sandwich rolls or Kaiser buns, split in half crosswise
1 white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 pound rib-eye steak, very very thinly shaved or sliced
1/3 pound thinly sliced white American cheese, or Provolone cheese OR 4 ounces melted cheese whiz
Ketchup, optional topping
Italian pickled peppers, accompaniment

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. When hot add the oil, onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Push off to 1 side of the griddle.

Add the meat to the hot pan and cook, stirring and breaking up with the back of 2 metal spatulas, until almost no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Mix in the Sauteed vegetables. Top with cheese slices and melt. Spoon the cheesy meat mixture into the warm buns and serve immediately with condiments of choice or Put the meat in the bun and dip the spatula in the cheese whiz and then wipe the spatula down the inside of the bread.

Sloppy Chicken Joes

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
3 pounds uncooked ground chicken or uncooked ground turkey
2 14-oz. jars pizza sauce
2 cups frozen (yellow, green, and red) peppers and onion stir-fry vegetables, thawed and chopped
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
8 hoagie rolls, split
8 slices mozzarella or provolone cheese (8 ounces)

Directions

1. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to hot skillet; cook until chicken is no longer pink, stirring to break apart. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine chicken, pizza sauce, vegetables, and undrained tomatoes.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours.

3. Arrange split rolls, cut sides up, on an unheated broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until toasted. Spoon chicken mixture onto bottoms of toasted rolls. Top with cheese and roll tops. Makes 8 sandwiches.

Chicken-Parmesan Bundles

Chicken-Parmesan Bundles

Ingredients

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
6 tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1 egg
10 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup)
1 1/2cups spaghetti sauce, heated

Directions

HEAT oven to 375 degrees F.

MIX cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella and 3 tbsp. Parmesan until well blended; spread onto chicken breasts. Starting at one short end of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired.

BEAT egg in shallow dish. Mix remaining Parmesan and cracker crumbs in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg, then roll in crumb mixture to evenly coat. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is done (165 degrees F). Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve chicken topped with spaghetti sauce and remaining mozzarella.

Make Ahead:
Assemble chicken bundles and place in baking dish as directed. Refrigerate up to 4 hours. When ready to serve, uncover and bake at 375 degrees F for 35 min. or until chicken is done.

Special Extra:
Stir chopped fresh basil and/or sliced black olives into spaghetti sauce before heating

Outback Steakhouse Coconut Shrimp

1 1/2 lb large raw shrimp
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c cornstarch
1 T salt
1/2 T white pepper
2 T vegetable oil
1 c ice water
oil for deep frying
2 c short shredded coconut

Peel, devein & wash shrimp. Dry well on paper towels. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients for batter. Add 2T oil & ice water.
Stir to blend. To fry: heat oil to 350 in deep fryer or electric
skillet. Spread coconut on a flat pan a little at a time, adding
more as needed. Dip shrimp in batter, then roll in coconut.
Fry in hot oil until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

Bake at 300 5 minutes to finish cooking of the shrimp.

Serve with sweet & sour sauce or the following sauce: Combine
marmalade, Grey Poupon mustard, honey & Tabasco sauce to taste.
1/2 c orange marmalade
1/4 c Grey Poupon country mustard
1/4 c honey
3-4 drops Tabasco sauce

Chicken Pasta Whiskey, Wine, and Mushrooms

Ingredients
■24 ounces, weight Thickly Sliced Mushrooms (baby Portobellos Are Best)
■2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
■Kosher Salt
■Black Pepper
■2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
■2 Tablespoons Butter
■1 whole Large Onion, Peeled And Sliced
■1 cup Dry White Wine
■3/4 cups Whiskey (Jack Daniels Is Good)
■1/2 cup Chicken Broth
■1 cup Heavy Cream
■Salt And Pepper, to taste
■12 ounces, weight Mostaciolli, Cooked Al Dente
Chicken Thighs or breast

Preparation InstructionsPreheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle mushrooms with a little olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside.
Salt and pepper the breasts, then brown them on both sides…


In a large pot, heat additional olive oil along with the butter over medium heat. Throw in the sliced onions and saute for a couple of minutes, or until beginning to turn translucent. I put the chicken back into the pot…

Pour in wine and whiskey and allow to bubble for a minute or two. Pour in broth and allow the liquid to reduce for a couple of minutes. Stir in cream and reduce heat to low. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and simmer until sauce thickens.
Toss in cooked pasta, using a little hot pasta water if sauce needs a little thinning. Taste for seasonings and add immediately.

Black-Bean Salad
Courtesy of Food Network Magazine

Directions
Heat 2 smashed garlic cloves
1 diced jalapeno
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
In a skillet with olive oil over low heat, 5 minutes. Toss a 15-ounce can of black beans, 1 1/2 cups each diced cucumber and halved grape tomatoes, 4 chopped scallions, a squeeze of lime juice and some chopped cilantro in a bowl. Mash the hot garlic mixture and add to the beans. Season with salt and toss with watercress.

Chocolate Fondue recipe

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ¼ cups water
¼ cup corn syrup
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
¾ cup heavy cream, plus more, as needed
5 ounces chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon whipping cream
Favorite cake, cubed, for serving
Fresh fruit, cubed, for serving

Directions:

1) Combine sugar, water, and corn syrup in a medium pot; bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer 15 minutes, until liquid reduces by almost half.

2) Add cocoa powder, whisking to mix. Add heavy cream; bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.

3) Remove from heat; stir in chopped chocolate and whipping cream. Transfer to fondue pot to keep warm.

4) Serve with cake and fresh fruit.

Caramel Fondue recipe

Take a leap back to your childhood with this homemade caramel fondue. Served with skewered marshmallows, it's a first-rate camping trip brought indoors.
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon rum
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 cup milk, warmed
¼ cup boiling water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Fresh apples, for serving
Marshmallows, for serving

Directions:
Place sugar in a small pan; heat over medium until sugar melts and liquefies, stirring. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and rum. Set aside.
Combine egg yolks, milk, and reserved rum mixture in a double boiler over hot water; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
Combine melted sugar and boiling water in a small pot; immediately add to warm milk mixture; continue stirring over low heat 20 minutes, until caramel has melted.
Remove from double boiler; stir in vanilla and transfer to a fondue pot.

Serve with apples or marshmallows on spears

Basic Fondue

Ingredients
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons ground dry mustard
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
In a medium saucepan over low heat, mix together milk, Worcestershire sauce, ground dry mustard, garlic and flour. Heat until almost boiling. Gradually stir in Cheddar cheese. Continue heating until all the cheese has melted. Keep the mixture warm and melted in a fondue dish.

Bread Bowl Fondue

Bread Bowl Fondue
Ingredients
1 (1 pound) loaf round bread
8 ounces process cheese (eg. Velveeta), cubed
2 cups sour cream
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup diced fully cooked ham
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Assorted fresh vegetables

Directions
1.Cut the top fourth off the loaf of bread; set top aside. Carefully hollow out bottom, leaving a 1/2-in. shell. Cube removed bread; set aside.

2.In a bowl, combine the process cheese, sour cream and cream cheese. Stir in the ham, green onions, chilies and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon into bread shell; replace top. Wrap tightly in heavy-duty foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes or until the filling is heated through.

3.Meanwhile, toss reserved bread cubes with oil and butter. Place in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Unwrap loaf and remove bread top; stir filling. Serve with vegetables and toasted bread cubes.

Beef Fondue with Sauces

CURRY SAUCE:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
MUSTARD SAUCE:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
ONION-HORSERADISH SAUCE:
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons water
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
FONDUE:
1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
3 cups vegetable oil
Directions
1.In three separate bowls, combine the curry sauce, mustard sauce and onion-horseradish sauce ingredients. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Heat oil in a fondue pot to 375 degrees F. Use fondue forks to cook meat in oil until it reaches desired doneness. Serve with sauces.

BBQ Wings

Ingredients

8 chicken wings
pinch smoked paprika, or you could use ordinary paprika
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
4 tablespoons plum sauce
4 tablespoons tomato ketchup
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Remove the wing tips and discard, then cut the wings in half at the joint. Season with salt and pepper and smoked paprika. Oil the rack of the barbecue. Barbecue the chicken wings skin side down for 8 to 10 minutes, turn and barbecue for 5 to 6 minutes until cooked through. Meanwhile, combine the hoisin and plum sauces with the tomato ketchup to make a sticky sauce. Brush the wings with the sauce, then barbecue for 1 minute. Brush again, turn and cook for another minute. Brush again, turn and cook for a further minute. Repeat this process. Cool slightly before serving.

Sizzled Citrus Shrimp

Ingredients
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic , minced
1 pound medium shrimp (30-40 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt , or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley


Directions
Combine lemon juice, wine, 2 teaspoons oil and garlic in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, tossing occasionally. Drain well, reserving marinade.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook, turning once, until barely pink, about 30 seconds per side; transfer to a plate. Add bay leaf, crushed red pepper and the reserved marinade to the pan; simmer for 4 minutes. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the pan; heat through. Season with salt, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.