BAKE | ESPRESSO GLAZED DONUTS

Ever since I got donut pans for Christmas I've been dreaming about all the different kinds of donuts I could now bake! I made these espresso donuts per request of my sister who loves coffee. Our icing turned out a little thinner because we didn't have any espresso powder and added coffee instead. They still tasted amazing but the icing never hardened so next time we will definitely make sure we have espresso powder!

 Messy piping...

 I spy Oswald the Lucky Rabbit!

Adapted from Shutterbean
makes 12

Ingredients:
DOUGHNUTS

• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 TBS espresso powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

ICING

• 2 tsp espresso powder
• 2 TBShot water
• 6 oz. cream cheese, melted
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 TBS milk
• sprinkles 

1. Heat oven to 325 F. Coat doughnut pan with non-stick cooking spray. 
2. In large bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, espresso powder and salt. 
3. In small bowl, whisk buttermilk, sugar, egg, oil and vanilla until smooth. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; whisk until blended & well incorporated.
4. Spoon batter into a quart size ziploc bag. Cut of the corner and squeeze batter into prepared doughnut pan about 2/3 full. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until doughnuts spring back. Cool in pan on rack for 3 minutes, then carefully turn out directly onto rack to cool.
5. For icing, in a small bowl, combine espresso powder with hot water and stir until dissolved. Add melted cream cheese and stir until well incorporated. Slowly combine confectioner’s sugar, adding vanilla & milk to thin out glaze. If the consistency is too thin, add more sugar. If too thick add a bit more milk.
6. Dip cooled doughnuts into bowl of glaze and place on wire racks over parchment paper lined baking sheet. Top with sprinkles and serve. Doughnuts will keep in an air tight container for 2-3 days.

xoxo, allison

BAKE | CHOCOLATE CHIP BRIOCHE PRETZELS

Whenever I pass by a pretzel shop and they are making fresh pretzels, I love watching the workers cut strips of dough and roll and twist them into pretzels. It always seemed like such a magical thing to me. Until I saw this recipe. Chocolate chip pretzels! Could they be even better than chocolate chip bagels? Yes they could. Wait, did I forget to mention these were brioche pretzels. Seriously, how could I not make these right away? I was so excited to find that I had all the ingredients in my kitchen and could in fact start on them right away. Let's get going...

Look at the silky smooth dough!

UGH! Still can't get over how buttery the dough was...

Add in a million little pieces of heaven

Could this dough look any more perfect?

After resting/rising for over 2 hours...mine almost doubled but not quite..and that's okay

While I was rolling the dough the chocolate melted and spread throughout the dough in yummy chocolate swirls. Let me tell you, this is exactly what you want to happen...unless you don't like chocolate streaks in your pretzels...

They look a little skinny winny, but the egg glaze will make it all better

I only took pictures upside down..and if I flip them over they look weird. sorry!

Ingredients:
DOUGH

• ⅓ cup whole milk
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 TBSgranulated sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 8 TBS (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

GLAZE

• 1 egg
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp water
• Coarse or pearl sugar, for finishing (optional)

1. To make the brioche: In a small dish, whisk the milk and yeast together until the yeast has dissolved. 
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar and salt. 
3. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs and yeast mixture, mixing until the dough comes together in a shaggy pile. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 10 minutes. 
4. Add the butter, a third at a time, mixing well between each addition. 
5. Swap to the dough hook and let the mixer knead the dough on low speed until it's silky and smooth, about 5 minutes. 
6. Add the mini chocolate chips and mix until they're spread evenly throughout the dough.
7. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm spot for about 2 hours, until almost doubled. (Or in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.) 
8. To make the pretzels, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350º. 
9. Deflate and divide dough into 8 pieces (~93 grams each). 
10. Dust surface with flour. Roll each piece into a ball and then into a long rope (about 18 inches long and ½ inch thick.) Draw the ends of the rope together to make a circle. Twist the ends together to close the circle and fold the twist down into the circle, pressing the loose ends of the rope on each side (5 and 7 o'clock) of the rope. Repeat to make 6 pretzels and place them on prepared baking sheets.
11. In a small bowl, whisk egg, water and salt. Brush the pretzels with glaze and let them rest for about 15 minutes. They may rise slightly during this time.
12. To finish, brush the pretzels once more with the glaze. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake for about 12 minutes, until puffed and lightly bronzed. Cool slightly (if you can) on a cooling rack before serving!

My favorite part was twisting the dough into pretzel shapes. It's easier than you think!
xoxo, allison

BAKE | MAPLE BACON DONUTS

It has taken me a while to settle into the new year. But what better way to start than with bacon and donuts? Are you thinking bacon topped donuts? Yes? I like how you think. I've been putting doughnut pans on my Christmas wish list for three years now and this year I received FOUR of them! SO EXCITED! I knew the perfect way to start my doughnut baking was with these maple bacon donuts. If you couldn't tell, I. love. bacon. Joyce even got me a bacon calendar for Christmas :)
Anyways, while everyone else is starting their new year with healthy food and diets, I've decided to start mine with donuts. I had a smoothie with kale in it for breakfast and started 30 day Shred yesterday so that counts for something right?

 Healthy smoothies for breakfast means I can eat maple bacon donuts for lunch.

 Look at that browned butter goodness...

 Batter in bag totally makes this not messy. Make sure you seal that bag tight!

 Cinnamon browned butter filled pans ready for the oven!

 Ugh! I wish you could smell theseee

 Yay! They didn't get stuck. (loving my new Bobby Flay oven mitts from Trace!)

 Dunk them! My favorite part!

 12-1=11 just couldn't wait for the bacon

Bacon overloaddd! Are you drooling yet?

makes 12-16 donuts
recipe adapted from Shutterbean

Ingredients:
DONUTS

• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 4 TBS unsalted butter
• 2 large egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

MAPLE BACON GLAZE

• 2 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 5 TBS maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-4 TBS whole milk
• 10 strips bacon, cooked & crumbled

1. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease donut pans and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar.  Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat.  Butter will begin to crackle and pop as it melts. When the butter starts to smell nutty, remove from heat immediately and set aside to cool.
4. In a small bowl whisk together egg, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.  Add browned butter and whisk into the wet ingredients.
5. Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients.  Stir together until no flour bits remain and all of the ingredients are well combined being sure not to overmix batter.
6. Transfer batter into a plastic sandwich bag (quart-size works best). Snip the tip with a pair of scissors and pipe batter into each doughnut mold about 1/2 to 3/4 full with batter.
7. Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. They are ready to take out of the oven when you touch it with your finger and it springs back.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. While the donuts cool, make the glaze: in a medium bowl, mix the confectioner’s sugar with maple syrup and vanilla extract until sugar starts dissolving. Slowly add milk to thin out the glaze. You might only need 2 tablespoons so mix as you go. Add more if necessary.
9. Dunk the donuts halfway into the glaze and then into the bacon bits. Place them on a wire rack with parchment paper underneath to catch the glaze if it drips. If your glaze starts to harden, place in the microwave for 20 seconds and stir before dunking. Donuts are best served the day they’re made. Store in an air-tight container and refrigerate if you have any left after day one.

I heart bacon & maple bacon donuts. 

xoxo, allison

p.s. thanks for being my food model Rachel!

BAKE | NO-CHILL SUGAR COOKIES

The last 25 minutes of Jesus' birthday and I almost forgot to finish this post! So, Merry Christmas!
My family woke up early this morning to cook breakfast at my grandparents' house. That meant fluffy blueberry belgium waffles, bacon, sausage, over-easy eggs, tater tots, and hash browns. (We love our crispy potatoes!) My little sister kept asking when we were returning home to open presents. I told her all her secret Santa got her this years were hugs. She wasn't amused.
These cookies we made to give out tonight to our aunts and uncles. Last year I swore I would NEVER make sugar cookies again after all the time spend chilling, rolling, and cookie cutting sticky dough. By the time I was done cutting out all the cookies I gave up on the idea of piping icing and settled on sprinkles.
When I saw the title of this recipe I forgot all about last year's sugar cookie making disaster. And I wasn't disappointed.

Cold cubes of butter.

 Add in the sugar.

 Measure out your dry ingredients...

 Sugar and butter gets creamed. Then add in the vanilla and egg!

 No need to wait for the dough to chill! Sprinkle some flour on your rolling surface. Wrap your rolling pin in plastic wrap for easy clean-up. Rough out that dough and punch out the cookies.

 We started out with the big cookie cutters...

 Then we realized that the little cookie cutters are so much cuter! 

Put your cut out cookie in the freezer for 10 minutes.

 Fresh baked cookies. Aren' they cute?

Ingredients:
COOKIE DOUGH adapted from Bake at 350

• 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cold & cut into chunks
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. 
3. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. 
4. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom. The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling.
5. Roll on a floured surface to about 1/2" thick, and cut into shapes. 
6. Place on parchment lined baking sheets
7. Freeze the cut out shapes on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking. This ensures the your shapes keep during the baking and prevents the smaller more complicated cut outs from baking into a glob.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. 
9. Frost and add sprinkles. 

I used pink and light green frosting and red and green sugar crystals. Don't my reindeer kind of look like unicorns or My Little Pony. haha oh well. They are as good as they look and don't crumble easily if you'd like to stack them in boxes to give away. I can't wait to make sugar cookies for every special occasion since this method is so darn easy and I don't have to wait 2 hours to chill the dough before I can get to baking! Easy peasy! Hope your Christmas was as special as mine.

xoxo, allison

BAKE | GIANT CREAM PUFFS

This weekend I've been craving the giant custard cream filled cream puffs from Beard Papa's. But I was too lazy to make the drive across town to get them, plus they are a bit pricey. I  decided to make my own and enlisted Cat's help to search online for a copycat recipe. I didn't find any I liked so I decided to double my mom's recipe and make them twice as big as we normally do. In our research we found that the thing that makes Beard Papa's cream puffs so yummy is the crunchy topping (like how muffins are always better with streusel). We also discovered that the custard cream needed to be made at least 24 hours in advance. No way were we going to wait that long! We decided on spreading ours with nutella and stuffing them with huge scoops of neopolitan ice cream. SO GOOD! We will definitely be making these again.

Ingredients
CREAM PUFF PASTRY

• 6 TBS butter, unsalted
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3 eggs

TOPPING (adapted from Little Japan Mama)

• 1/2 TBS butter
• 1/6 cup powdered sugar
• 1/6 cup flour

1. Melt butter and water in medium pot and bring to boil. Remove from heat and immediately add in flour all at once. Stir vigorously until dough forms a ball in middle of pot.
2. Let dough rest for 5 minutes.

3. In the meantime, make topping by melting butter in small saucepan. Stir in sugar, then flour until a ball is formed in the middle.

4. To pastry dough, add eggs in one at a time. Stir in between each egg addition until mixture is smooth.

5. Scoop heaping mound of pastry dough onto parchment lined baking sheet using cookie scoop. (An ice cream scooper may be better, but I worked with what I had)

6. Place discs of topping on top of each dough mound. (Cat did this by scooping up pieces with a rice scooper and flattening them using her fingers and then laying the pieces on top.)

7. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from baking sheet onto a wire rack. AREN'T THEY GORGEOUS! We couldn't believe how pretty they turned out.

8. When cool, slice open, add ice cream and nutella and enjoy! Next time (most likely tomorrow) we're going to try making them with custard cream filling. XO Allison.