Sunday, May 30, 2010

YEASTED DONUTS WITH CHICAGO BRIDGE GLAZE

My dough before proofing


Lately I’ve had an impossible time trying to decide what to make when it comes to desserts. I am really enjoying this vegetable kick and I don’t want to have junk food around the house, I just want to enjoy the baking part. So it means I have to make things that are either small batches or bake at times when there is something coming up that will allow me to bring the result along and give them away to anyone who will acce
pt. Which is never a difficult task, except for the part where it requires my leaving the house. I also have a variety of new bake ware that I have been itching to use so that’s a factor as well.

Last Thursday was Kroketten day (recipe for that to come) and then Benny had a rehearsal to get to so there I was, feeling excited about baking without any idea what to make and no one sitting next to me getting frustrated that I haven’t made up my mind.


It took me a good 3 hours to decide. I definitely paced around the kitchen considering whether or not my neighbors, who I’ve barely met, would be excited or confused if I brought them over a whole white chocolate orange cheesecake. I decided that, now that I finally had ramekins (2.99 for a set of 4 at world market!) crème brulee was an essential. So I took a quick and very pleasant late night bike ride to the store for heavy cream made crème brulee. But it wasn’t enough baking to please me. (The creme brulee recipe needs some tweaking but it'll be up soon) So once the crème brulees were in the fridge, I spent some more time pacing and decided to just go for the gold and make some doughnuts.

It should be said that I have been wanting to make doughnuts ever since we inherited a very trusty, very old deep fryer from Benny's grandparents. I love that thing with all of my nervous little heart. I even had some yeast packets laying around that I went right out and bought the day that Benny brought home the deep fryer.

After I started the dough and covered it to proof, Benny came home with our good friend, Chresten. They were excited to hear that I was making doughnuts at 2am and Chresten agreed to take half the batch home.


Now I have to mention that we seem to have started a tradition in which Benny brings Chresten over late at night after they have a rehearsal together to listen to a symphony that he thinks is great or what have you, and in an attempt to hang out without falling asleep because I can’t pay attention to Bach at 4am, I started baking for them. It helps that I love to bake most in the wee hours of the morning and they are usually drunk and hungry and Benny suddenly doesn’t mind eating sweets. Also, Chresten is a wonderful person to test recipes on. He gives his honest opinion and always has a suggestion. Its usually also pretty easy to get him to take some home.


They loved these donuts. I made glazed, cinnamon & sugar, and a version of the chocolate glaze I have affectionately renamed Chicago Bridge glaze. I used semi-sweet bakers chocolate, butter, and powdered sugar only and the result tasted exactly like that perfect semi-sweet chocolatey smell that you get when you're crossing bridges near the chocolate factory in the west loop. I believe the boys called it "serious business chocolate."

I might play with the donut recipe a little but it doesn’t need it, its definitely a keeper. I'm actually pretty proud of myself that they turned out so well. This was my first time with yeast and I'm incredibly pleased with the results. I can't wait to try it about with a whole bunch of different flavors. Endless possibilities.

I got this recipe from The Cooking Photographer who got it from RecipeZaar so:


My notes:
-Next time I think I'd like to take them out of the oil when theyre more golden than brown, which is a user error of course. (that user being me)
-These don't really keep well. I'd say its best to keep them sealed though if you can.
-If you don't have circular doughnut cutters, don't fear! I used a cup measurer and an apple corer and it worked great!

-It would really be great to have some racks for glaze-dripping purposes


can you tell which one Benny decided to drown with glaze?

2 comments:

  1. These look delicious! How did i not try one? I'm gonna try this... after i steal your deep fryer!

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  2. We are going to have to have a donuts and sex & the city night or something. I'm thinking of trying these again very soon. Next time I'm going for creme-filled. Be there!

    ps. even try to steal our fryer and feel my wrath.

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