cinnamon

Baked apple doughnut balls

I simply love how versatile doughnuts actual are. Through this week of doughnut madness I have learnt that they can be transformed, decorated and baked any which way you like. They are the chameleons of the baked goods world and simply a lot of fun.

This recipe is day four and worth the wait. It’s a great recipe to make for a party as it has different dippers and you can play around with the sauces you choose. Your guest can mix flavours or pick a flavour and dip and dunk away. I must admit I have always been a bit of a dunker myself but there is no judgment here!

They are interactive which I think can really elevate a dinner party and makes them a social affair. They are also great for children’s parties and you could mix things up with different frosting colours and sprinkles!

Ingredients:

·      2 cups apple cider

·      2 whole cloves

·      2 cups all-purpose flour

·      1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

·      1 ½ teaspoon baking soda

·      1 teaspoon cinnamon

·      ¼ teaspoon salt

·      1 large egg

·      2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

·      ⅔ cup light brown sugar

·      ½ cup buttermilk

·      2 tablespoons apple sauce, naturally sweetened - no sugar

·      1 apple pealed and finely chopped into little cubes

·      250ml cream

·      1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Instructions:

For the baked apple cider doughnuts:

Start by simmering the apple cider with the 2 cloves in a small saucepan over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the apple cider reduces down to ½ cup. Remove the cloves from the concentrate and pour the apple cider into a container and refrigerate while you prepare the doughnut batter.

Position a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Spray your doughnut pan or your mini cupcake pan with non stick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg, melted butter, and brown sugar, whisk until smooth. Then, add in the apple sauce, vanilla, buttermilk, and the apple cider concentrate.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Its okay if a few small lumps remain. They will bake out.

Pour the batter by the teaspoon into the prepared mini cupcake pan about three quarter of the way full. Make sure to not overfill, as they will rise when baking. Drop a small piece of apple into each doughnut ball. Mini doughnut balls take between 8-11 minutes. If you are making doughnuts, they will take about 9-12 minutes. Check them by inserting a toothpick and if it comes out clean they are ready!

For the cinnamon sugar coating:

Combine the sugar and cinnamon together. Dip the tops of each doughnut ball into the melted butter then coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with all the doughnuts. Depending on how long you dip the doughnuts into the butter, you may need more butter and/or more cinnamon sugar.

For the whipped cream:

Whip the cream and add the vanilla. Serve in a small bowl as a dipper to break the sweetness of the caramel.

If you want the caramel sauce from yesterday post it's a great dipper for this recipe

-Melissa

easter ring

There is something special about growing up in a family that honours tradition. I can say that because I am lucky enough to have a mother, that no matter what takes time out of her busy life for the little moments that I will cherish forever. Be it baking on Easter or decorating our Christmas tree. 

I grew up at her knee learning how to bake and be the woman that I am today. She is my best friend and my rock. I am sure that there will be many posts up on my blog where I speak of her. She is a taste connoisseur in my eyes and a master of flavours. She is possibly the birthplace of The Truffle Journal and all things food in my life, unless I go further back to my grandmother.

But back to tradition. Its something I value and something I hope to share. That magical moment in the kitchen baking Easter rings or setting up osterzweig (a German tradition) is something that will stay with me forever. I hope that by trying this Easter ring and sharing it around a table with loved ones will inspire you to do it every year and to bake it with your children, nieces or grandchildren. It has all the essentials to qualify as a glorified hot cross bun meets cinnamon bun, that is a game changer for Easter!

Serves: 8

Ingredients

Dough:

•   500g flour, sifted

•   5ml salt

•   55g sugar

•   10ml ground mixed spice

•   10ml ground nutmeg

•   5ml ground cinnamon

•   10g instant dry yeast

•   60g butter

•   150ml milk

•   1 egg, beaten

•   125ml lukewarm water

•   150g cake fruit mix

Filling:

•   80g butter

•   60g castor sugar

•   30ml cinnamon

•   180g cake fruit mix

•   1 egg

•   12.5ml milk

Icing:

  •   85g icing sugar, sifted
  •   15ml water or brandy depending on what you like
  •   5ml vanilla essence

Instructions:

Dough:

In a mixing bowl combine the first six ingredients. Once combined sprinkle dry yeast over.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter in the milk. Once melted set aside to cool.

Add the dry ingredients together including the fruit with the egg, milk and butter mixture and enough lukewarm water until it forms a soft pliable dough. You can do this part in a mixer if you wish using a dough hook. Knead for 10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. It shouldn't be too sticky. If it is, add a little flour until the dough is balanced. 

Lightly flour your counter and place the dough on the surface, covering it with a greased glass mixing bowl.

Allow to rest in a warm environment for 20 minutes. (I leave my oven on to warm my kitchen or put the dough in the sun.)

Once dough has rested you will roll out into a roughly 35cm by 25cm rectangle. Don’t forget to flour your surface when rolling so that it doesn't stick to the counter.

Filling:

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Once this has creamed spread it all over the rectangle like you are buttering toast!

Sprinkle the cinnamon over the butter and then top the rectangle with the fruit mix.

Next you're going to roll up your rectangle like a Swiss roll. Starting at the long side tightly roll up the whole rectangle.

Place it on a lightly greased baking tray, shaping it into a ring. Score the ring into 5cm slices. Keeping slices joined near the inner circle. 

Cover with greased cling wrap and leave in a warm place for a further 10 minutes or until your ring has doubled in size.

In a small jug mix your egg and milk. Brush over the ring after it has risen.

Bake at 200°c, 20-25 minutes. Your ring should be golden brown. If you tap on it and its sounds hollow, it's ready!

Allow to cool

Icing sugar:

Mix your icing sugar with the water and vanilla, make sure you do not have any lumps.

Drizzle it over your ring-when it comes to this part I always say, don't be shy!

You can decorate your ring with cherries if you wish!

-Melissa