Baked Pumpkin Donuts

I was inspired by a friends facebook post to finally pull out the donut pans that have been sitting in my cupboard for 6 months and make something delicious.  Pumpkin has been hitting pinterest hard the past few weeks, and luckily I had pinned a pumpkin donut recipe recently that I was anxious to try.  These donuts are fantastic!!  Moist (I hate that word), sweet and so, so good.  I doubled the recipe to use up a large can of pumpkin; most of them I just put the cinnamon sugar on top but some of them I put a glaze on just for kicks, and then the last batch I added mini chocolate chips to them.  If you don't have a donut pan these can also be made into muffins, just lengthen the cooking time.  I got my donut pans at Ross for dirt cheap, they are also reasonable on amazon.  Happy eating!!



Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée (canned pumpkin)
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, or 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus a heaping 1/4 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:

Beat everything together until smooth.  Add 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons (8 ounces)  flour, stirring just until smooth.  Lightly grease two standard donut pans.   If you don’t have doughnut pans, you can bake these in a couple of standard muffin tins; they just won’t be doughnuts.  Fill the wells of the doughnut pans about 3/4 full, using a scant 1/4 cup of batter in each well.  Bake the doughnuts for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean.   If you’re making muffins, they’ll need to bake for 23 to 25 minutes.  Remove the doughnuts from the oven, and after about 5 minutes, loosen their edges, and transfer them to a rack to cool.  While the doughnuts are still warm (but no longer fragile), gently shake them in a bag with cinnamon sugar.   If you’ve made muffins, sprinkle their tops heavily with the spiced sugar of your choice. 

Peach Julius

Our peach tree has the most enormous, beautiful peaches this year.

Evidence:

It is bigger than her hand!!

I've been looking for lots and lots of peach recipes and knew I had to make this as soon as I saw it.  I sure have a thing for Orange Julius' so a Peach one could only be better!!!  Oh my, it is.  It is so, so good!!

 

 

 

Peach Julius

Recipe from Around My Family Table

 



4 ripe peaches, peeled and cut
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbls honey (optional, depends on the ripeness/sweetness of the peaches)
a couple handfuls of ice

 

 

Put everything in blender and blend until smooth and frothy. Serves 2 adults and one child.

 

Black Bean Vegetable Soup

 

 

So, about 3 weeks ago Thom unfortunately watched a youtube video that showed some really horrible things that happen when cows are slaughtered, how pigs and chicken are raised for the slaughter and maybe veal -   I'm not sure.  All I know is he was TRAUMATIZED.  He tried to explain it to me but after the first sentence I was all "Uh uh!   No no no no no no no!!!!!"  It's going to be awhile before he will be able to eat meat again I guess, so in the mean time I have been trying to come up with some yummy meatless meals.  This is really hard for me, because in a normal week, I think we eat meat 6 out of 7 days!!  I found a recipe for black bean soup and played around with it.  I love the result!  It has a delicious smoky flavor from the cumin, and just the right amount of vegetables.  I know I will be making this one regularly this winter!!

Black Bean Vegetable Soup
Recipe from Kathee Clifford


Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 carrots, chopped

2 potatoes, chopped

1 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen corn

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

1 (14.5 ounce) can mexican style stewed tomatoes

 

Directions:

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, garlic, and carrots, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add chili powder and cumin; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add stock, 1 can of the beans, potatoes, corn, and pepper; bring to boil.           

Meanwhile, in food processor or blender, puree together tomatoes and remaining can of beans; add to pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are tender.