Baked King Cake Doughnuts {Doughnut Diaries}

So on Sunday, I'm headed to New Orleans.

For an interview that I have on Monday. 

Just a few days before my birthday.

The weekend that Mardi Gras parades start.

I'M.SO.EXCITED.

Sorry to shout. 

If you follow me on Instagram, I'm just giving you a heads up but I most certainly will not apologize for this -- prepare yourselves for a New Orleans food tour. It's going down. I may have been slightly obnoxious the other day when grabbing lunch with a colleague at McAllister's. They have a muffaletta on their menu that sounded pretty good, but then I was all, "Why ruin a muffeletta for myself when I can be enjoying the best.muffalettas.ever in insertnumberofdayshere."

It happened. It's ok, you can throw shade. 

So what's on my food tour list? O, you know -- Gumbo, shrimp po' boys, beignets, Hurricanes, muffalettas, boudin, gator, oysters, crawfish, Abita, an Old Fashioned and Sazerac, and all the sights and sounds like Tabasco Country Store, the Mississippi River, French Market, Saint Louis Cathedral, Marie Laveau's tomb, the Natchez, Bourbon Street, parades, and so.much.more. This actually isn't my first trip to the Crescent City, there are just so many things I want to do but time simply won't permit. Hopefully I'll be able to visit all the things I want at leisure if I end up in the Big Easy!

While playing the waiting game, I've attempted to immerse myself in all things New Orleans. Before you know it, those gaudy, pre-fab, King Cakes will be hitting grocery store shelves near you. May I suggest another alternative? How about making your own BAKED KING CAKE DOUGHNUTS???

Sorry -- I'm shouting again. But for reals though -- King Cake is actually quite delicious and the tradition behind its existence is pretty awesome too. Which version is accurate, I do not know but you can read about its history here, here, here, and here.  

Where was I? O. Right. Baked King Cake Doughnuts. Would you believe Krispy Kreme even has their own version?? I can assure you that those babies ain't baked! To round out all things King Cake, I should also mention that Blue Bell makes Mardi Gras King Cake Ice Cream. I haven't had any luck finding it in Virginia, but I expect it's a regional flavor. Maybe I'll swing through a convenience store and snag a pint since I'll probably be famished while in New Orleans . . . HA! 

Why didn't I just make the normal King Cake ring? Well, because. Yeast. Know what I ain't got time for? 

That. I do not have time for that. Cue the doughnut pan.

Baked King Cake Doughnuts 

What You'll Need (~ 6-10 doughnuts, depending on how much you fill each cavity)

    Doughnuts (adapted from Fit, Fun & Delish who adapted them from Ina's Foolproof)

• Baking spray
• 1 C flour all-purpose flour
• 3/4 C sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 medium egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 C + 1 tbsp. whole milk
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

    Frosting (adapted from theKitchn who snagged it from Cooking Up A Storm)

• 1 & 1/2 C confectioners sugar, sifted
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 - 3 tbsp. almond milk
• Purple, green, and gold sprinkles/sugar -- optional, but suggested!
• Plastic babies (found in the Mardi Gras/baby shower section(s) at Party City)

How To Make Them

    Doughnuts

• Preheat oven to 350F. Spray two doughnut pans (6 cavities each) with baking spray and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix your dry ingredients. 
• In a small mixing bowl, mix your wet ingredients.
• Add your wet mixture into your dry mixture and mix until just combined.
• Spoon your doughnut mixture into each cavity, filling each one about 3/4 full.
• Bake for 15-17 minutes or until doughnuts are lightly brown on top/toothpick pulls clean.
• Cool in pans for five minutes, then turn out onto cooling rack.

    Frosting

• While your doughnuts are baking, mix together your ingredients for the frosting.
• After doughnuts have cooled in the pan for five minuets and on a cooling rack for five minutes, dip your doughnuts into the glaze and sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sprinkles/sugar, etc. Plop your plastic babies in the center and bam. Done!
• Tip -- If your frosting is too thin, add more confectioners sugar. If your frosting is too thick,  add more almond milk. Taste and adjust accordingly. 

Isn't that cinnamon/almond combo just divine!

Happy carnival season, peeps! Geaux enjoy some King Cake Doughnuts!

-Sue

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp {Summertime Delight}

Pssst. Hey! I have something hush-hush I wanna tell you.

IT'S RHUBARB SEASON! {Cue the trumpets, or guns, or whatever gets your blood pumping in your part of the world}

Feels good to get that out there. It's not really hush-hush, I just want all the rhubarb in the world right now. To myself.

However, it would be very selfish of me not to share this yumminess with you. You better run out for your 'barb because it's a hot harvest item right now and you gotta get it while you still can! 

O! And I'm not just saying that these are yummy because I made them. I can see how you think I might be biased and all, and for the simple fact alone that I maaaaaaybe licked my ramekin clean {in the comforts of my own home -- do you really think I'm that much of an animal in public?}. Ok but for real though -- in the words of one crisp consumer, "They are happiness under an oatmeal blankie." If that doesn't sell ya, I don't know what will.

One thing I need to mention -- people feel the need to make rhubarb sweet. Like with sugar. Lots and lots of sugar. I really don't get it. I could maybe see the need for sugar if you made a rhubarb pie or something of the like and there's no other fruit in it. Nine times out of ten -- you pair your 'barb with berries. Fresh ones. 

Naturally, when fruit is cooked or baked, it gets all juicy and releases its own natural sugar and sweetness -- this is why you don't need a lot of extra "stuff." Sometimes "stuff" is necessary but for this recipe you need very little "stuff." O and the orange in this recipe? Takes this dish to another level, just sayin'.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (makes 6 ramekins or an 8x8 square pan)

What You'll Need

Filling

• 2 C rhubarb, chopped (~4 to 5 stalks depending on their size)
• 1 C strawberries, capped and quartered
• 1 small pear
• 1 small fuji apple 
• 2/3 C sugar
• 2/3 C water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1tbsp + 1/4 tsp corn starch
• 1 navel orange (you'll need its juice and zest)

Topping (I did adapt this part from Kitchen Simplicity)

• 1/2 C flour
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1/2 C rolled oats
• 1/2 C walnuts, chopped
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 5 tbsp butter, room temp

How To Make It

• Preheat your oven to 350F.
• Chop all your fruit and add to a large mixing bowl.
• Zest your orange and set zest aside.
• In a small bowl, add your corn starch, juice from one orange, and 1/2 tsp of zest and stir to dissolve/combine.
• In a medium sauce pan, add your water and sugar and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and add in your vanilla and corn starch mixture. Stir to combine. 
• Pour your sugar mixture over your fruit and stir, making sure all the fruit is coated. Add remaining orange zest (~1/2 to 3/4 tsp).
• Using a 1/3 C measure, scoop 1/3 C fruit into each ramekin (make sure minimal juice from the bottom of the bowl makes it into each ramekin). Once each ramekin is full, distribute remaining fruit amongst the ramekins. Now you should have juice/sugar left in your bowl. Using a 1/4 C measure, pour 1/4 C of remaining juice over each ramekin and evenly distribute any remaining liquid. 
• If you're using an 8x8 square pan, place fruit in pan and pour half of the liquid over the fruit into your pan.
• Now for the topping -- throw everything into a mixing bowl except the butter and mix to combine. Cut the butter into individual tablespoons and add to the dry ingredients. You can use a pastry blender or your hands to distribute the butter into the dry ingredients -- I used both the dough blender and my hands. 
• Using a 1/4 C measure, scoop topping onto each ramekin and evenly distribute any remaining topping amongst the ramekins. 
• Place completed ramekins on a baking sheet and pop in the oven for 35 minutes until edges are bubbling. 
• Serve with vanilla ice cream (Homestead Creamery for all you Richmonders) and fresh orange zest!

Have you ever made a rhubarb pie or crisp before? Did it call for a lot of sugar?

-Sue