Doughnuts for Dad

Last year, I posted a muffin recipe for Mother's Day.  Father's Day is Sunday so I thought I'd stick with alliteration and post a doughnut recipe for dad.  The recipe is easy -- you don't even need an electric mixer -- and chances are you have the ingredients on hand.  Unlike the muffin recipe, the doughnuts don't start with a cake mix, but like the muffins they're baked in the oven.  If you don't have a mini doughnut pan, bake them as mini muffins, but keep in mind the quantity and baking time may differ.   

Baking is a science which is why recipes for baked goods need to be made as directed.  That said, there is a little leeway in this recipe.  The recipe is flavored with cinnamon, but you change the spice to suit your taste.  My family loves cinnamon so I increased the amount to one teaspoon.  If you're using another spice, you might need to reduce the amount so it won't be too overpowering.  

You may not be able to alter the recipe, but you have choices when it comes to the topping.  You can leave the doughnuts plain or brush the tops with a powdered sugar glaze.  If you use a glaze, you also have the option of decorating the top with sprinkles.

Other possibilities include dusting the tops with powdered sugar or, what I use, a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

Whichever topping you choose, make sure to have it ready before you start baking the doughnuts.

Once the ingredients are combined, spoon the batter into a disposable pastry bag.  Snip off a corner of the bag and pipe the batter into a greased mini doughnut pan, filling each cavity 2/3 full.

The doughnuts only take about 5 minutes to bake.  Don't rely on the color to tell when the doughnuts are done; the tops don't get very brown.  The doughnuts are done when they start pulling away from the sides of the pan and the tops spring back when touched.  If you're not sure, insert a toothpick into a doughnut.  If the toothpick comes out clean, the doughnuts are done.

Remove the doughnuts from the pan and add the desired topping.  Put the doughnuts top side up on a wire rack to cool completely.  Be sure to grease the pan before baking the next batch of doughnuts.

In addition to gifts of tools, gadgets or gizmos, give dad a gift from the kitchen.  If you use the doughnut recipe, but bake them as muffins, think of them as muffins for your man.  If your man prefers "dude food," fix him a grilled steak instead.  They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but it's also a good way to show him how much you care.   

Baked Mini Doughnuts

42 Servings

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted (for topping)

cinnamon sugar (for topping)

Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside.  Combine 2 tablespoons melted margarine with milk, sugar and egg; beat with a whisk until smooth.  Add mixture to flour mixture and stir until well blended. Spoon or pipe the dough into greased mini doughnut pans, filling each cavity 2/3 full.  Bake at 375° for 5 minutes.  Remove doughnuts from pan and brush with 1/4 cup melted margarine.  Coat the tops of the doughnuts with cinnamon sugar.  Put doughnuts top side up on a cooling rack and cool completely.

© Margaret's Morsels

The Saturday Special

Like most working parents with school age kids, weekday mornings are hectic at our house.  My husband has to be at work at one time, I have to be at work at another and our son has to be at school between the two. This leaves little time for me to prepare a sit down family breakfast during the week.  It's a different story on the weekend.

Several years ago, I started fixing a family breakfast on Saturday mornings.  My son promptly dubbed this meal, "The Saturday Special."  I usually fix bacon, eggs and biscuits.  Sometimes I make waffles, quiche or a breakfast casserole.  Once in a while, though, my family wakes up to the smell of cinnamon rolls.

My favorite cinnamon roll recipe is called Super Simple Cinnamon Rolls. The name may be a tongue twister, but the dish truly is super simple! Instead of making the dough from scratch, the recipe starts with two cans of crescent rolls.  I use Pillsbury Recipe Creations seamless dough sheets instead.  The dough sheets may cost a little more, but this is one time I'll pay extra for the sake of convenience.  If you use crescent rolls, make sure to press the crescent rolls into a rectangle and seal any perforations or holes.

The dough is easier to work with when it's cold so I leave it in the refrigerator while I mix up the filling.  If you're like me and forget to soften the butter, you can put the wrapped butter in the microwave and heat it at 10% power for 10 seconds.  This is long enough to soften the butter without it melting.

Once the filling is mixed up, I open the first can of dough and spread it on a cutting board.  The filling goes on the dough and the second can of dough is placed over the filling.  Most cinnamon roll recipes call for the dough to be rolled jellyroll style, but not this one.  The dough is cut into nine strips instead.  The easiest way to do this is with a pizza wheel.  You can get straighter lines if you roll the wheel away from you when you cut the dough.  If you don't have a pizza wheel, you can use a knife instead.  After you cut the dough into strips, roll each strip into a coil.  The rolls turn out prettier if you tuck in the sides of the dough as you roll it into a coil.

Cut into strips with a pizza wheel.

Ready to be baked.

As soon as the rolls are in the oven, I start preparing the glaze which is also super simple.  It's a powdered sugar glaze, but with a twist.  In addition to powdered sugar and milk, it also has a tablespoon of butter. The addition of the butter gives the glaze a wonderful flavor.

It's a good idea to sift the powdered sugar so there won't be any lumps in the glaze.  When adding the milk, it's best to start with the least amount called for because it's easier to add more than take away too much.  Once the glaze is mixed up, I put it in a pastry bag.  If you don't have a pastry bag, you could use a disposable resealable plastic bag instead.  If you don't want to mess with a bag, you can always apply the glaze with a spoon.

When the rolls come out of the oven, I put the pan on a wire rack and let the rolls cool a few minutes before adding the glaze.  It you add the glaze when the rolls first come out of the oven, it melts.  I like to swirl the glaze around the coils, but you can apply it in any pattern you like.

The aroma of cinnamon rolls will be wafting upstairs tomorrow luring my family into the kitchen.  Once they're up and have eaten breakfast, they can help me with some last minute Thanksgiving preparations.  The Saturday special isn't only for Saturday!

Super Simple Cinnamon Rolls

9 Servings

Filling:

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, softened

Rolls:

2 (8 oz.) cans Pillsbury Recipe Creations seamless dough sheets or crescent rolls

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. butter, softened

2 to 3 Tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 375°.  In a small bowl, mix all filling ingredients; set aside.

Unroll one can of dough into a large rectangle.  If using crescent rolls, firmly press perforations to seal.  Spread filling over the dough.  Unroll second can of dough into a large rectangle.  If using crescent rolls, firmly press perforations to seal.  Place dough over filling, pressing dough onto filling.  Cut dough into nine 13-inch strips.  Roll from one end to the other, shaping each piece into a coil.  Place in a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, combine all glaze ingredients, adding enough milk to make desired drizzling consistency.  Drizzle over warm rolls.  Serve warm.

© Margaret's Morsels