Shared Sugar » Breakfast http://sharedsugar.com Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:55:55 +0000 en hourly 1 Apple Fritters with Sour Cream & Honey Dip http://sharedsugar.com/apple-fritters-with-sour-cream-honey-dip/ http://sharedsugar.com/apple-fritters-with-sour-cream-honey-dip/#comments Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:54:45 +0000 Mara http://sharedsugar.com/?p=987 AppleFritters2
These fritters may not be shaped like hearts. There are no red sprinkles. Or pink frosting. But, this is still very much a Valentine’s Day post.

Awhile ago, my husband said to me, “I like it when you bake things for me that you wouldn’t normally bake for yourself.”

When I heard that, I knew that for Valentine’s Day I wanted to make him something that he would clearly know was for him, and not for me at all. He’s a wonderful man, and this is the least of what he deserves.

AppleFritters3
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not a fried food person. In fact, my friends were astonished when I told them I actually ordered fried chicken (mainly for the gouda mac & cheese and truffled honey that came with it) when I ate at Pican in Oakland this past week.

Donuts especially, I can only handle those about once or twice a year, to my husband’s dismay. If I’m feeling especially kind, I’ll venture out to his favorite donut spot, and he’ll almost always request either an apple or cherry fritter. So, when I was looking through my current favorite cookbook, The Craft of Baking, and saw these apple fritters, I knew instantly what we would be having for breakfast this morning.

AppleFritters1
Even for a girl who abhors most foods dipped in oil, I have to say that I couldn’t stop eating these. These are not as donut-like as most and have a much fresher taste. Instead of being all batter and a hint of fruit, the batter balances evenly with the bite of the tangy apple ring. Then, the cinnamon-sugar coating addition makes the fritters pretty exceptional.

In case you were wondering, I kept my choice in beer classy by using a can of PBR. My husband had a lot leftover from a dare of sorts, long story. But, it worked. For a little extra kick, I improvised a sour cream and honey dip that helped offset the sweetness of the fritters. All this combined, and it was a pretty great start to a Valentine’s Day.

AppleFritters4

    Apple Fritters with Sour Cream & Honey Dip

  • Ingredients

    apple fritters
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1/4 cup plus 7 tablespoons sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs, separated
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup beer (lager or pilsner)
  • 1 large firm baking apple, such as Granny Smith
  • Peanut oil (okay to use canola if peanut is unavailable), for frying
  • sour cream & honey dip
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon


  • Directions

    • make the apple fritters

    In a small bowl, whisk together flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.

    In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, butter and vanilla. Whisk in one third of flour mixture. Then whisk in one third of beer. Repeat mixing in by thirds until combined. Set aside batter and let rest for 30 minutes.

    While waiting on batter, peel, core and slice apple in 10 rings. Mix together 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Spread apple rings out and sprinkle sugar mixture over top of the rings. Let rings sit and soften for 20 minutes.

    While waiting on batter, use a wide bowl to mix together remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, remaining 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of kosher salt. Set aside.

    In a stand mixer, whisk egg whites in a cold, clean bowl until soft peaks form. When batter is rested, gently fold egg whites into the batter until fully incorporated.

    Fill a skillet or pot with 1-1/2 to 2 inches oil. Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Or, insert the end of a wooden spoon into the oil to test it. If bubbles immediately form around the spoon, the oil is ready. In batches, dip the apple rings into batter. It helps to loop the apples around your finger when dipping, for more coverage.

    In batches, drop rings into oil. Turn each ring once, using tongs. Fry a few minutes on each side, until rings are golden. Remove and place on paper towels to drain. Immediately place in cinnamon-sugar mixture and toss to coat.

    make the sour cream & honey dip

    In a small bowl, combine sour cream, honey and cinnamon.

    Serve fritters fresh and warm with the dipping sauce. If you have leftovers as we did (since I doubled the recipe), reheat in a toaster oven. Then toss in some of the leftover cinnamon-sugar mixture.

]]> http://sharedsugar.com/apple-fritters-with-sour-cream-honey-dip/feed/ 17 Orange Marmalade Rolls http://sharedsugar.com/orange-marmalade-rolls/ http://sharedsugar.com/orange-marmalade-rolls/#comments Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:57:22 +0000 Kesha http://sharedsugar.com/?p=696 OrangeRolls1Santa Clause came last night. Along with some beautifully wrapped presents, he also brought some yummy Orange Marmalade Rolls. Mrs. Clause must have been busy! I am enjoying the rolls this morning with some coffee waiting for the Officer to wake so we can see what is in those presents. Bosco, my dog, enjoyed a bit too as he snatched it off my plate while I was in the kitchen. Oh well, it is Christmas!

OrangeRolls2The Orange Marmalade Rolls are perfect during the holidays. When I saw them on The Pioneer Woman’s site, I just couldn’t resist. There are a couple of people in my family that love orange and so these were the perfect breakfast while some of them were here for a visit this week. They are delectable and super moist. The rind in orange marmalade adds a really great texture. Next time I might add pecan pieces when I spread on the marmalade although they are fantastic just how they are. These are probably the most moist rolls I have made. If you still have guests in this weekend, or even if you don’t, these rolls are worth the effort. They received high praises from all that indulged. Merry Christmas to you! I hope you have a moment to relax and enjoy this wonderful day!

OrangeRolls3OrangeRolls4

    Orange Marmalade Rolls

  • Ingredients

    rolls
  • 1 quart whole milk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 packages active dry yeast
  • 9 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 tablespoon salt
  • 16 tablespoons sweet orange marmalade
  • 3/4 cup melted butter
  • 2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • glaze
  • 2 pounds powdered sugar
  • 6 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • dash of salt


  • Directions

    • make the rolls

    Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a saucepan over medium to high heat. Heat until just before boiling. Remove from heat and let cool for 1 hour until the mixture is warm. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the active dry yeast and let it sit for a few minutes. In increments, mix in 8 cups of flour. Cover and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

    Mix 1 cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix with risen dough. If desired, cover dough and refrigerate until you are ready to make the rolls.

    Butter two 9-inch pans. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

    Divide the dough in two. On a large, floured surface, begin to roll out half the dough in a long rectangle. Dough should be rolled out about 1/4 inch thick. Then, leaving about 1/2 inch on the edge, spread half of the marmalade on the dough. Using a brush, add half the butter. Then sprinkle the dough with half the brown sugar. You could also add pecan pieces at this point.

    Begin to roll the dough toward you on the long side in a long cylinder shape. Roll tightly, tucking the dough as you go. Once the dough is rolled, cut it in rolls about 1-inch thick. Place in a buttered pan leaving room for the rolls to expand. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 30 minutes. Sometimes I put them under a lamp to help them along. Bake the rolls for 20-24 minutes until they are golden.

    make the glaze

    Make the glaze by mixing all of the ingredients. The glaze won’t have a strong orange flavor but it will be a bit sweet.

    Once the rolls are done baking. Let them sit for 2-3 minutes. Then add the glaze to the tops of the rolls.

]]> http://sharedsugar.com/orange-marmalade-rolls/feed/ 7 Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake http://sharedsugar.com/blueberry-sour-cream-coffee-cake/ http://sharedsugar.com/blueberry-sour-cream-coffee-cake/#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:58:37 +0000 Mara http://sharedsugar.com/?p=310 BlueberryCoffeeCake1
Blueberries in October. Hmmm. Lately I’ve been really trying to keep things seasonal and local as much as possible, especially after seeing Food, Inc. However, some things just can’t be helped. The things you do in the name of love. I was forced to break out the blueberries that I had frozen this summer from the farmer’s market.

See, my husband’s birthday falls in October and his mom already makes a tremendous carrot cake for him. I haven’t yet touched a carrot cake recipe because I know I would not measure up to momma D. Instead, I thought I’d make him a breakfast sort of cake.

And my, is this one good. The last time I had this coffee cake was 4 years ago at our wedding shower. A friend of my mother-in-law, Vicki, made it for the occasion. More than the gifts, I remember this cake the most. Since then, my husband has mentioned various times just how much he loves the recipe. So, I secretly got my hands on the recipe and told him he was off limits from the kitchen for the evening. Once it was finished, I hid it in the cupboard for a morning breakfast surprise.

I’ve made a few tweaks to the recipe as I usually do, adding blueberries, reducing a bit of the sugar, etc. But, it still tastes as much the same as it did that day. So, get your hands on some blueberries, make this coffee cake and enjoy it warm with a cup of coffee in the morning. It’s sweet and filling, great for the early hours of fall.

BlueberryCoffeeCake2
BlueberryCoffeeCake3

    blueberry sour cream coffee cake

    adapted recipe from my mother-in-law’s friend Vicki

    makes 1 bundt cake, 12-14 servings

  • Ingredients

  • cake batter
  • 1 cup butter, softened (I went with a little less, 14 tablespoons)
  • 1-1/3 cups pure cane sugar (organic if possible)
  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon white whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/4 cups blueberries
  • brown sugar streusel
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 2/3 cup chopped nuts
  • optional
  • powdered sugar


  • Directions

    • make the cake batter

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a bundt pan, making sure to coat the crevices well. With a mixer, cream the softened butter and the two sugars. Then add the eggs, one at a time, until well mixed. In a separate small bowl, fold the vanilla into the sour cream. Then fold the sour cream mixture into the bowl with the cake batter.

    In a separate larger bowl, mix together flours, baking powder and salt. Pour this mixture into cake batter bowl with mixer on low to medium. Then fold in blueberries.

    make the streusel

    In a new bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and chopped pecans.

    finish the coffee cake

    Pour half the cake batter in the bundt pan. Top with the streusel mixture. Pour the remaining cake batter on top of the streusel to cover. Bake for 50 minutes to an 1 hour. It is finished cooking when a toothpick inserted comes out clean and when the edges begin to pull away from the sides. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar.

]]> http://sharedsugar.com/blueberry-sour-cream-coffee-cake/feed/ 6