Pumpkin Doughnuts

Pumpkin Doughnuts
from Annies Eats

3 1/2 c all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 c sugar
1/2 c butter, softened to room temp
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c milk or buttermilk
1 c canned pumpkin

Oil for frying- canola, peanut, vegetable

Combine flour, powder, soda, salt and spices, blend well. In another bowl mix sugar and butter, add egg and egg yolks, then vanilla until creamy. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup combine milk and pumpkin,  Next add pumpkin alternately with flour mixture into creamed butter and sugar. Mix well and cover and chill 3 hours.
Heat 3 inches of oil in a large deep fry pan or Dutch oven. Use a thermometer to maintain a temp of 365-370 degrees.
Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick, cut with doughnut cutter, or round biscuit or cookie cutter. Use smaller shape for centers, Keep holes for frying.
 When oil is heated carefully drop doughnuts in and cook 3 or 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through and golden brown. Doughnut holes will take less time.
When still warm but cool enough to handle dip into cinnamon and sugar or cool completely and drizzle with powdered sugar icing.
Icing
1 c powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of cloves, nutmeg and ginger
2 Tbs milk

Cherry Almond Cupcakes

 (yes it is only a cake mix....please forgive me)


 Super quick and easy cupcakes!
1. Bake cherry chip cake mix according to package directions. Cool.

2. Soften 2 sticks of butter, beat until creamy. Add 2 Tbs milk and 1 Tbs almond flavoring. Mix in 1 3/4 pounds powdered sugar and red or pink food coloring to desired shade. Mix until spreadable consistency. I piped frosting on in swirl design.

3. Mix 2 Tbs Hershey's chocolate syrup in to 1/2 c chocolate frosting, I used left over canned frosting like Pillsbury . Heat in microwave 20 sec and drizzle over cupcakes, top with cherry or chocolate covered cherries.
  this is a quick way to dress up an ordinary cupcake and turn it into something a little more special.

500 Facebook Follower Giveaway!!!!

  Pampered Chef Silicone Floral Cupcake Pan

To celebrate ND Kitchen reaching 500 likes on Facebook I am giving away a great silicone baking pan from Pampered Chef! Do you bake with silicone? I do, you can see my previous review of silicone here, I will say I do not have any by Pampered Chef and can tell the quality is a step above anything I have ever used before just by looking at it.

 Perfect for parties, holidays and just plain dessert you can add a touch of elegance to your meal by finishing with an individual cake that looks like you  sent out to the bakery.

 Rules to Enter
 1- blog entries, just leave a comment here- you must have an email on your blog or leave your email in your comment!
2- if your a follower, leave a comment for a second entry
3- blog about or post on your side bar the giveaway and leave a third comment
You may also enter for a fourth time via the facebook comment, see instructions below.
 Facebook Fans
  Read carefully!

Please leave a comment on North Dakota's facebook page, not on my personal page, and you MUST mention the giveaway in the comment so I know to count it as an entry!
If a facebook user wins, I may or may not be able to send you an inbox based on your privacy settings so you must check back to see if you have won, winner will be announced here on the blog and linked to on the facebook page.
Winner will be drawn the morning of October 20th. If in one week I do not hear from the winner a new winner will be drawn.

Sourdough

Sourdough biscuits

 oh the taste, smell and texture of sourdough! I found a fantastic publication on bread making which had a great spread on sourdough , here are two recipes and how to make the starter.

no knead sourdough

To get started on your starter.....

Boil 3 medium potatoes with skins on until cooked through. Drain and peel, mash into a puree and let cool 1 hour.

Add enough water until you have a soupy liquid.

this is your potato water

Sourdough starter

2 c thick potato water

2 Tbs sugar

2 c all purpose flour

Mix into crock until smooth. Cover with a cloth and let sit on counter for at least 3 days. Now begin feeding your starter daily with 1/4 c four, 1/4 c water and teaspoon of sugar, mix in and recover. Your starter is ready to use after the first 3 days but a longer wait is preferred. Remove starter as needed for recipes and continue to feed daily.

*wheat flour not recommended for use in sourdough breads

No Knead Sourdough

3 1/2 c all purpose flour

1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1 3/4 tsp salt

2/3 c sourdough starter

1 1/2 c water

course cornmeal for dusting

Combine  flour, yeast and salt, whisk together. In another bowl combine sourdough starter and water, add to flour mixture until wet sticky mass. Cover bowl with plastic and let sit at room temp for 12- 18 hours. Dust wooden cutting board with cornmeal and turn out dough, let rest covered with linen towel 1-2  hours. Do not add more flour.

Preheat oven to  450 and heat a 3 1/2 Dutch oven in it, remove pot and sprinkle with more cornmeal. With two scrapers scoop dough up and place in hot pan Cover and bake 35 min, remove cover and bake additional 15 minutes. Cool  and slice.

NOTE- I actually placed my dough into a stone wear pan and let it rise the second time there  at room temp, the pan was not preheated and the bread turned out just fine. This can simplify the process for you.

Sour dough biscuits

2 c all purpose flour

2 c sourdough starter

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbs honey

2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbs butter cut into small pieces

2 Tbs melted butter

Heat oven to 350 Grease 10 in cast iron skillet, set aside.

Mix all ingredients except for melted butter. Pinch off egg size pieces and place in pan touching. Brush tops with melted butter and let set in warm place 10 minutes. bake 35-40 minutes.

This magazine is published by Mother Earth News. Volume 5  the ISBN is 70989 35863. It sells for $6.99 and is worth every penny. Filled with recipes for breads, quick breads,  oils and butters. It even has jam, sandwiches and gluten free tips. I highly recommend it!

Lamb Around
Funky Junk

Pumpkin Fudge

1 c chopped walnuts
1 1/2 c white sugar
1 1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c butter, cut into pieces
2/3 c evaporated milk- this is not a full can, do not use sweetened condensed milk
2/3 c canned pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp allspice
2 c (1- 12 oz bag) white chocolate chips
1-  7 oz jar marshmallow creme
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Line 13x9 pan with foil and spray or butter foil. Leave  foil overhang on short sides of pan for easy removal.
In heavy saucepot heat sugar, brown sugar, ev milk, pumpkin, butter and spices. Bring to full boil, stirring constantly until fudge reaches 234 to 240 degrees on a candy thermometer, this will take approx 12 minutes.
Remove from heat and quickly stir in white chocolate, marshmallow cream, nuts and extract until smooth. Pour into pan, you may top with extra nuts if you like. Cool completely, remove foil and cut into pieces, Store covered in fridge or freezer.