Pink Lemons ≠ Pink Lemonade. It sure sounds like a pink lemon would be the secret ingredient in a glass of pink lemonade, but the variegated pink flesh Eureka lemon is pink in the flesh only. The juice runs clear. As for the ingredient that produces the famous color of pink lemonade, it’s [...]]]>

Pink Lemons ≠ Pink Lemonade. It sure sounds like a pink lemon would be the secret ingredient in a glass of pink lemonade, but the variegated pink flesh Eureka lemon is pink in the flesh only. The juice runs clear. As for the ingredient that produces the famous color of pink lemonade, it’s been attributed over the years to an assortment of different fruit juices or other red items and the commercial varieties nowadays use artificial coloring. These muffins are closer to a traditional lemon yellow color, with light brown flecks of ground flax seed. They’re rustic looking and packed with bright citrus flavor.

Here in southern California, I’m treated to a much wider variety of citrus than I ever encountered growing up in New England. I’m constantly amazed at the ever colorful and diverse citrus displays at the farmers market. And it never ceases to amaze me when I look out the car window and see rows and rows of orange trees alongside the road. These pink lemons came onto the farmers market scene a few weeks ago, and I knew they’d be perfect for muffins. If you don’t have access to pink lemons, any type of lemon will do!

With the combination of applesauce and flax egg substitute, these muffins have a less tender, almost chewy crumb. But they’re incredibly moist and definitely healthy. To combat chewiness, make sure to use a gentle hand when combining the wet and dry ingredients. The more stirring you do, the chewier the muffins will be.

For an extra boost of flavor, try using an applesauce that contains a variety of fruit. I used an apple, pear, and goji berry sauce that was a gift from a friend. The pears subdue the apple flavor in the sauce, which really brings out the lemon in the muffins.

For more bright, cheery citrus inspiration, visit the Citruslove event at Mis Pensamientos.

Vegan Pink Lemon Muffins
Created by Simple Math Bakery
Yield: 12 muffins

1 tablespoon ground flax
3 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
zest and juice of 1 pink lemon (2 tablespoons juice)
3/4 cup rice milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease muffin tin or line with paper cups and set aside.

Whisk together the flax and water, and allow to sit for about 5 minutes or until it thickens.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, applesauce, lemon zest and juice, rice milk, and vanilla extract. Stir in the flax mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake for 12-16 minutes, or until the muffins just start to brown around the edges and are set in the middle.

There’s always something special about bread with a spiral inside. Its unassuming exterior renders it almost indistinguishable from [...]]]> The Daring Baker’s October 2011 challenge was Povitica, hosted by Jenni of The Gingered Whisk. Povitica is a traditional Eastern European Dessert Bread that is as lovely to look at as it is to eat!

There’s always something special about bread with a spiral inside. Its unassuming exterior renders it almost indistinguishable from any other loaf of bread. But far from being just any other loaf of bread, it has something special to offer. Perhaps it’s a savory, herby filling that, when surrounded by dense bread, could just about pass itself off as an entire meal. Or that classic cinnamon swirl that so many of us loved as a child. Or just maybe, an autumn treat filled with spiced pumpkin butter. No matter your filling of choice, this Povitica recipe will have you racking your brain for new flavor combinations to pair with the slightly sweet, dreamy dough.

The Daring Bakers October 2011 challenge was Povitica, hosted by Jenni of The Gingered Whisk. Povitica is a traditional Eastern European Dessert Bread that is as lovely to look at as it is to eat!

Povitica (pronounced po-va-teet-sa) is a traditional holiday sweet bread served in Eastern European countries. It is also known by other names such as Nutroll, Potica, Kalachi, and Strudia. The technique by which the dough is rolled paper thin and the filling is rolled into the dough has been passed down through the generations. In order to keep this tradition alive, the Daring Bakers have prepared an astounding collection of Povitica this month. And I’m sure that many of us will be making this recipe over and over with different variations. I know I will!

I adapted the bread dough to use pure maple syrup instead of refined sugar, and the pumpkin butter uses raw honey as a sweetener to fit in with my October: Unprocessed guidelines. I think this choice actually gave the bread a greater depth of flavor!

I’m sending this bread to YeastSpotting, where you can find an inspiring collection of yeast bread every Friday.

Povitica
Created by Jenni of The Gingered Whisk
Yield: 2 loaves

1 cup milk
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
4 cups all-purpose flour

Approximately 2 cups pumpkin butter for filling (recipe follows)
1 egg white for brushing top of loaves

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and maple syrup to just below boiling (180°F), stirring constantly. Once it has reached 180°F, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool to 110°F.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl stir together the instant yeast, salt, and 2 cups of the flour. Add the milk mixture and stir until combined. Mix in the eggs and melted butter.

Stir the dough until it is well combined, continuing to add flour until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it until it is smooth and no longer sticky, adding more flour if necessary.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, and allow it to rise for approximately 90 minutes, or until doubled in size.

While the dough is resting, prepare the filling (recipe below).

Spread a clean sheet over your work surface, and flour it sparingly with a small handful of flour. Place half of the dough onto the sheet, and leave the other half in the rising container until you are ready to roll it out. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is roughly rectangular, approximately 12″ by 15″. Brush a few teaspoons of melted butter over the surface of the dough.

Using the rolling pin or the tops of your hands, gently continue to stretch the dough in a rectangle shape until it is opaque. Pick up the dough from each side as you are stretching it, to ensure that it is not sticking to the sheet. If the dough seems too elastic to hold its shape, let it sit for a couple of minutes and then continue to stretch it.

When you think the dough is thin enough, try to stretch it just a little more. It should be thin enough that you can see the color/pattern of the sheet underneath.

Spread half of the pumpkin butter evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving about 1/2″ around the edges.

There are many different ways to roll up the dough and place it in the pan, and each of the methods will produce a different spiral pattern. No matter how you choose to roll your dough, use the sheet to help you.

Starting from the short side of the rectangle, gently lift the sheet so that the dough starts to roll up like a jelly roll. The dough is so thin and fragile that you don’t want to try rolling it with your hands. Continue to lift the sheet and roll the dough until you reach the center of the dough rectangle. Starting at the opposite side, roll the other half of the dough into the center.

Carefully fold this entire roll in half – layering the side-by-side spirals on top of each other. Seal the edges by gently pressing the edges of the dough together. Carefully transfer the dough into a loaf pan greased with butter.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Cover the pans lightly with a kitchen towel and allow the loaves to rest for 20 to 30 minutes while you preheat the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Beat the egg white with a teaspoon or two of water, until frothy. Brush the tops of the loaves with egg white mixture. Place the loaves into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Turn the oven down to 300° and bake the loaves for an additional 45 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown. If the top gets too brown before the loaves are done, cover the pans loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the tops from burning.

Allow the loaves to cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack. The loaves are so heavy that they might collapse if you attempt to remove them from the pans before they have cooled.

The recommended method for cutting Povitica is to turn it upside down and slice it with a serrated knife.

Pumpkin Butter
Adapted from Serious Eats
Yield: approximately 2 cups (enough to fill 2 loaves of Povitica)

1 can pumpkin
3/4 cup apple cider
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves

Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once the mixture starts to boil, cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until thick (about 1 hour).

You may want to make an extra batch so that you can spread it onto a slice of Povitica!

Developing film at home using instant coffee, vitamin c, and washing soda (Caffenol-C) is an unpredictable process. Each time I open the developing tank and unwind the film from the spool, I am surprised to see image after image lined up along the negative. This particular roll of film had me giddy [...]]]>

Developing film at home using instant coffee, vitamin c, and washing soda (Caffenol-C) is an unpredictable process. Each time I open the developing tank and unwind the film from the spool, I am surprised to see image after image lined up along the negative. This particular roll of film had me giddy with excitement. The film developing process that I use is a black & white process, and the images above were shot with color film. I was fully expecting to see a completely blank strip of film upon removing it from the tank. Instead I found a complete set of negatives with a wide range of color and contrast. Both images above came from the same roll and the color variation is fascinating. I have more results to share from this roll so stay tuned!

Have a Monochrome Monday post to share this week? Leave a link in the comments.

I need to prepare for the 2011 LA Cupcake Challenge. I’m not sure what it takes to prepare for such an event. Cupcake visualization? An all-you-can-eat cupcake contest? Avoiding cupcakes for weeks prior to the event? I’m open to suggestions.

Last year, I made it through almost all of the cupcakes. I have [...]]]>

I need to prepare for the 2011 LA Cupcake Challenge. I’m not sure what it takes to prepare for such an event. Cupcake visualization? An all-you-can-eat cupcake contest? Avoiding cupcakes for weeks prior to the event? I’m open to suggestions.

Last year, I made it through almost all of the cupcakes. I have been invited to judge the contest again this year, so maybe I can improve upon my ability to put away dozens of mini cupcakes within three hours.

This event may prove to be a bigger challenge than last year, owing to the fact that I’ve drastically reduced my refined sugar intake since then. Perhaps I should ease back into refined sugar before my cupcake binge. Would that lessen the potential for sugar coma?

These muffins won’t exactly help me with that goal since the only bit of refined sugar is in the applesauce. But I still consider them a warm up to the big event. And they make for quite a tasty mid-morning snack, paired with a cup of tea. Unsweetened applesauce would work just as nicely, if you’re not in training for the cupcake challenge.

Spiced Yogurt Muffins
Adapted from Cafe Nilson
Yield: 12 muffins plus 12 mini muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup plain yogurt, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup applesauce (I used my cranberry applesauce/jam)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a regular muffin tin and a mini muffin tin with butter and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. In a separate bowl, stir together the maple syrup, yogurt, eggs, applesauce, vanilla extract, and butter.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins. Bake for 18-20 minutes (10-12 minutes for mini muffins), or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Place the pans on a cooling rack to cool for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan and place them directly on the cooling rack to cool completely.

Welcome to the Daring Bakers challenge, Monochrome Monday edition! [...]]]> The 2010 December Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Penny of Sweet Sadie’s Baking. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make Stollen. She adapted a friend’s family recipe and combined it with information from friends, techniques from Peter Reinhart’s book………and Martha Stewart’s demonstration.

Welcome to the Daring Bakers challenge, Monochrome Monday edition! Capturing the challenge on black and white film was a bit daunting at first but I am pleased to present the results of this month’s challenge in the context of my weekly photography project.

Developing film is not that much different from baking. The ingredients must be carefully measured, then mixed in the correct proportions. The mixture goes into a tank with the roll of film. Developing time is dependent on temperature, among other factors. And if the film is left in the tank for too long, it will be ruined! Much like a loaf of bread.

The 2010 December Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Penny of Sweet Sadie’s Baking. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make Stollen. She adapted a friend’s family recipe and combined it with information from friends, techniques from Peter Reinhart’s book and Martha Stewart’s demonstration.

I halved the original recipe and adapted it to use sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast. I also skipped the citrus and nuts in the given recipe, electing to use raisins, cranberries, and chocolate to fill my bread.

The sourdough gave the bread just a hint of tanginess without overpowering the flavor of the raisins and cranberries. The bread didn’t rise as much as I would have liked because I was in a bit of a hurry. Rushing a sourdough recipe is never a good idea. Had I given the bread a bit more time to rise it would have had a more open crumb. That said, the dense texture of the bread made it a wonderful complement to a cup of tea. And with all the “fixings” kneaded into the bread the texture was almost an afterthought.

Sourdough Christmas Stollen

1/4 cup rice milk
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sourdough starter
1/4 cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup chocolate chips
melted unsalted butter for coating wreath
powdered sugar for sprinkling on wreath

In a small bowl, combine the cranberries, raisins, and apple cider. Set aside to soak while you prepare the dough.

Combine the milk and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the butter has melted. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the liquid to cool to lukewarm.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, lightly beat the egg and vanilla extract.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of your mixer, combine the flour, salt, and cinnamon. Add the sourdough starter, honey, egg/vanilla mixture, and milk/butter mixture. Stir (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) until the dough comes together into a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Add the cranberries, raisins, apple cider, and chocolate chips. Knead the dough with the dough hook of your mixer for 6 minutes, or by hand for 8 minutes. Add more flour if necessary, so that the dough is not too sticky. It should be tacky, and the raisins and chocolate chips will begin to fall off the outside of the dough when it has been kneaded for long enough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat it with oil. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge overnight. The dough can be left in the fridge at this stage for up to a week.

On the day that you would like to bake the Stollen, remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to rest on the counter for 2 hours. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pat the dough into a rectangle that measures approximately 10″ x 16″. It should be about 1/4″ thick. Starting from the long edge, roll the dough tightly to form a snake.

Transfer the dough to the baking sheet. Form it into a ring and pinch the ends together so that they stick. Using kitchen scissors, make cuts along the outside of the circle at 2 inch intervals, 2/3 of the way through to the center of the ring.

Fan each segment outward to form a wreath shape. Brush or spray a light coating of oil over the dough and cover it with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise until it reaches 1 1/2 times its original size. During the rise, preheat the oven to 350°.

Bake the Stollen for 20 minutes, rotate the pan 180 degrees, and continue to bake for 20-30 minutes. The Stollen should be a dark mahogany color and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.

Immediately transfer the Stollen to a cooling rack. Brush a generous coating of melted butter over it, then sift a layer of powdered sugar over the butter. Wait 1 minute, then sift another layer of powdered sugar over the Stollen. Repeat one more time. The Stollen should be coated generously with powdered sugar, as it helps the bread to stay fresh.

Allow the Stollen to cool for at least 1 hour before serving.

This Stollen will star in a special Holiday Edition of YeastSpotting!

There are still [...]]]> The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

There are still apples for sale at the local orchards, which means that they are still working their way into many of my baked goods. For this month’s challenge we were given the opportunity to choose the flavor of our crostata so I used one of my old favorite flavor combinations: apples and cranberries. I’ve always loved cranberry juice and all its varieties (straight-up cranberry, cran-raspberry, cran-grape, cran-apple, etc), though I don’t seem to drink it as often anymore. Cranberries just aren’t as popular in California as they are in Massachusetts, with all its cranberry bogs. But I can still find fresh cranberries at the store so there’s nothing to stop me from baking with them!

I love the look of a traditional crostata with fruit preserves, so I set out to create cranberry apple jam to fill my crostata. Armed with a special blend of three apple varieties (Spartan, Pippin, and Barkley Rome) recommended by the experts at the orchard, I started coring and chopping.

As I boiled the fruit, I realized that the resulting jam would be very similar to applesauce. I pondered the difference between jam, preserves, jelly, and applesauce for a while before deciding that the name really wasn’t of importance. Cranberry applesauce sounds just as good as cranberry apple preserves, especially when baked into an Italian tart crust. The crust came out buttery and flaky, the perfect complement to the sweetened apples and cranberries. I will definitely make crostata again!

The November 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

Cranberry Apple Crostata
Yield: One 9″ crostata

For the pasta frolla (pastry dough):
Scant 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 egg and 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Add the butter pieces, and use a pastry blender or your hands to rub the butter into the dry ingredients. Do not overwork the mixture, it should resemble coarse crumbs with visible chunks of butter.

Turn the mixture out onto a clean countertop or other work surface and make a well in the center. Reserve about 1 teaspoon of the egg mixture for glazing and pour the rest of the eggs into the well. Use a fork and your fingers to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix just until the dough comes together, forming into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disc shape, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You may leave the dough in the fridge overnight, if you wish.

For the cranberry apple preserves (cranberry applesauce):
Yield: about 4 cups

1/2 pound fresh cranberries
2 1/2 pounds apples, cored and chopped (I used a mixture of Spartan, Pippin, and Barkley Rome)
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 cup water
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Combine all of the ingredients in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a potato masher to mash any chunks of apples, then continue to simmer, covered, for another 10-15 minutes.

Working in batches, sieve the preserves to remove the apple skins. Allow to cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge.

To assemble the crostata:
Pasta Frolla dough, above
1 3/4 cups cranberry applesauce, above

Preheat the oven to 375°. Have a 9″ tart pan or cake pan at the ready. Remove the pasta frolla from the fridge, and reserve 1/4 of the dough to create the lattice top.

To facilitate easier rolling of the dough and transfer to the pan, keep the dough on the plastic wrap as you roll it out. Otherwise, roll it out on a floured work surface. Roll the dough to a thickness of about 1/8″.

Carefully transfer the dough to the pan. If you’ve rolled the dough on the plastic wrap you’ll be able to flip it over right into the pan. Gently press the dough into the bottom corners of the pan. Trim the excess dough from the edges of the pan. If you are using a cake pan, you’ll want to trim the dough below the top edge of the pan since the crostata should not be very deep. Press the extra dough around the sides of the pan so that the edges are slightly thicker than the bottom, making sure that all the edges are of uniform thickness.

Prick the dough on the bottom with a fork in several places. Be careful not to go all the way through or you might have fruit leaking out the bottom!

Roll out the reserved pasta frolla and cut it into strips or shapes of your choosing. Spread the cranberry applesauce over the dough in the pan and use the strips to create a lattice pattern over the top of the fruit.

Brush the exposed pasta frolla dough with the reserved egg mixture. Add a bit of water if you don’t have enough egg mixture.

Bake the crostata for 25-35 minutes. The crostata is done when the dough becomes a deep golden hue. Place the crostata on a cooling rack to cool completely before removing from the pan and serving.

Thanksgiving is already upon us. The air has taken on the crisp, cool flavor of autumn. As the weather changes, so does my baking and my daily routine. I spend more time curled up with my cat, reading a book in the light of a sunny window. I seek out recipes that take [...]]]>

Thanksgiving is already upon us. The air has taken on the crisp, cool flavor of autumn. As the weather changes, so does my baking and my daily routine. I spend more time curled up with my cat, reading a book in the light of a sunny window. I seek out recipes that take advantage of fall fruits, filling the house with warmth and spicy aromas. Apples and cranberries fill empty space on my counter and work their way into bread and desserts. This quick bread is just as perfect for a Thanksgiving table as it is for breakfast on a crisp autumn morning.

As the busy holiday season sets in, Thanksgiving serves as a reminder that we should take the time to be grateful. Grateful for the simple ingredients that combine to provide us sustenance, and grateful for the family and friends that surround us.

This year, I am incredibly grateful for the new job that I will be starting in just over a week. After five months of unemployment I have found an opportunity to work in a field that I’ve dreamed about for years. It will require moving and changing the familiar scenery of my life, but I am grateful for this change and the inspiration that it will undoubtedly bring.

What are you grateful for this year?

Cranberry Apple Quick Bread
Created by Simple Math Bakery
Yield: one loaf

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 medium apples, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9″ loaf pan with butter or spray with cooking spray.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, applesauce, egg, and vanilla extract. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in the apple chunks and cranberries.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool completely before slicing.

There was never a doubt in my mind about how I would interpret this month’s [...]]]> The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

There was never a doubt in my mind about how I would interpret this month’s challenge. Apple cider doughnuts fresh off the conveyor belt are a staple of my autumn weekends. I can’t drive past the orchard without stopping for a dozen mini doughnuts. The hint of cider and spice coupled with an outer crust of cinnamon and sugar is irresistible.

As I wait in line to buy doughnuts I am hypnotized by the rows of doughnuts being churned out from the small machine, four at a time. The machine plods along, unaware that the line winds out the door. However, most of us don’t mind the wait. We know that once we reach the cash register, the doughnuts in our white paper bag will have been scooped off the conveyor belt only seconds before. There is nothing better than a fresh, hot apple cider doughnut on a crisp fall morning.

On my way back down the hill from the orchard, I always pick up a gallon of the best apple cider that I have ever tasted. The perfect blend of apple varieties and the right amount of spice make this cider incredible. I drink a glass of this cider every day throughout the winter, to satisfy my taste buds and keep the flu at bay.

We were given quite a wide variety of recipes to choose from for this challenge. Since I love working with yeasty goodies of all types, be they wild yeast-raised or instant yeast-raised, I took on the yeast doughnut recipe. The doughnuts turned out light and fluffy, with a sweet bread flavor that hinted of apple and spice. Next time, I would use more apple cider to give a stronger apple flavor.

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

I cut the original recipe in half, and adapted it to include fresh apple cider. The recipe that I used is below.

Apple Cider Yeast Doughnuts
Adapted from Alton Brown
Yield: approximately 20 mini doughnuts plus 20 mini doughnut holes

1 cup apple cider
3/4 cup milk (I used rice milk)
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 egg
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
oil for frying

In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider to a simmer. Allow it to simmer until it is reduced to 1/4 cup of liquid. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a separate pan, warm the milk over medium heat just until it is hot enough to melt the butter. Place the butter in a bowl and pour the warm milk over it. Allow the liquid to cool to lukewarm before proceeding.

In a large bowl or the bowl of your mixer, combine the cider, milk mixture, yeast, egg, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment of your mixer (or with a wooden spoon) until the ingredients come together, then beat on medium speed until well combined.

Add the other half of the flour, mixing on low speed at first and then increasing to medium speed. Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed until the dough becomes smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 4 minutes. If you don’t have a mixer, knead the dough by hand until it is smooth.

Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

On a generously floured surface, gently pat the dough into a circle until it is 3/8 inch thick. Cut out the doughnuts using a circle cutter or a drinking glass, and cut out the middle holes using a smaller cutter.

Cover the doughnuts with a kitchen towel and let them rise for 30 minutes. While the doughnuts are rising, heat the oil in a large, heavy pot until it reaches 365°.

Gently place the doughnuts into the hot oil, 3 or 4 at a time. Fry for 1 minute on each side, or until golden brown. Transfer the doughnuts to a cooling rack placed over a cookie sheet.

Roll the doughnuts in cinnamon sugar and eat while still warm, for maximum enjoyment.

As summer finally begins to disappear, taking the 100 degree days with it, I look for ways to bring a bit of autumn into my kitchen. One of the first hints of fall that I notice is the steady stream of weekend tourists driving up the hill to pick apples. The cool weather [...]]]>

As summer finally begins to disappear, taking the 100 degree days with it, I look for ways to bring a bit of autumn into my kitchen. One of the first hints of fall that I notice is the steady stream of weekend tourists driving up the hill to pick apples. The cool weather is still elusive but the apples are starting to mature on the trees. Cider is pressed in the barn, and apple cider donuts are rolling off the conveyor belt. Autumn has definitely arrived.

The days are still too hot to inspire fall baking, but I’ve got a clever way of infusing my house with the smell of fall: homemade applesauce, cooked in the Crock Pot. Applesauce is one of my favorite baking substitutions. I experiment with subbing it for all or part of the oil in many recipes, lowering the fat content and creating a less greasy final product. It also happens to be one of my favorite snacks to eat right from the jar, perhaps with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

The ingredients are simple: apples and water. I used 1/2 peck of Spartan apples, minus a few that were begging to be eaten right away. The most labor intensive part of this recipe is peeling and coring the apples (unless you have one of those fancy gadgets that does it for you).

Once the apples are peeled, cored, and sliced, pile them into the slow cooker. Add a small amount of water (I used 1/4 cup) to prevent the apples from sticking to the bottom. Turn the cooker on low and let it do its magic.

Check on the applesauce and give it a gentle stir about once an hour. The apples will start to soften after an hour or two.

The applesauce is done when it reaches your desired consistency. This batch took four hours, and it is a very smooth consistency.

The final yield is about 2 1/2 cups of applesauce. If you prefer, add cinnamon and spice to taste. It is incredible how sweet the applesauce gets with no added sugar. The perfect autumn snack!

As a reminder, voting starts today for the third challenge of Project Food Blog. I’d love it if you would check out my entry and vote!

By day, I am a cartographer.  I edit geographic data, perform analyses, design map layouts, and provide my coworkers with baked goods.

Every year, The National Geographic Society sponsors Geography Awareness Week.  GIS Day is on the Wednesday that falls within Geography Awareness Week, which makes today GIS Day!  GIS and geography lovers [...]]]>

By day, I am a cartographer.  I edit geographic data, perform analyses, design map layouts, and provide my coworkers with baked goods.

Every year, The National Geographic Society sponsors Geography Awareness Week.  GIS Day is on the Wednesday that falls within Geography Awareness Week, which makes today GIS Day!  GIS and geography lovers all over the world celebrate in different ways, from holding an open house to working with local schools to raise awareness about how GIS makes a difference in our world.

Serving a GIS cake is an important part of GIS Day all over the world.  It’s also the best way for me to combine two of my passions: maps and cake!

I picked up some late season Arkansas Black apples for this cake.  They have a sweet taste, which makes them perfect for cake.  I used a cinnamon buttercream frosting for an extra touch of spice.

Old-Fashioned Apple Cake
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Yield: One 9×13 cake

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
4 cups apples, peeled and chopped (about 1 pound of apples before peeling)

Preheat the oven to 325°.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until well combined.  Add eggs and beat well.  Stir in flour mixture.  The batter will be extremely thick, like cookie dough.  Add the apples and mix on low speed until the apples release some of their juice.  Mix until the batter is a consistency between cookie dough and brownie batter.

Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan.  Spread the batter evenly in the pan, and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Place the entire pan on a cooling rack and cool completely before removing cake from pan.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from Wilton

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons water or milk
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon meringue powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

With a mixer, beat the butter, vanilla, and water on medium speed until well incorporated.  Add confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and cinnamon.  Beat until creamy and smooth.

Spread over cooled cake, and decorate as desired.

My GIS Day cake is decorated with one of the north arrow designs that we use frequently.  It shows how three different types of geography (points, lines, and polygons) can be overlayed to create a map.