Doughnut Ingredients: Homemade Vanilla Extract Chocolate Chip Muffins
Doughnut Ingredients: Homemade Vanilla Extract Chocolate Chip Muffins
Doughnut Ingredients: Homemade Vanilla Extract Chocolate Chip Muffins
Milk: Liquid activates the yeast. Whole milk is a must for the most tender dough– or you can try
buttermilk. Lower fat or nondairy milks work in a pinch, but the doughnuts aren’t as flavorful or
rich.
Yeast: You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. If using an instant yeast, your rise time will
be a little shorter.
Sugar: Sugar sweetens the doughnuts, but it also feeds the yeast, increases its activity, and
tenderizes the dough.
Eggs: Eggs provide structure and flavor.
Butter: Melted butter promises enhanced flavor.
Salt & Vanilla Extract: Both add flavor. Try using homemade vanilla extract.
Nutmeg: A little nutmeg is the secret ingredient to that cozy, comforting bakery taste. If you’ve
ever made my chocolate chip muffins, you know it adds a delicious pop of flavor!
Flour: All-purpose flour is the dough’s structure. You’ll be tempted to add more and more flour
as you mix the dough, but don’t. You want a very soft, pillowy dough for soft, pillowy
doughnuts. The dough can still be slightly sticky. When kneading, use extra flour on your hands
and work surface.
How to make doughnut(s)
Prepare the dough. The dough comes together with a mixer. You can also make the
dough by hand, but it requires a bit of arm muscle. After the dough comes together in the
mixing bowl, knead it for 2 minutes.
Let the dough rise. In a relatively warm environment, the dough rises in about 90
minutes.
Punch down the dough to release the air.
Roll & cut into doughnuts. Roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the doughnuts
using a 3-3.5 inch doughnut cutter. Line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a
silicone baking mat. Place doughnuts (and doughnut holes!) onto the lined baking sheet,
then lightly cover and allow to rest as you prepare the oil.
Prepare the oil. Using a heavy-duty pot and an oil thermometer, heat the oil to 375°F
(191°C). Place a cooling rack over another baking sheet.
Fry the doughnuts. Working with 2-3 doughnuts at a time, cook for 1 minute on each
side. Carefully remove from the oil and place onto prepared rack. Repeat with remaining
doughnuts. (See my recipe note about making the doughnut holes.)
Make the glaze. Dip each warm doughnut into the glaze and coat both sides. After about 20
minutes, the glaze will set.
Brownies Ingredients
1/3 cup (5 Tablespoons; 72g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cups (370g) Nutella, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
optional: 3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips and sea salt
How to make Brownies
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking
pan with aluminum foil or parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides to easily lift the brownies
out of the pan when cool. (If using a 9-inch pan, the bake time will be a few minutes less.) Set
aside.
With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed in a
large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat on high speed
for 1-2 minutes until creamed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as
needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-
high speed until combined, then beat in 1 cup Nutella and salt. Mix until smooth and
fluffy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running
on low speed, add the flour, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix. If using chocolate
chips, gently fold them in.
Pour the batter into prepared baking pan. Drop teaspoonfuls of the remaining 1/4 cup Nutella on
top. Using a knife, swirl the Nutella into the batter. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt.
Bake the brownies for 32-36 minutes. Keep your eye on them and test with a toothpick to
determine doneness. If the toothpick comes out with only a couple moist crumbs, the brownies
are done. The brownies may take a few minutes longer; all ovens vary. Mine took 36 minutes.
Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Once cool, lift the foil out of
the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into squares. You can top each with more sea salt
if desired. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
They won’t last that long!
Bagels Ingredients
Bloom the yeast: In the bowl of your mixer, add the warm milk, brown sugar, and yeast.
Give it a quick stir with a fork or small whisk and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, until the yeast
foams up well.
Make the dough: To your bloomed yeast, add the flour and salt. Use the dough hook on your
mixer and let the dough knead for about 5 minutes on low speed. The dough should turn out
nice, soft, elastic, and slightly sticky. Because of varying environment conditions, you may
need more flour than I used. Add 1 tbsp at a time until your dough feels perfect. Knead the
dough by hand for a few minutes, then add it back to the bowl. Wrap the bowl well with
plastic and let the dough sit in the fridge for 1 hour.
Prepare the butter: Arrange the sticks of butter on a sheet of plastic wrap horizontally. Lay
another piece of plastic over the sticks, and use a rolling pin to flatten the sticks until you
have approximately an 8×5 inch rectangle. Put the butter, still wrapped in plastic, in the
fridge until the dough is ready.
Laminate the dough: Laminating dough is the process of folding butter into the dough many
times, which is what creates all those layers. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface
and roll it to a 16×10 inch rectangle. Place your butter in the center, and fold the edges of the
dough rectangle over to cover the butter completely. Roll the dough out so it’s back to 16×10
inches, then fold it letter-style into thirds. Wrap the dough with plastic and place it in the
fridge for an hour. I like to repeat this process a total of 5 times giving us a total of 729
layers. Yes, that’s right! 729 layers!
Bake the croissants: Roll the dough out, one last time, until you have a long rectangle about
1/4″ thick. I like to cut the dough into thirds to make this part easier. Slice the dough into
long triangles, and roll each one starting at the wide end until you have a crescent shape.
Brush with a lightly beaten egg, and bake on a parchment paper lined sheet for 8-12 minutes
at 400F, then turn the oven down to 375 and bake for another 8-12 minutes.
Pies ingredients
\ 1 (16.5-ounce) can Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 (20-ounce) can apple pie filling
Cinnamon sugar (1/4 cup of granulated sugar & 4 teaspoons of ground
cinnamon)
Take small amounts of the remaining cookie dough, flatten it slightly and place
over the pie filling. It will not cover the pie filling completely.
Bake in a 350°F oven until the cookie dough is baked, mine took about 35 to 40
minutes.
Cut the olives into thin slices and place a couple slices on top of each filled
vol-au-vent. Alternatively, use sliced sardines for garnish.
Serve chilled.
Muffin’s ingredients
2 cups (260g) whole wheat flour (spoon & leveled)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (35g) ground flax (optional)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (85g) honey
1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable, canola oil, or melted coconut oil
1/3 cup (60g) unsweetened smooth applesauce
1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)
1/3 cup (80ml) orange juice or pineapple juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (260g) shredded carrots (about 4 large)
1 cup (140g) shredded/grated apple (about 1 large)
1/2 cup (75g) raisins
1/2 cup (64g) unsalted chopped pecans
How to make muffins
Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use
greased/sprayed cupcake liners. This recipe yields 14-16 muffins, so prepare a second muffin pan
in the same manner or bake in batches and reserve leftover batter at room temperature for when
the first batch is done.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and flax together in a large bowl. In a
medium bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, honey, oil, applesauce, orange zest, orange juice, and
vanilla together until combined. Whisk in the carrots and apples. Pour these wet ingredients into
the dry ingredients, stir a few times with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, then add the raisins
and pecans. Fold everything together just until combined and no pockets of flour remain.
Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 then,
keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an
additional 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time
these muffins take in the oven is about 23-24 minutes, give or take. (For mini muffins, bake 13-
14 total minutes at 350°F (177°C) the whole time.) Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes in
the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool until ready to eat.
Cover leftover muffins and store at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Buns Ingredients
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour* (or bread flour)
1 (.25-ounce) package instant yeast (I used Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Yeast)
2 tablepoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1 egg, whisked
1 to 2 tablespoons poppy or sesame seeds
How to make buns
In a small saucepan, heat milk, water and butter until very warm, 120 degrees F (50 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together 1-3/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt.
Mix milk mixture into flour mixture, and then mix in egg.
Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough
has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic,
about 8 minutes.
Variation: You can mix all the ingredients in a Kitchen Aid Stand mixer- with the dough
attachment. Knead until the dough is elastic and smooth-- 5 to 8 minutes.
Shape each piece into a square. Don't worry about perfection. To shape the hamburger roll, grab
one corner and fold it in, repeat with all four corners. Grab the center, and twist. Place onto a
lightly floured surface and gently roll around (folded side down) and then gently shape the sides
into a round shape.Tip: Turn your oven on WARM for 2 to 3 minutes and then shut off. This will
help to speed up the "proofing" of your dough.
Place the rolls onto a parchment covered baking sheet (or greased). If you desire softer edges,
place the rolls closely together.
If desired, brush each roll with the egg wash and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.
Cover with a clean tea towel, and let rise for 20 to 25 minutes.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
Once baked and cooled, these rolls freeze well. To reheat, wrap in foil andbake at 350°F for 5-10
minutes.
Pretzels Ingredients
Add 2 1/3 cups of the flour, the butter, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Using the hook attachment, beat
on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat on
medium-low speed for 8 to 10 minutes or until a soft dough forms. The dough should pull away
from sides of bowl but still be slightly sticky. If it is too sticky, beat in the additional flour.
Turn dough out onto a clean, dry work surface. Knead a few times, then shape dough into a ball.
Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface of dough. Cover and let rise in a
warm place until double in size (about 1 hour).
Punch dough down. Turn out onto a clean, dry work surface. Divide dough into eight
portions. Roll and stretch each portion into a 30-inch rope. If the dough seems tight and does not
want to stretch, cover and let rest about 10 minutes or until it relaxes.
To shape each pretzel, hold one end of a rope in each hand and form a U-shape. Cross the ends
over each other twice. Then lift the ends across to the bottom of the U-shape; press to seal.
In a deep dish or pot slightly larger than each pretzel stir together 3 cups hot water and baking
soda. Using a slotted spoon, lower pretzels, one at a time, into baking soda mixture for 10
seconds. Remove pretzels and place on paper towels to blot the bottoms dry. Arrange 2-inches
apart on the prepared baking sheet.
In a small bowl combine egg yolk and the 1 tablespoon water. Brush pretzels with egg yolk
mixture. If desired, sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until deep golden
brown. Cool slightly on a wire rack; serve warm.
Puffs ingredients
Put the water, salt and butter in a small saucepan and slowly bring to a boil until the
butter is melted. Stir and remove from the heat.
Mix the confectioners’ sugar, flour, lemon zest and cornstarch. Add it to the pan all at
once. Stir to combine and return the pan to the heat. Cook over low heat until the dough
forms a smooth dough and a film forms at the bottom of the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add 1 egg. Beat with an electric handheld
mixer to blend well. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Add the remaining eggs one after another, blending well after each addition.
Pour oil about 2 to 3 inches high in a heavy tall pot or a deep-fryer. Bring to 370 degrees
F (175 degrees Celsius), or hot enough to sizzle a breadcrumb. Have a glass with hot
water stand by.
Using two dessertspoons, shape small balls of dough and drop them into the hot oil, not
more than 4 at a time. Fry until golden, then turn once and fry from the other side.
Remove with a slotted spoon and degrease on paper towels. Dip the spoons in hot water
after each round (be careful of hot splashes!).
Sprinkle with a mix of sugar and cinnamon. Enjoy within a couple of hours.
Makes 24 to 30 pieces
Tortilla’s Ingredients
Tortilla, round, thin, flat bread of Mexico made from unleavened cornmeal or, less commonly, wheat
flour. Traditionally the corn (maize) for tortillas was boiled with unslaked lime to soften the kernels and
loosen the hulls. (This lime was the principal source of calcium in the Mexican diet.)
Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the lard with
your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough
comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth
and elastic. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a
dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and
golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla
in a tortilla warmer; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough
Bread Ingredients
There are only four yeast bread ingredients you really need: flour, yeast, water, and salt. All the other
ingredients in a recipe are there to add flavor, nutrition, color, and to change the characteristics of the
crumb
Combine all the wet ingredients, pour them into the dry ingredients, and stir until you have a
soft dough, similar to biscuit dough.
Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and roll or pat it to about a 1/2 inch thickness.
Cut the dough into rectangles about 2 by 4 inches. Bake the rusks about 2 inches apart on
buttered baking sheet for about 25 minutes until the tops are crisping and browning a little.
Loosely pile the rusks on a baking sheet and keep them in a 200 degree oven all day or all night
(about 12 hours) to dry. The finished rusks should be very dry and hard. Cool and store in an
airtight container. Rusks will keep for weeks.
ALTERNATIVE
Oatmeal-Raisin Rusks: Reduce the white flour to 1 1/2 cups and add 2 cups rolled oats and 1/2
cup currants or chopped raisins.
Almond Rusks: Add 1 cup chopped almonds and omit the cinnamon.
Peanut Rusks: Add 1 cup coarsely chopped peanuts.
Anise Rusks: Omit the cinnamon and almond extract and add 2 tsp.
INTRUCTIONS AND STEPS
ON
HOW TO BAKE