Chocolate Sprinkled Donuts Recipe For Spring

Spring is finally coming and even though it's still a few days away, I'm very excited. It's been a very cold and rainy winter in the Seattle area this year, and I'm done with it. We have had more power outages this year than I can ever recall, and it can be so frustrating to try and get things done when you have no electricity.

So the last time we had a power outage, as soon as it came back on, my granddaughter Ashley and I decided we needed to make donuts to celebrate. She is my little baking buddy and she would have us bake everyday if I let her. But I was ready to celebrate the return of our electricity and baked donuts are something that can be made quickly and with little fuss.

I always try to have different varieties of sprinkles on hand because they can turn something plain into something fun and festive.

Since I love being frugal, I'm always on the hunt for a good deal and I found a good sized container of these sprinkles at Target for only a dollar. Now that's a bargain!

A lot of baked donut recipes call for buttermilk, but since I don't keep it on hand, I always have to plan ahead and buy some before I can make donuts. I was happy to find a recipe for these cake donuts that doesn't require buttermilk, so it's perfect for whipping a batch up whenever you feel like it.

These are rich and chocolaty, and super simple to put together. Since my granddaughter was helping to make these, I was glad the recipe was so easy.

If you love donuts, I recommend buying a donut pan. I have the regular size pan, and recently bought the mini size, which makes cute little donuts that my family loves.

Recipe for Chocolate Sprinkled Donuts

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

For glaze:

2 cups confectioners sugar
about 6 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
sprinkles of choice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat egg to blend with milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
Add flour mixture and stir just until all ingredients are combined. Spoon batter 2/3 full into a well greased donut pan.
Bake 8-10 minutes. Let donuts cool on a wire rack before glazing.

To make the glaze, whisk together the confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla. Dip cooled donut halfway into the glaze, place on wire rack, then decorate with sprinkles.

Makes 12 donuts.

Slow Roasted Tomato Pasta Salad Recipe

Even though it's still only spring, we've been having some gorgeous warm days here in the Seattle area. Days that remind me that this is a beautiful place to live, and that I'm very lucky to call Washington state my home. And when I think of the warmer months to come, I think about outdoor grilling, and beach picnics, and our favorite foods for the season.

My family and I are huge fans of pasta salad. We  love them as a side dish with grilled meats or chicken, or as a main meal when meats are added to them. And they are great and easy to transport for picnics or taking to someone's house for a potluck.

What makes this pasta salad one of my favorites is that it's made with oven roasted tomatoes. I slow roast the tomatoes at a low temperature for a couple of hours, and the flavor is so intensified and delicious. They can be stored in olive oil in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. I also add them to spaghetti, salads and pizza. The time spent to roast them is well worth it, especially when you consider how expensive they are at the grocery store.

I made this pasta salad for the 4th of July last year and shared it here on the blog. It was a big hit with friends and family, so I wanted to share it with you all again. It's super easy to put together, and can be made ahead of time too.

Here's how I slow roast tomatoes:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Wash, dry, and slice in-half two pounds of Roma tomatoes.
Lay the tomatoes cut-side down on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of granulated sugar.
Roast for 2 - 21/2  hours, or until tomatoes are lightly dried and slightly darkened. Store in the fridge in a jar with olive oil.

Recipe for Slow Roasted Tomato Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

3/4 pound colored rotini pasta, cooked and rinsed with cold water
1 cup oven roasted tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Italian dressing
2 tablespoons dried Italian herbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the Italian dressing, Italian herbs, and pepper. Add the pasta and tomatoes, and stir to combine. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and give it another stir.
Serve or refrigerate.

Makes 6 servings.

I don't know about you, but I can hardly wait for summer to come this year. Beach days, good food shared with friends and family, and a glass of chilled wine at the end of the day sound heavenly to me right now.

I remind myself that it will all come back, even on days like today when it's cold and windy outside and hot coffee is what I want most.

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*The coupons for free product, information, and gift card have been provided by Oroweat® so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Oroweat® Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat Bread. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Oroweat®

Sandwiches are a weekly dinner item in my house and each day I work I take a sandwich in my lunch. We definitely go through a lot of bread in my house. I buy a few brands of bread and change the brand depending on sales, coupons and the type of bread I am looking for. For sandwiches Oroweat® is a great option and they have many varieties. It's a great brand for pre-sliced bread to have in the cupboard.

When I make my son one of his lunchtime favorite's,  Pineapple, Ham and Cream Cheese Sandwich I like to use a whole grain and whole wheat bread. Oroweat® has recently reformulated their recipe making it tastier and healthier for you. I am all in for changes in recipes when it is for the better. Oroweat® Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat sliced bread is premium bread with a whopping 21g of whole grains per slice! Oroweat® Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat sliced bread is 90 calories and has no high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors or flavoring. 

Since I work 5 days a week and always take a sandwich to work I often make them ahead of time. I made a few of these Pineapple, Ham and Cream Cheese Sandwiches and put them in the fridge. I love being prepared with my lunch already made so I can savor a few more moments with my son before I head our the door.

What is your favorite easy to make sandwich in your family?

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Brown Sugar Butterscotch Chip Cookie Recipe



One of the things I love about blogging is that it forces you to be creative. In a good way of course.
It's kind of like the chicken and the egg situation. Do I do things to blog about them, or am I already going to be doing something, so I blog about it?

It turns out to be a little of both. Take these fabulous cookies, for instance. Since I live with my daughter and her family, my granddaughter Ashley loves to bake with me. And it's pretty hard to resist that sweet little four year old and her bag of butterscotch chips who begs you to make cookies with her.

So that's exactly what we did yesterday, we made these yummy Brown Sugar Butterscotch Chip Cookies. And I get to blog about it, which of course Ashley suggested I do. She is absolutely a blogger in the making, and I predict she will probably have her first blog by the time she turns five.

These cookies are super duper yummy. They are crunchy and soft at the same time, and they are rolled in brown sugar which gives them the best flavor. The butterscotch chips go perfectly with the brown sugar, and these cookies are sure to become a favorite.

Pair them with a glass of milk and you have a little bit of heaven. I plan to make them again for a book club meeting, and I totally expect to bring home an empty plate.


Recipe for Brown Sugar Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups light or dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips
 extra brown sugar for rolling cookies, about 3/4 cup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, put in butter and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed with a hand held mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, beat on medium speed until combined.
Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until all ingredients are just combined. Stir in butterscotch chips.
Use a tablespoons worth of dough to form a ball. Roll balls in extra brown sugar and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool cookies on baking rack.

Makes 24 cookies.

Carrot Tea Cake From Martha Stewart's Cakes Book

I have to say that carrot cake is one of my all time favorite cakes. But the thing is, they can vary so much in quality. And they are rather time-consuming to make.

I came across this easy recipe for whenever I need a quick carrot cake fix. It's moist and delicious, and the cream cheese frosting is simply fabulous. It's baked in a loaf pan, and the perfect size for snacking, or having a slice with a cup of tea or coffee.

It is from the book Martha Stewart's Cakes. I just love this book, and it includes over a 150 cake recipes, including ones for bundts, loaves, layers, coffee cakes, and more.

Recipe for Carrot Tea Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup packed grated carrots (from about 2 carrots

For Frosting:

8 ounces (1 bar) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Make the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x5 inch loaf pan, dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
Beat in carrots. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, beat until just combined.

Transfer batter to prepared pan, smooth top with spatula. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 15 minutes. Turn out cake onto wire rack to cool completely.

Make the frosting:
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Spread frosting over top of cake.


I published this last March, and it's so good I wanted to share it again. Enjoy!