Honey Apple Turnovers



1 Tbs dried currants

3 Tbs finely chopped walnuts

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus additional for dusting



6 Tbs honey, divided

2 large baking apples

Prepared pie dough for two single-crust 9-inch pies

(purchased or homemade)



In a small bowl, combine currants, walnuts and 1/2

tsp. cinnamon. Stir in 3 Tbsp. honey. Peel apples and

cut each in half lengthwise.

Trim away stem and blossom ends. Scoop out core from

each half with a melon baller, making a wide hole for

filling. Divide honey mixture evenly between apple

centers. Divide pie dough into 4 balls. Roll each ball

into a 6-inch circle about 1/4-inch thick.



Lay 1 piece of dough over each apple half with

filling-side up. Tuck and wrap dough around each apple

half. Trim dough to fit. Pinch the edges of dough

underneath apples to seal entirely. Combine 1 Tbsp.

honey with 1 tsp. steaming hot water. Stir until honey

dissolves. Brush mixture over tops of turnovers; dust

with additional cinnamon.

Transfer turnovers to an ungreased baking sheet. Bake

at 375°F for about 35 minutes, until turnovers art

golden. Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining 2

Tbsp. honey. Serve warm or at room temperature.



Servings: 4

Potato Doughnuts

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground mace

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

3 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tbs. shortening

Salad oil

2 3/4 cups un-sifted all-purpose flour

1 cup plain mashed potatoes

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, mace, nutmeg and salt; set aside. In large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat eggs with sugar and shortening 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. At low speed, add potatoes; mix until blended. Add flour mixture gradually; beat at low speed until just combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 hours. Place dough on well-floured pastry cloth; roll dough to 1/3-inch thickness, cut with floured 3-inch doughnut cutter, dipping cutter in flour between cutting. Meanwhile, in electric skillet or heavy, wide saucepan, heat 1 1/2 to 2 inches salad oil to 375oF on a deep-fat thermometer. Gently drop three or four doughnuts and several holes into hot oil (adding too many doughnuts at a time reduces the temperature of the fat and causes greasy doughnuts); as doughnuts rise to the surface, turn with slotted spoon. Fry 3 minutes, or until browned on both sides. With slotted spoon, remove doughnuts and holes; drain over pan of oil. Place on paper towel-lined wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough. If desired, shake doughnuts in bag with confectioners' sugar or cinnamon-sugar. Makes 18 doughnuts.

CARAMEL PASTRY DELIGHTS



16 frozen dinner rolls



1 package butterscotch pudding (not instant)



1 cup brown sugar



2 sticks butter melted



Place rolls in lightly greased tube pan.



Sprinkle pudding over rolls then sprinkle brown sugar over pudding.



Pour butter over pudding and brown sugar



Let sit overnight or several hours then bake at 350 for 30 minutes.



Let sit 15 minutes before turning out of pan.

 

 

(If you've never tried one of these, you don't know what you've been missing)

Honey Apple Turnovers



1 Tbs dried currants

3 Tbs finely chopped walnuts

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus additional for dusting

6 Tbs honey, divided

2 large baking apples

Prepared pie dough for two single-crust 9-inch pies

(purchased or homemade)



In a small bowl, combine currants, walnuts and 1/2

tsp. cinnamon. Stir in 3 Tbsp. honey. Peel apples and

cut each in half lengthwise.

Trim away stem and blossom ends. Scoop out core from

each half with a melon baller, making a wide hole for

filling. Divide honey mixture evenly between apple

centers. Divide pie dough into 4 balls. Roll each ball

into a 6-inch circle about 1/4-inch thick.



Lay 1 piece of dough over each apple half with

filling-side up. Tuck and wrap dough around each apple

half. Trim dough to fit. Pinch the edges of dough

underneath apples to seal entirely. Combine 1 Tbsp.

honey with 1 tsp. steaming hot water. Stir until honey

dissolves. Brush mixture over tops of turnovers; dust

with additional cinnamon.

Transfer turnovers to an ungreased baking sheet. Bake

at 375°F for about 35 minutes, until turnovers art

golden. Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining 2

Tbsp. honey. Serve warm or at room temperature.



Servings: 4

Kiwifruit Danish
 
1 (3 oz) pkg. refrigerator crescent rolls
1 (3 oz) pkg. cream cheese softened
1 egg yolk
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. almond extract
1/2 C. apricot jam
2-3 kiwifruit pared and sliced
Unroll crescent roll dough and shape into 8 triangles with equal sides.  Combine cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar and almond extract; blend well.  Place 1 T. cream cheese mixture in center of each triangle; top with kiwifruit slice.  Pull each triangle; top with kiwifruit slice.  Pull points of triangle to center and pinch to seal.  Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on rack.  Heat jam.  Top each danish with another kiwifruit slice;  brush with jam.

Little Italian Doughnuts



4 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 pound ricotta

1 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Oil for frying (canola or a light vegetable oil works best)



Beat eggs; add sugar, then ricotta, mix well. Sift dry ingredients

together, then add gradually to egg mixture. Add vanilla. Batter is

fairly thick. In a 2 quart pot filled halfway with the oil set to

medium heat, adjusting heat according to how fast they are cooking.

Drop into hot oil by teaspoonfuls and fry until golden brown. Drain

on paper towel and roll in choices of dipping ingredients.



Set out three dipping bowls: Honey, Powdered Sugar, Cinnamon Sugar.

Roll in your choices.

BAKED RAISED DONUTS



In a large saucepan bring to a boiling point:



1 1/2 c. milk



Remove from heat and stir in:



1/3 c. shortening

1/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. nutmeg



When lukewarm - add:



4 3/4 c. sifted flour

2 lg. well beaten eggs

2 yeast cakes, dissolved in 1/4 c. lukewarm water



Beat dough until well mixed. Cover pan and let stand in a slightly

warm place until dough is light and double in bulk, about 60

minutes. Turn dough onto a well floured board, turning 2 or 3 times

to form a stiff ball. Roll lightly (avoid stretching) until about

1/2 inch thick. Cut with a 3 inch cutter. Place rings carefully 2

inches apart on greased baking sheets. Brush rings with butter and

let rise in warm place until double in bulk (about 20 minutes). Bake

at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. As soon as

donuts are removed from oven, brush again with butter and roll in

granulated sugar.



Makes 2 1/2-3 dozen.

Molasses Cinnamon Cake Doughnuts

The secret to nongreasy homemade doughnuts is to keep the temperature of the

cooking oil

at 360° F. If the temperature is lower, the doughnuts will be soggy; if it's

higher, they will

be scorched.



4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. ground mace

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 cup sugar

4 TB butter, melted

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup unsulphured molasses

1-1/2 quarts peanut oil, for deep-frying

1/4 cup cinnamon mixed with 1 cup sugar, for dipping

Chocolate Glaze, for dipping (optional)



1. In a large bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, nutmeg, salt,

baking soda and mace. In a

small bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk with the sugar and the melted butter.

Stir in the

buttermilk and molasses. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and

mix vigorously with

a wooden spoon, until a soft and slightly sticky dough forms.



2. Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured surface and gently knead 3

times. Roll out the dough

to a 10-by-14-inch rectangle 1/4 inch thick. Stamp out the doughnuts with a

floured 3" doughnut cutter

(see Note), dipping the cutter in flour between each cut. Let the doughnuts

rise for 5 minutes

before frying. Meanwhile, gently knead and reroll any remaining dough and

repeat.



3. In a large, heavy saucepan or deep cast-iron skillet, heat the peanut oil

until it registers 375° on a

deep-frying thermometer. Working in small batches of 3 or 4, carefully slide

1 doughnut at a time into

the hot oil; the temperature of the oil should drop to 360° F., as soon as

you have a full batch. As

soon as the doughnuts float to the surface, turn them with a slotted spoon

and fry for 45 seconds.

Turn them again and fry for 45 seconds longer. Carefully transfer the

doughnuts to paper towel-lined

racks and drain on both sides. Dip the warm doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar

or warm Chocolate

Glaze and serve at once.



NOTE: A round biscuit cutter is a fine substitute for a doughnut cutter. Use

an apple corer with a

round edge to stamp out the doughnut hole.



Makes about 20 (3") doughnuts.



Chocolate Glaze

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 1/3 cup)

4 TB butter, cut into tablespoons

1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup boiling water



In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate with the butter over moderately low

heat. Whisk in the sugar,

then stir in the boiling water until smooth. Remove from the heat. Place a

piece of plastic directly

on the surface of the glaze and keep warm until ready to use.



Makes about 1 cup.