Vegan Donuts.

Note: I usually spell doughnuts "doughnuts," because I really feel like the "ough" is so rich and decadent, just like doughnuts ought to be.  But there's something just so...non-vegan about the spelling of "doughnut".  Therefore, these deserve to be spelled "donuts".  Not because I'm slighting them, but because they're of a rather different category than the traditional doughnut. 

My sister-in-law Emily went vegan for about a month or so and insisted that I go try Lux's vegan donut.  Honestly, I was a little wary, but it turned out to be quite the enjoyable experience.  

It was definitely a very different type of donut--it was a very similar taste and texture to a donut muffin: light, fluffy, crumbly, not dense or doughy. (Apparently these donuts are covered in vegan butter and then cinnamon sugar--after barraging Emily with a thousand questions, I still really don't know what "vegan butter" is supposed to be...but it was pretty darn tasty on these donuts.)  

I asked Alex what he thought and he said they were "good" but that he didn't pay too much attention to them.  I suppose I don't have the most solid definitive review either.  Basically, I enjoyed them.  In no way were they gross.  In fact they were very yummy (like everything Lux bakes).  But I'm reticent to give a more glowing review because the taste wasn't the most memorable for me.  In fact, the most memorable part was that they were vegan.  

But gosh, were they pretty.  And overall, very delicious eaten with an almond milk latte and sweet potato egg bake...Thanks Emily!    

Late Night Doughnuts.

Oh, doughnuts, doughnuts.  The perfect autumn breakfast (...and lunch...and dinner).  Making your own doughnuts really isn't that difficult, and what better activity to do on a cold fall night?  We made these Sour Cream Old Fashioned doughnuts from Handle the Heat a few nights ago, and they really were divine.  (There may or may not have been a few hot, angry tears shed when the last crumb was devoured...)

Here's the recipe, transcribed for ease.  I just did a vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk glaze (with a little sea salt!), which worked just as well.

DOUGHNUTS:

2 1/4 cup (255 grams) cake flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature 2 large egg yolks 1/2 cup sour cream Canola oil, for frying

GLAZE:

3 1/2 cup (350 grams) powdered sugar, sifted 1 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup hot water

In a bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until sandy. Add the egg yolks and mix until light and thick. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream, ending with the flour. The dough will be sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness. Use a doughnut cutter or two differently sized biscuit cutters to cut out as many donuts as possible, dipping the cutters into flour as necessary to prevent sticking. You should get about 12 doughnuts and holes.

Pour 2 inches of canola oil into a heavy bottomed pot with a deep-fry thermometer attached. Heat to 325°F. Fry the doughnuts a few at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Fry on each side about 2 minutes, being careful not to let them burn. Let drain on a paper bag to soak up the excess grease.

For the glaze: Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a whisk until smooth. Immerse each doughnut into the glaze. Place on a wire rack above a sheet pan to catch any excess glaze. Let sit for 20 minutes until glaze is set.

Here is a picture of a super cute baby, and one of some beautiful golden leaves in Giddings Square, because I know you probably won't mind.  

Holy Donut.

Before leaving Maine, we stopped at The Holy Donut, a Portland treasure, and good enough to grace at least one of the thousand "best donut shops in the nation" lists.  Are we sure glad we did.

  

Apparently these doughnuts are made with potatoes.  This is what gives them such a soft, moist, bread-y texture.  Who knew the humble potato would be the secret ingredient in the Best Doughnuts in the Land?  (Well, I think they are the best...If I had to rank, I'd give them a 10/10.  Al gives them an 8/10.  This is pretty good: his highest ranked goes to the Doughnut Vault with "9.something/10".  I suppose he hasn't found his Beatrice Doughnut yet.)  

This was our selection: an old fashioned, a chocolate sea salt, a berry cannoli, and a holy cannoli.  Oh, the deliciousness.  Rich, yet light.  Sweet, yet mellow.  Perfect combinations of flavors that sent us reeling from their freshness.  Yum yum--they were truly exquisite.  I really can't bear to think about them any longer.  

Don't mock us for how many we ate.  There were three of us (Evangeline basically ate two herself), and we did go straight from the doughnut shop to the airport.  The only thing to make you even the least bit happy about cramped legs for four point five hours is the fact that you might have four of the most delicious doughnuts in the world, and definitely the best snacks on the plane.   

Next time we're in Maine, we just might have to go in and buy the whole shop.