Let there be light life!

Check out what I found in my garden today – a weed! Ok, so who gets excited about weeds, I know, but this is encouraging. It can only mean that the flowers are next, which means SPRING IS NEARLY HERE!

Are you a big gardener? Both my parents and Ben’s parents love to garden, but we just can’t stand it. I grow flowers in the front of my house because I feel like it’s PC to do so, but truth be told, I hate taking care of them. Maybe it’s a generational thing…

At any rate – the recipe my Mom was so excited to make for lunch today? Quesados!

This is actually a recipe from one of the other women I competed against in the Breakstone Blogger Challenge last November. Thanks Mom…

Just kidding – this is a fantastic recipe with a creamy avocado spread stuffed between warm tortilla shells, which are then topped with cheese and broiled until golden brown.

Tasted just like chips and guac!

I added another layer of flavah by smothering my tortillas with Tostitos Restaurant Style Salsa.

I think this pretty much sums up how I felt about it…

My Mom also made THE BEST salad on the side.

All of us agreed the combination of fresh greens, strawberries, oranges and toasted almonds, drizzled with apple-cider vinaigrette, was so refreshing.

We also agreed that toasted almonds are where it’s at. “It’s a new flavor experience in every bite!” my Mom accurately exclaimed.

For dessert my Mom whipped out Blue Bunny Classic Sundae Ice Cream Cones!

Gosh I love these – and what a cute idea to have ice cream cones for dessert.

I like to eat all my yummy toppings off first.

I do the same things with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Peel all the chocolate off with my teeth so I’m left with a peanut butter puck. It’s the only way to go.

My favorite part of the ice cream cone though…

is the chocolate-filled tip.

Right?! When I got to tour the Blue Bunny factory last year, they said they pour a little extra chocolate in the bottom because people like it so much. I appreciate that.

Well the afternoon turned grey and drizzly, which made me feel like spending a little time baking in the kitchen after lunch. Plus I recently got this new toy to play with. A doughnut pan to make…

Baked Doughnuts!!!

Whee!! I picked one of these bad boys up at Bed, Bath & Beyond for just $10! It makes 6 donuts and is non-stick, which is nice.

My mind is filled with endless baked doughnut possibilities, but for my first batch, I decided to stick with the original – Glazed. MMM!

Baked Glazed Doughnuts

Print this recipe!

Makes 6 doughnuts

Based on Fluffy Cake Doughnuts.

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

6 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons buttermilk

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

For the glaze:

1/2 cup or more powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Water

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Add buttermilk, egg, vanilla and butter. Whisk to combine.

2. Transfer dough to a ziplock bag. Snip off a corner of the bag and pipe dough evenly into a 6-cup doughnut pan. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until dough is set (it won’t be golden brown, but should be springy.)

3. In a separate bowl, mix together powdered sugar and vanilla. Begin adding water 1 teaspoon at a time. Stir until desired thickness of glaze is achieved. Glaze doughnuts while warm or cool.

Right?! Dougnuts!!!

I prefer a thin glazed shell on my d’nuts, so I made a higher water-to-powdered sugar ratio glaze, then dunked the tops in.

Topped with sprinkles for a super-cute sparkle. Dang – I wish I would have had this pan for Valentine’s Day!

Ben likes his doughnuts smothered in icing so after I dunked my doughnuts, I added more powdered sugar to the glaze to make it nice and thick for his. Then I spooned it over the top and let it drip down the sides.

When I first pulled these out of the pan, the texture appeared very cake-like. “Dang!” I thought “they’re just cupcakes with a hole! What a rip-off!”

One bite convinced me otherwise. The extra flour and reduced oil/fat in the recipe made a dough, rather than a batter, and the texture was totally reminiscent of a cake doughnut.

Plus, since these doughnuts are baked not fried, I can totally feel ok about eating one a couple before dinner. What a FUN and DELICIOUS purchase. I am SO excited. Chocolate doughnuts with peanut butter glaze, anyone?!

Well Ben and I are still deciding about what to do for dinner. I didn’t go grocery shopping this afternoon because I have tomorrow off (booyah President’s Day) so I think it’ll end up being a fend for yourself/see what you can rummage up in the cupboard/beg Ben to make me eggs type of meal. We’ll see.

ps: Ben got the Valentine’s Day coffee mugs here!

Take care!

~~~~~

If you could eat any kind of doughnut right now, what would it be? Do you have any good baked doughnut recipes?

I would eat millions of old-fashioned chocolate glazed cake doughnuts they sell in Super America gas stations all over Minneapolis. OMG THEY ARE SO GOOD.