Faith's Not Pumpkin Donuts

1 egg + enough warm water to make one cup
1/2 cup more warm water
1/3 cooking oil
4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
4 1/2 T sugar
3/4 t salt
3 T powdered milk
3 t instant yeast
Frosting of choice


Put egg in measuring cup, beat thoroughly.
Add enough warm water to make one cup.
Put egg/water in mixer bowl.
Add 1/2 cup more warm water, cooking oil, flour, sugar, salt, powdered milk, yeast.

On my mixer I pulsed until all the ingredients were well mixed, and then put it on auto-knead until well kneaded.

Roll out to 3/4 inch thick. Cut into whatever shape you like. We did a large round glass with a shot glass for donut holes. Some (aka: Faith) cut into 3"x6" bars. Put on a pan to rise in a warm place (my house was cold yesterday so I put them in a 170 degree oven.)

When they have risen for "a bit" (can't remember how long or how high), cook in hot oil. I used a few holes for my sacrificial bits...at first the oil was too hot and the dough got too brown too fast. By the time we got to the big ones, though, we were set. Make sure you have something on which to put your hot, greasy donuts. This doesn't have to be a messy project, but it sure can be. It's up to you.

Frosting: we like maple donuts, so we just added maple syrup to powdered sugar until it was spreadable. Make sure you wait until the donuts are cool enough so the frosting does not melt off. You can see the fruit of our impatience if you look closely at the donut pictured.

Another good option would be dusting with powdered sugar or dipping in cinnamon sugar.

*Disclaimer: If anyone in your family is coming home more than five minutes after these donuts are served, hide a few in the cupboard so that there are some left. They go fast. Also, I could never make these if I didn't have a house full of hungry people. A donut hole or two is more than enough for moi.*


HT: Miss Faith who helped a very Mondayish Monday become almost Fridayish.

Faith's Pumpkin Donuts

Faith's Frosted Pumpkin Doughnuts

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon lemon juice (very important)
4 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup evaporated milk
Oil for deep-fat frying

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and butter together. Add the pumpkin and lemon juice, and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add to pumpkin mixture alternately with milk. Then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours(ish).

Once refrigetated, turn onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 5-6 times. Roll out 3/8-in.(ish) thickness. Cut into donut rounds (I use a large-rimmed glass and a shot glass for the donut hole.)

Heat oil to 375 degrees. Then fry the doughnuts, a few at a time, until golden, turning once. Supposedly the frying time is 3 minutes. Once golden brown and perfect-ish, remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Let cool for a few minutes before frosting.

I enjoy frosting them with maple frosting, though the most common frosting for pumpkin doughnuts is the orange flavored kind (which is pretty good too), so I'll include that here:

Orange Frosting:
3 cups confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon evaporated milk
I teaspoon grated orange peel
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With thanks, again, to Faith. And to my children, who make sure I only have one.

Graduation Dinner

Appetizers

Crostini
One bag crostini.
Spread with pesto.
Add one sun-dried tomato on each.
Cover with grated cheese of choice.
Broil just until cheese bubbles; serve warm.

Sliced baguette with brie.

Shrimp wrapped in snow peas.

Salad
Two bunches of romaine.
Two bags of fresh salad mix from Farmers' Market, including purple and green leaves and some flowers.
Two bags sunflower greens.
Ten radishes, cleaned and cut in quarters
Ten nasturtium blossoms, cut into small pieces
Sugar snap peas, cut into pieces with some peas loose in salad


Vinagrette Salad Dressing
One cup olive oil
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Two sprigs rosemary
Two cloves garlic
1 tablespoons Italian seasoning
Pulse until blended.

Pork Tenderloin
4 tenderloins (1-2 pounds each)

Marinade
2 cups orange juice
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 heaping tablespoon crushed garlic
4 tablespoons berry jam
4 tablespoons honey

Marinate for 8-24 hours.
Remove meat from marinade; place in shallow pan (9x13).

Tenderloin rub
Big bunch of fresh rosemary sprigs (needles only, no sticks).
Big spoonful of crushed garlic.
Pulse in blender until a paste.

Rub paste onto tenderloin.

Poor marinade over paste-covered tenderloin.
Bake in 350 degree oven until 170 degree.

Adapted from this recipe.


Bread
One loaf challah.
Three baguettes.
One loaf of artisan bread with chunks of garlic.
(All from the Farmers' Market)

Dessert was grapes, chocolate/white chocolate/butterscotch chip cookies, cheesecake and strawberry/rhubarb pie. Recipes coming.

Wine: Lorca Gary's Vineyard 2003 Pinot Noir from Trader Joe's