completely unprofessional photograph of donuts.
gourmet snacktime recipes
1. Ginger Ale from scratch
you will need:
just under 2 liters of water (I used bottled because my tap water is funkaaaay)
3/4 cup white sugar
1.5 tsp grated fresh ginger (I used WAY MORE because I love ginger. I even love gingers)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp yeast
1 2-Liter bottle with a cap
a funnel
Combine ginger, sugar and 1/2 cup of the water and heat over medium-low, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved (*I added 1/2 tsp of vanilla as well, we’ll see how this turns out). Cover and remove from heat and let sit while you find a 2 Liter bottle of flat soda and empty it out and clean the bottle. SAVE THE CAP. God help you if you lose the cap.
Now go kill an hour somehow. I don’t know, have you watched all of the episodes of Top Chef Masters? Maybe go do that, you master. Strain the ginger-sugar-water combo over a bowl, making sure you press the solids into the strainer to extract all that juice. Pop the bowl of strained liquid into a larger bowl of ice and stir it up so it gets chilly. Funnel cooled liquid into your 2-Liter, add yeast and lemon juice. Fill bottle almost to the top (I left a safe 2.5”) with water, screw the cap on tight and shake. Let the bottle sit in a room-temperature place, such as a room, for about 48 hours, until the bottle is hard to squeeze. SERVE.
I’m waiting for my ginger ale to ferment so I’ll let you know that I fudged the recipe a bit by substituting tangerine juice (might be too sweet?) for the lemon and (as mentioned) adding vanilla. There are plenty of ways to screw around with this recipe; some ideas I had were popping a cinnamon stick into the 2-liter, substituting lime juice (how crazy) for the lemon, and making a spice mix in my handy, Ikea-bought mortar and pestle out of star anise, cinnamon and nutmeg. DO YOU!
2. Homemade Donuts
WARNING: I FOUND THIS REALLY CHALLENGING BECAUSE I’M A TERRIBLE BAKER
You will need:
1/4 cup of warm water, about the temperature of a hot bath
a deep-fat fryer or a large, heavy pot and a deep-fat thermometer
2 eggs
Two 1/4 oz packages of yeast
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
5 cups white flour
1+ quart vegetable oil, for frying
ICING
1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
about 1/2 cup hot water and a tablespoon (you’ll be adding it 1 T at a time)
You will also need:
so much patience
First take a deep breath because making donuts is freaking hard. Second, consider cutting the recipe in half if you are not absolutely fiending for donuts/have a lot of company.
In a bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the 1/4 cup hot water and let stand 5 minutes. It’s ready when it’s foamy and smells like beer.
Mix your foamy yeast with the buttermilk, eggs, salt, sugar and shortening until combined. Add 2 cups of flour and stir until well-blended. Now, about 1/2 cup at a time, gradually add more flour until the dough starts to stick to itself instead of the bowl, stirring and stirring and getting sexy arms. Stir until you can’t imagine stirring any more, about 3 minutes. Now take a break and grease an even larger bowl. Go back to your dough and mix mix mix, one whole minute more. Transfer dough into greased bowl, cover with clingwrap (it doesn’t have to CLING, a little air should circulate, but be honest with yourself: your dishrag, though clean, has little linties that could fall into your donuts) and a dishrag (on top of the cling rap) and set in a warm place to expand (you want it to double in size). If you have a gas oven, putting the bowl on top of the oven (and not lighting it on fire; beware pilot lights) will expedite this.
Meanwhile, make the icing. Right now you’re thinking sticking with regular donuts or just tossing some powdered sugar on them would be great, because your arms hurt, but this glaze is pretty good so I encourage you to be brave. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, whisk in your 2 c. of powdered sugar and vanilla until well blended and non-lumpy. Take off the heat and add your hot water, 1 TBSP at a time, stirring between each water addition. You want the consistency to drip off a spoon easily, but not be watery (think syrup). Cover and set it aside.
Flour a large surface (I used a big cookie sheet) and get out a rolling pin. Now watch another Top Chef Masters. Transfer risen dough to floured surface and roll out to about 1/2”, and using a donut cutter (yeah right. Use a mug for the big hole and a ramekin for the little hole) cut out your donuts. Cover them with clean dish towels, and watch another episode of TCM. Wow, now you’re pretty deep in that show, right?
While the donuts are doubling in size, again, miraculously, due to yeast, set up your fryer to heat to 350/heat your oil in your big-ass pot. You’ll also want to set up a cookie sheet with a metal rack above it, and get out some heat-proof metal tongs or a metal spatula. Working in batches of 3-4 (depending on your donut size and frying-vehicle size), slide the donuts into the hot oil (important: if your oil isn’t 350 degrees yet, your donuts will absorb all the oil and become way gross). Let them cook for about 2-4 minutes a side, until golden brown, and then flip. Transfer cooked donuts to the rack over the cookie sheet and smear ‘em with your glaze. Continue until you’re out of donuts, genius, and then eat them.
- Tess
