Home-Made Donuts with Chocolate Glaze

These are OMG delicious! Make these when friends are over, or else you'll eat them all and get a tummyache.

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 Tbsp warm water
3/4 cup warm milk)
2-1/2 Tbsp softened butter
1 egg
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
2-3/4 C all-purpose flour
3 C vegetable or canola oil, or enough for deep-frying

In the bowl of a stand mixer (fitted with a dough hook), combine all of the dry ingredients, except the yeast. In a large glass measuring or small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the milk and egg and stir to combine. Pour this liquid mixture into the flour, add the butter, and turn on the mixer to medium-low. When the dough is well-combined and kneaded smooth, check it for consistency: it should feel like a very soft bread dough, but not too sticky to handle. Knead in more flour if required, in small increments.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and clean off the dough hook, returning extra dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm place for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. Not sure? Poke the dough with your finger. If the dent remains, instead of springing back, it's ready.
Dump the dough out onto a HEAVILY floured surface, and roll or pat it out to about 1/2 inch thick. Heavily flour your hands and/or rolling pin. Use a cookie or biscuit cutter about 2 1/2 inches in diameter to cut out your donuts, and a bottle cap about 1 1/4 inches to cut out the holes. Save the holes and other scraps- they'll be just as tasty!
Spread your your cut donuts several inches apart on a cookie sheet and let them rise again in a warm place, about 30-40 min, until puffed up to twice their size. .

Near the end of the rising time, heat your frying oil to about 350 degrees- this is easiest if you have an electric deep-fryer or skillet with a thermostat. Otherwise, use a steep-sided frying pan over medium heat and watch it carefully. Drop a scrap piece of dough in to test: it should instantly bubble rapidly, but not burn.
Fry each doughnut, donut hole, and scrap for about 30 seconds per side, or until light golden brown -- the color is key. Put only a few in the oil at once, and flip carefully with long tongs or a heat-proof flat slotted spoon.
Cool 5 minutes on paper towels.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
3 tablespoons softened butter
1 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/6 cup hot water
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Combine the butter with the powdered sugar and blend with an electric mixer.
Add the vanilla and hot water, and mix until smooth.

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. Stir, then microwave another 15 seconds and stir again until completely melted.
Add the chocolate to the plain glaze mixture. Blend until smooth.
When the donuts have cooled, dip each top surface into the glaze and then flip over and cool on a plate until the glaze firms up, about 15 minutes.

Maple Granola

This stuff is seriously delicious. It's calorie-dense, but full of healthful things like nuts and dried fruit. It's certainly much better for breakfast than store-bought cold cereal.

I adapted this recipe from Alton Brown's granola. My version takes out the coconut (I'm allergic), and adds more kinds of nuts. For the dried fruit, you can use anything approximately raisin-sized. My favorite is dried blueberries, but they are expensive. I've had yummy results with craisins (dried cranberries), regular and golden raisins, and dried apricots chopped into raisin-sized bits. I often mix several fruits to make up the amount.

I buy my nuts, seeds, and dried fruit at Trader Joes, whenever I can get there. Their nut prices are much cheaper than most other stores, and the quality is great. TJ's is also my best-price source for real maple syrup, which is an absolute requirement here. Don't even think about using that fake-maple pancake syrup. If you desecrate my granola recipe with that junk, I will hunt you down!

Ingredients:
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup raw slivered or sliced almonds (I prefer sliced when I can get them)
1 cup raw cashews, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon (optional)
2/3 cup REAL pure maple syrup
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup dried fruit, in pieces approximately raisin-sized

Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon (if using).
In another bowl, combine the maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 non-stick or foil-lined sheet pans. Toast in the preheated oven 1 hour and 20 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes.

Remove granola from oven and dump into a large bowl. Add the dried fruit and mix until evenly distributed. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container in a cool place.

Delicious in a bowl of milk as breakfast cereal, or eaten dry as a high-energy snack any time of day.

Homemade Breakfast Sausage

This recipe comes from my friend and co-worker Amy. I have not yet tried it myself, but she assures me it is delicious. I'll be sure and post an update when I do get a chance to try it.

Ingredients
1 1/4 lb fresh ground pork
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp rosemary
2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Instructions
Thoroughly combine all ingredients. Form into patties and cook on a medium-hot griddle or skillet until browned and no pink remains in center; drain on paper towels. Or, layer uncooked patties between waxed paper and freeze in airtight zip-top freezer bag.