Flavors Remembered - Donuts from the Past

The First of Many Recipes from a new chapter of Flavors Remembered.

Over the years, there have been so many pastries and desserts that I have tasted and absolutely loved. They left an impression on my taste buds to last for as long as I can remember. The problem is that these delicious delicacies were items that I bought at a restaurant, store, or donut shop. These goodies were brought anonymously as a potluck dish to a church gathering or family reunion. I had no idea how some of my favorite foods were made,  because no one was willing to give up the recipe.  Restaurants hate to give up their secrets and family members don’t write anything down. Therefore I set out on a private scavenger hunt for recipes to duplicate some of these scrumptious desserts. 

I have an obsession with donuts. I am enthralled with the flavors and the concoctions that bakers use to produce these round treasures. I will watch anything on television that centers around these remarkable yummy treats. If I even see a commercial showing light, airy dough stuffed with a light chocolate cream, and showered with white powdery sugar, I suddenly need that confectionary goodness.  I am a devout Dunkin Donuts aficionado, (I’m an East Coast girl, y’know), but I will settle for a “hot off the rack Krispy Kreme Glazed” when its available. 

However, one of my all time favorite donuts came from neither of these two big establishments. I found the best Chocolate Coconut Covered Donut in a little shop on a side street in my hometown of Portland, Maine. “Tony’s Donuts” was a “mom-n-pop” shop run by the friendly Fournier family, who specialized in delicious decadent donuts fresh out of the oven. The best part was that the shop was open on Sunday mornings so everyone could enjoy  warm, delicate donuts with their weekend breakfast. That’s how I discovered them. 

Tony’s Chocolate Coconut Covered donuts consisted of a deep dark chocolate base that easily melted in your mouth. I’m not sure if they were baked or fried, but I honestly couldn’t tell the difference back then. It just wasn’t important. What did matter was the gentle vanilla glaze that helped to embrace the abundantly sweet, moist shredded coconut coating all over this masterpiece. The richness of the chocolate paired so well with the fresh white tropical fruit. 

It’s been years since I have moved from Maine to Virginia, but when I think of donuts, I still remember the taste of  my favorite donut. In order to satiate this craving, I have had to develop my own recipe. From time to time, as I experimented, some elements were good, others were horrible. One batch was overly greasy, another too dry. Recently I found a recipe that came exceptionally close to what I remember. I was totally amazed that the donut continued to be moist for more than one day. I still think it might need to incorporate darker chocolate, but I will conquer this as well. For now, I will share my recipe. Anyone who appreciates chocolate and coconut will love this recipe. However, if you live close to “Tony’s Donuts” in Portland, Maine - please go there and try the original. If you would like to ship some to me, I will eat them with the same gusto that I did the first time. And if Tony or his family would like to share their recipe with me, (secretly, of course), I won’t tell anyone. 

CHOCOLATE COCONUT COVERED DONUTS

Makes approximately 10 - 12 large donuts or 24 mini donuts.

INGREDIENTS:

Donut Batter:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 TBL vanilla extract
1 egg
6 TBL sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 TBL milk
2 tsp vanilla

7 oz bag of shredded sweetened coconut.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease donut pan.
(Preheat mini donut machine, if applicable)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
In a separate bowl, beat together the milk, oil, vanilla, egg, and sour cream.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry and stir lightly until combined.
Spoon in a greased donut pan.

Bake for 7-9 minutes depending on your oven. When the tops spring back, they are done.  (If using mini donut machine, follow machine’s instructions.)

Let the donuts cool slightly while making your glaze.

Glaze Directions:
In a medium bowl stir together the sugar, milk, and vanilla until well combined.

When finished, gently drop donut into glaze. Then cover with coconut.

Place coconut in deep bowl. Dunk donut in coconut after glazing, or sprinkle coconut on thoroughly until completely covered.  Place on waxed paper to set. Let sit for a few moments while you get your coffee and tea ready.

Sit back and enjoy!

No Blarney Here!

Springtime is almost here! The trees near my home are blooming with carnation pink and white flowers, and the robins are singing sweetly in the early morning sunshine. Daylight saving time has begun so the days are warmer and brighter longer. Friends are running around with their short sleeve shirts and flip flops, and I am making one of my favorite meals for March. 17th. 

On Saint Patrick’s Day, everyone claims to be Irish! My family, however, is definitely Irish with a dash of Scottish thrown in as well. My son just researched my father’s side of the family and discovered our real heritage. We always knew we were Irish (with a name like Maguire - how can you not be), but the Scottish was a bit of a surprise. Although if you see my profile picture, you could spot it a mile away. 

I relate to the Irish side of my background more so than the Italian side of my mother.  While everyone else is devouring assorted Italian dishes of lasagna, fettuccini alfredo, and gnocchi, I prefer a meal filled with potatoes, cabbage, and corned beef. I tend to shy away from recipes with lots of noodles bathed in loads of cheese. And don’t even ask me about parmesan or feta. Yuck!! 

On this prestigious saintly holiday for the Irish, I have prepared corned beef and cabbage in my crock pot. It was the largest container I had to cook this incredible meal. In the slow cooker, I also added potatoes, carrots, and a few small turnips too. I will admit, I love the fact I didn’t have to slave over the hot stove to cook this year. Instead I decided to use the time to make my famous Irish Soda Bread. it’s an easy recipe that I found a few years ago, and now I make it whenever the  fancy arises. On March 17th, it’s a given. 

I love this recipe because it doesn’t call for any yeast or time for rising.  I can basically throw the ingredients in a bowl and  have a fresh loaf of bread in less than an hour. (As a matter of fact, this blog took longer to write than the bread did to bake. My timer just rang.) The texture is light and airy, and the flavor compliments any Irish meal you could concoct. The only ingredients you may need to buy that aren’t in your cupboard regularly are caraway seeds and golden raisins.  It’s possible to use dark raisins, but they aren’t as sweet or pretty in the bread as golden are. 

Below is my recipe for my Irish Soda Bread. Everyone I have ever talked to has their own version. I like this one because it is easy. Try it in your own home and feel free to personalize it for you and your family. I’m sure you could leave out the raisins or substitute them for something else, but I’m not sure what. Let me know if  you try it a different way.  Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

May you always have work for your hands to do.

May your pockets hold always a coin or two.

May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.

May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.

May the hand of a friend always be near you.

And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Irish Soda Bread

Makes 1 round loaf

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk
2 tsp vinegar
2 Tbsp  oil
2 cup plus all-purpose flour
2/3 cup golden raisins
4 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Position a rack in the center of the oven.

Whisk the milk, vinegar, and oil in a medium bowl; set aside.

In large bowl, stir together flour, raisins, caraway seeds, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture with a wooden spoon. Combine until thoroughly moistened.

Lightly dust work surface with flour. Turn the dough out and knead for 30 seconds, just until it coheres. Shape into a round loaf about 6 inches in diameter and 1 inch high.

Using a sharp knife and cut an "x" about 1/2 inch deep in the top of the loaf.

Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray, place the loaf on it. Bake until lightly browned and crusty, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!