Baked Orange-Banana Nut Donuts

To download a copy of the recipe for Baked Orange-Banana Nut Donuts, click HERE.

A warm greeting to new subscriber Raquel! Welcome!

Donuts: what a beautiful word. As treats go, if you’re thinking it’s got to be hard to beat fresh-baked donuts, you’re right. Some form of these warm, sweet delights are frequently found on Sunday mornings in the Kissing the Cook household. (That a batch of donuts can be put together for breakfast on a Sunday morning is proof of how fast and simple making them really is.) Now it’s time to share them.

Some readers got an advance look at an early version of this recipe on Facebook a couple of weeks ago. This week, it’s my pleasure to give you the upgraded version, complete with photographs.

The orange-banana flavor combination used in this recipe is one I learned – and came to love – when I was a small child and my mother would give me containers of orange-banana juice to drink. Baked donuts give it a whole new platform from which to shine. Another feature of this recipe is that it avoids being simply donut-shaped orange-banana nut bread. The flavor may be orange-banana nut, but the mouth-feel is all donut.

                

Some Cook’s Notes before we begin.

• You’ll need a donut-baking pan to make these, of course, but believe me when I say it’s worth getting. I don’t know that any baking pan can change someone’s life, but a donut pan comes pretty close.

• I used fat-free half-and-half in these donuts, but feel free to use skim milk instead.

• In some of the photographs, you may notice that I’m mixing ingredients by hand using a spatula. This is just something I do every so often to remind myself of why it’s easier to use some kind of electric mixer. When you make these, feel free to use your hand mixer, Kitchen Aid, etc.

This recipe makes about 12 donuts.

Begin preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

Use the preheating oven to lightly toast 1 to 1-1/2 cups of chopped walnuts.

To make the batter:

Mash 2 medium bananas to a creamy consistency and set aside. (Two medium bananas should make about a cup of mashed banana.)

Blend 7 Tbsp of softened butter substitute (a firm-textured brand is best) and ¾ cup of granulated sugar.

Add 2 egg substitute eggs and mix well.

Sift in 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp nutmeg into the bowl and mix to combine.

Add 1/3 cup of fat-free half-and-half, 1/3 cup of orange juice, and 1 tsp vanilla, and stir to combine.

Stir in the mashed bananas, and stir to combine.

To prepare for baking:

Lightly spray the baking pan with cooking spray. Put the batter in a pastry bag or a food storage bag with the corner removed. Fill each of the donut portions of the tray 3/4 full.

Bake until golden, about 16 minutes, turning the tray half-way for even baking.

When the donuts are almost finished baking, make the icing for the topping as follows:

Mix 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar and 2 Tbsp of orange juice till smooth. The mixture should be liquid, but thick enough not to be drippy.

Now let’s complete our donuts!

When the donuts have finished baking, let them rest in the baking pan for a minute or two, then remove them. (The side that was in the pan will be darker than the side that was on top. This is normal.)

While the donuts are still warm, dip the tops (the lighter-colored half) in the icing.

 Turn the iced donut with the frosting side up.

Sprinkle with the toasted nuts.

Repeat for the remaining donuts.

To download a copy of the recipe for Baked Orange-Banana Nut Donuts, click HERE. 

Now prepare to revel in the unique glory that can only be found in a fresh-baked donut!

Please visit again next week for another delicious recipe, kitchen tested and home-cook friendly for your pleasure. Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

“Braised-n-Glazed” Mirepoix Side Dish with Lemon Mushrooms

To download a copy of this recipe for “Braised-n-Glazed” Mirepoix Side Dish with Lemon Mushrooms, click HERE!

Mirepoix (meer-PWAH), the classic French combination of carrots, onions, and celery, is generally used to add great flavor and aroma to soups, sauces, stews, stocks, and other foods. (As a side note, when the French settled in Louisiana, the mirepoix concept they brought with them eventually evolved into the region’s famous “Trinity” – equal parts celery, onions, and peppers – that serves a similar purpose in that local cuisine.)

Such great flavor and aroma, in fact, that it seems a shame to keep it in the background. I believe it’s time to give this time-honored workhorse vegetable combination a more prominent place on your plate as featured - and great tasting - vegetable side dish.

To make mirepoix a side dish we’ll need to modify it a bit. Classic mirepoix is prepared with 1 part-by-weight carrots, 1 part-by-weight celery, and two parts-by-weight onion. In this recipe, those proportions have been adjusted to emphasize the carrots. A bit of garlic was added. The celery and carrots were browned, braised in seasoned vegetable stock, and the braising liquid was then sweetened and cooked down to a glaze. Finally, to add contrast with the sweetness of the glaze, sliced mushrooms sautéed in olive oil and lemon were added. (Note, too, that for the browning and sautéing, I used olive oil in place of the more traditional, but considerably less heart-healthy, butter.)

This recipe makes four side-dish size servings.

First, let’s make the seasoning mix.

Combine the following seasoning mix ingredients and set aside: ½ tsp dried marjoram; ½ tsp dried thyme; ½ tsp dried basil; ½ tsp dried rosemary; ¼ tsp dried sage; and ¼ tsp dried tarragon.

Next, we’ll prepare our vegetables.

Julienne ½ a Vidalia onion.

Mince 6 garlic cloves.

Slice 8 ounces of mushrooms. (Better yet, open an 8 ounce package of sliced fresh mushrooms.)

Peel 1 pound of carrots, and cut on-the-bias into equal size coins.

Slice 4 large celery stalks to equal thickness.

Next, start browning the carrots and cooking the onions:

Heat a small amount of olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add the carrots in a single layer and cook undisturbed until lightly browned. Turn the carrots over and cook for a few minutes. When done, the carrots should be cooked only about half-way, not cooked through completely. Season to taste.

While the carrots are browning in the skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan and add the onions. Cook until the onions are soft and browned, adding the garlic for the last few minutes of the cooking. Season to taste. When done, set the onions aside onto paper towels.

Next, we cook the celery and add the carrots:

When the carrots are done cooking, set aside in a bowl, reduce the heat to medium, and put the celery and a small amount of olive oil in the pan. 

When the celery is half-way cooked (similar to the carrots), season to taste, reduce the heat to low, and return the carrots to the skillet and mix with the celery. Add about ½ cup of white wine, the seasoning mix, and enough vegetable stock to cover the carrots and celery about half way. (The amount of stock you’ll need depends on your skillet, but will probably be between 1 and 2 cups.) Cover the skillet and allow to simmer until tender but not mushy.

Now for the mushrooms:

While the carrots and celery are braising, add a small amount of oil and the mushrooms to the sauté pan. Sauté until cooked through, adding the fresh-squeezed juice of ½ lemon. After the mushrooms are at least partially cooked, season to taste. (Adding salt too soon can draw needed moisture from the fresh mushrooms.)

To finish the side dish:

When the carrot and celery mixture is cooked, remove the cover, add ½ tablespoon of sugar, mix to combine, and increase the heat to high.

Stirring frequently to avoid burning, leave the skillet uncovered and let the liquid cook down to a glaze.

Combine the carrots and celery with the mushrooms and the onions. Transfer to a serving dish, and garnish with parsley as in the photo at the top. Serve hot as a side dish.

To download a copy of this recipe for “Braised-n-Glazed” Mirepoix Side Dish with Lemon Mushrooms, click HERE!

Serve this with your next entrée, and you’ve got a vegetable side that’s both delicious and healthy!

Please visit again next week for another tasty, kitchen tested recipe! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

Low-Fat Cranberry-Orange Muffins with Raspberry Liqueur or Orange Puree Glaze

One of my favorite (and simple!) ways to bring baked goods to a new level is to add a nice glaze. In this recipe, we’ll take an easy cranberry-orange muffin, give the cake a creamy texture using fat-free Greek yogurt, and top it with either of two glazes, one made from orange puree and one made from raspberry liqueur. (The photo at right shows both; the muffins on the left have the orange glaze, the ones on the right have the raspberry glaze.)

How easy are Low-Fat Glazed Cranberry Orange Muffins? Years ago, before I was ever interested in real cooking, I could make two things: pancakes, and cranberry-orange muffins. A while back I updated the pancake recipe (check out Fluffy and Reduced Fat Blueberry Pancakes with Fresh Strawberry Syrup), and now it’s the muffins’ turn.

Two points to mention before we start:

• Although I’m showing two particular flavorings for the glaze, feel free to substitute any flavor you like. Just substitute the appropriate liquid in place of the orange puree or the raspberry liqueur. Glaze made with lemon juice, for example, is often used and works with a lot of baked goods.
• One of my pet peeves is when fruit muffins are made with practically no fruit. (We’ve all had blueberry muffins that turned out to be called that only because the baker passed a blueberry over the batter before baking it, and putting the blueberry aside to wave over the next batch.) I think we should be able to pick up a muffin and see fruit starting to show through the sides. (Don’t overdo this, though; too much fruit and the muffins won’t hold together.)

This recipe makes about 8 large muffins. (You can also use it to make more small muffins, but who wants small muffins?)

Sift together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, a generous pinch of salt and 4 teaspoons of baking powder into a large bowl.

Add 1 cup of sugar and stir to combine.

Make a well in the flour mixture and add the zest of one orange.

Then add 1 cup of fat-free Greek yogurt, ¼ cup of skim milk, 3 tablespoons of melted butter substitute, 2 egg-substitute eggs, and . Mix the wet ingredients in the well, then stir into the dry ingredients to form a batter.

Fold 1-1/4 cups of dusted whole cranberries (cranberries tossed with flour to coat them lightly) into the batter. (Fresh or frozen both work well; if you’re using frozen there’s no need to thaw them.)

Pour into muffin tins (1/2 to 2/3 full) and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes till the tops are firm and the edges are lightly browned. When they’re done, a toothpick inserted into the center of one should come out clean.

After baking, let the muffins rest in the muffin tins for about five minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

When the muffins have cooled, prepare the glaze by combining one cup of confectioner’s sugar with 1 Tbsp of orange puree (made from the orange you zested earlier) or raspberry liqueur. Add additional liquid, little by little, until the glaze is thick but spreadable and does not ball up. Apply the glaze to the top of the muffins and let firm up for about 30 minutes.

Be careful. These can be mighty addictive!

I hope you enjoy making – and eating – these tasty (and, let’s not forget, low-fat) muffins!

See you next week with another delicious, kitchen-tested, reduced fat recipe! Till then, and as always, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

Glazed Chicken Calzones with Peppers and Onions

A warm Kissing the Cook welcome to new subscriber Kitchen Stories. Welcome aboard!

A few weeks ago, I posted a recipe for a delicious, herb-infused savory pizza crust. This week, there’s more good news: whether you use that pizza crust recipe or a different one, or even if you prefer to use a purchased pre-made crust, it’s not just for pizza.

I’m talking fresh calzones, ladies and gents! Good calzones can be made with a wide variety of fillings. For this week’s recipe we’re going to make Glazed Chicken Calzones with Peppers and Onions.

This recipe makes six 6 calzones.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Rub 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with olive oil, and season with thyme, salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through.  (It’s not necessary to turn them over part-way.)

While the chicken is in the oven, prepare the glaze as follows:

• Drain (but don’t rinse) a 15 ounce can of sliced peaches. Place the peaches and 1-½ tablespoons of brown sugar in a saucepan and heat until the peaches break down and the liquid thickens (about 12 minutes).

When the chicken is cooked through, let it cool and tear or cut it into small pieces. Apply the glaze to the cooked chicken pieces.

Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees.

To prepare the remainder of the calzone filling:

• In a saute pan over medium heat, heat olive oil for sauté and sauté a medium, diced onion until soft.

• Add a diced red bell pepper, 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms, and 6 minced cloves of garlic. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until the pepper is cooked and the onions are caramelized. When done, transfer the vegetables to a bowl, and add salt and pepper to taste.

• In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken, vegetable mixture, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Mix well.

Divide a pizza dough into six equal pieces. On a floured surface, roll each of the pieces into a circle about 8” in diameter.

Divide the filling mixture equally among the six parts dough rounds. Top the filling with a mixture of shredded mozzarella, shredded provolone, and grated parmesan. (The six calzones should need a total of about two cups of the combined cheese mixture.) If you prefer not to mix the cheeses yourself, there are packaged pizza cheese mixtures in the dairy aisle that work well too.)

Fold one end of the dough over the other, forming a half-moon shape. Using a fork dipped in flour, press the edges together, sealing the calzones completely. Trim off any excess dough. Make three scores in each calzone to allow steam to escape.

Place the calzones on baking sheets lined with parchment or foil. Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.

To serve, place some tomato sauce in the center of each plate. Cut each calzone in half and place on top of the sauce.

I hope you enjoy this tasty twist on a traditional treat! (And that you don’t mind extreme alliteration.)

Visit again next week for a new, delicious kitchen-tested recipe made from easy-to-find ingredients. Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)