Fried cider

Sigh. Fall has sunk its annual hope-turned-despair into the weary bones of my being. And with the arrival of such dismal grey days and biting winds, what's a girl to do but turn on her stove, oven, or any heating apparatus in sight, really, and just stand near it? But I can't just stand there — my roommate would think I'm insane. And so, things like donuts tend to happen. 

Cider donuts are of the few joys that this dumb, leaf bedraggled season brings with it. But some are unable to enjoy even these — like my Celiac's-ridden pal, for instance. But when her pumpkin-carving party was afoot, I felt it was necessary to attempt a cider donut, sans gluten, for the hostess. 

All that said, if you like your food full of wheats, feel free to substitute normal-people flour. 

Gluten-free Cider Donuts

Adapted from Pumpkin Patches & More 

For the donuts:

• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free all-purpose flour, plus additional for the work surface
• 1 tsp guar gum 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons butter (at room temperature)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (low-fat or nonfat works fine
• vegetable oil, for frying 

For the sugar coating:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Boil apple cider in a small saucepan until it is reduced to 1/4 cup of syrup (about 25 min), then set aside. Meanwhile, beat butter and sugar in a mixer until fluffy and beat in eggs, one at a time. With the mixer on low, add in the buttermilk and reduced cider. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry to the wet and mix until just combined. If the dough looks too wet to come together, add a bit more gluten-free flour. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment and sprinkle generously with GF flour. Turn dough onto the baking sheet and pat it out until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Place baking sheet in freezer for 20 minutes. Once chilled, use a floured doughnut cutter or a 3-in.-wide glass to cut circles out of the dough. Combine scraps, and cut again. Cut smaller holes in the center using a tall shot glass or other small glass. Return baking sheet to freezer for another 20 min. 

Heat 1.5 inches of vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet or fryer using a thermometer to bring it to 350 degrees. It's crucial that throughout the donut frying process you keep the temperature as close to 350 as possible (you will need to adjust constantly). Cover a plate or baking sheet with two layers of paper towels and set it nearby the stove. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl for dipping hot donuts in as they're ready. 

When the oil is hot, remove one donut shape from the freezer and place gently in the oil so it doesn't splatter. After about 1 min., turn the donut using a metal spatula and fork. The donut should be a dark golden color. Cook the second side for 1 min., then use the spatula to remove it and place it on the paper towels. Let the hot donut rest/cool/drain a couple minutes before rolling in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and setting on a plate to cool completely. Repeat with remaining donuts and holes, and be careful to adjust that temperature on the reg! 

Allow the oil to cool completely before pouring it into a jar and disposing of it. 

Orange is the new blackberry

I'd like to say that the sun is the sole reason for my hiatus. That's mostly true, although laziness, exhaustion, and vacation have also been factors in my inability to bake things.

But I'm back for another season — literally. Summer has essentially settled in and despite higher levels of vitamin D, my outlook isn't really any less grim. Though, I'm also avoiding the purchase of an air conditioner at all costs, so turning on the oven isn't really an option...

We'll see how this plays out. 

Blackberry + Orange Tart 

For the shell: 

• 1 stick butter, softened 
• 1/3 cup brown sugar 
• 1/4 tsp vanilla 
• 1 pinch salt 
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup rye flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats 
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

For the filling: 

• 3 cups fresh blackberries, rinsed
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• grated zest of 1 small orange
• 2 tbsp fresh orange juice 
• 2 tbsp brown sugar 

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir in the flours (note: you can also use all-purpose flour in place of the others to simplify the recipe, I just happened to have these on hand), along with the oats and nuts until well combined. Press mixture into a 9-inch tart pan and place in the freezer for 20 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In your mixing bowl, combine the mixed berries, cornstarch, sugar, zest, and juice and mix well, bruising the berries slightly in the process. Set mixture aside. 

Remove tart shell from the freezer and press a piece of tinfoil firmly into the bottom of the shell. Bake for 7 minutes, remove the tinfoil, and return to the oven for another 8 minutes. Allow the shell to cool, pressing the bottom (which will have bubbled up) back into the pan. 

Once the shell has cooled slightly, place it on top of a baking sheet. Pour the berry mixture into the shell, spread the berries evenly, and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Allow it to cool completely, then serve with vanilla ice cream (optional: garnish with curled orange peel). 

Bitter about butter

Butter makes everything better. Too bad it's killing us all, particularly those of us who are lactose intolerant. Ahem. I recall an article that our eleventh-grade Spanish teacher had us read about a study about olive oil vs. butter. Countries that cooked primarily with the former were healthier, overall, or had longer lifespans, or something. 

But the thing is, butter tastes good. For instance, I previously posted about a dairy-free, gluten-free banana bread, but while delicious and earthy with its corn-flour grit, it couldn't hold a candle to this...

Brown Butter Banana Bread 

• 3-4 overripe bananas
• 1/3 cup salted butter
• 1 egg 
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup light brown sugar 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 pinch salt 
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the middle. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

Brown butter over medium-high heat in a saucepan until amber in color and effusing the best nutty aroma of all. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas. Pour in the browned butter and mix. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well, then add the sugar. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and stir in. Sprinkle in the spices and after combining, add the flour. Stir until just combined. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before removing from pan.

Imaginary pie

While in a whiskey cocktail haze this weekend, a friend attempted to convince another that "strappleberries," a hybrid between an apple and a strawberry, actually exist. He reminisced about the strappleberry pies of his youth, waxing poetic about their tart-yet-sweet filling paired with a cinnamon crust — a nice touch, I thought. 

On Sunday, his bleary ramblings came drifting back to me, and I decided to make his silly notion into a pastry reality. Behold, the "Strappleberry Pie." Max, this asymmetrical-lattice-topped pie is for you, pal.

Strawberry + Apple Pie w/ Cinnamon Crust

For the crust:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold & cubed
• 1 cup water, very cold

For the filling:

• 2 large Johnny Red apples, peeled and diced
• 1 lb. fresh strawberries, sliced
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp cornstarch 
• 1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg, beaten

Start by making the dough for the crust. In a large bowl, mix flour, 1 tbsp sugar, and salt with a fork. Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut the pieces of butter into the flour mixture until crumbly, with pieces the size of small peas. Add a 1/2 cup of the cold water and blend until the mixture starts to come together. If necessary, add more water a little at a time until the dough comes together into a ball. Divide in half, and shape each piece into a disc before wrapping in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. 

Meanwhile, wash and slice the fruit and combine with the remaining ingredients. Set aside. 

When it's time to roll out the crust, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and cover your work surface and rolling pin (or wine bottle) with flour. Unwrap the first disc and pat out slightly (it should be cold, and not super flexible). Start rolling out your crust and form a large circle. Fold the circle in half, then in half again and transfer to your pie plate. Unfold. Roll out the second crust in the same fashion, and slice the circle into strips for your lattice top. 

Pour the filling into the bottom crust, then form your lattice on top. Place pie plate on top of a rimmed baking sheet, to catch the juices. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar before placing on the middle oven rack. 

Bake pie for 25 minutes until the top is golden, then reduce the temperature to 375 and bake for 30-40 minutes more, until juices are bubbling and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. 

Allow the pie to cool completely and rest for four hours or overnight before serving.