In all actuality, these should be called “cake batter doughnuts,” but when my older son saw them he called them “sprinkles doughnuts.” I thought that was pretty cute, so I’m going with it. :)
The doughnuts pictured are actually my second attempt at making these. My first try didn’t go so well. I only had chocolate sprinkles, the batter was way too salty, and I overfilled my doughnut pan. I assumed I just got a cake mix with a higher salt content and that’s why they tasted so salty, so I adjusted the salt in the recipe way down the second time I made them, and they were perfect. They’ve since become a family favorite, requested nearly every weekend. One box of cake mix will get you quite a few batches of doughnuts; this I know from experience!
These are delicious. I mean, doughnuts that taste like cake, and sprinkles, and a yummy vanilla glaze – what’s not to love? These would be a great birthday morning breakfast – or really, a great breakfast on any day! Thanks, Stephanie, for a wonderful recipe!
Sprinkles Doughnuts
adapted from Stephanie Cooks
For the doughnuts:
1 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup yellow cake mix
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Several tablespoons of sprinkles
For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3 tablespoons milk
1. Preheat over to 325 degrees. Spray a doughnut pan with nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl combine the flour, cake mix, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir well.
3. Add in the milk, egg, and vanilla. Stir. Stir in a few tablespoons of sprinkles.
4. Pour batter into a piping bag. Pipe batter into pan until 2/3 full.
5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool in pan a few minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
6. To make the glaze, stir together all ingredients. Add milk to achieve desired consistency. Spoon lightly over doughnuts, apply sprinkles, and allow to sit to harden.
I’m going to apologize right off the bat for posting this recipe. It’s luxurious and decadent and not the least bit healthy. But this dressed-up version of mac and cheese is also such a delicious indulgence that I just can’t keep myself from sharing it with you. So I’m sorry for posting it in all its lavish, calorie-laden glory, because I know you’re going to want to make it immediately.
The sauce for this mac and cheese is made up of cream and spreadable garlic and herb cheese, and that’s just about it. It’s loaded with flavor and has such a silky, rich texture. The original recipe called for an entire quart of cream, but I cut the amount by half, and I found that amount to be plenty. Add in some bacon and some chicken flavored simply with salt, pepper, and rosemary, and the end product is nothing short of perfection.
Bistro Macaroni and Cheese
adapted from the Los Angeles Times
1 16-ounce box pasta (I used shells)
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 pint heavy cream
1 6.5-ounce container garlic and herb spreadable cheese
4 strips of bacon, diced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1. In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat a medium, heavy-bottom pot over medium heat until hot. Saute the onions in the butter until softened, then add the heavy cream. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and reduce by a third, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Whisk in the cheese until melted and incorporated, then stir in the pasta. Remove from heat and reserve the macaroni and cheese, still in the pan, in a warm place.
4. While the pasta is cooking, fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove to paper towels to drain. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Cook in the reserved bacon grease until the juices run clear and chicken is crispy. Remove from heat and let rest, then slice into strips.
5. Stir the chicken into the macaroni, then stir in the bacon, tossing to coat. Reserve some chicken strips for the top of each serving, if desired (I added some chicken strips back into the bacon grease to make them really crispy for added texture). Serve immediately.
You’re getting three recipes for the price of one today! I really loved this meal and the way the flavors all worked together, so I thought I’d post them all together.
I saw a random pin on Pinterest awhile ago for pumpkin seed-crusted vegetarian “chicken” patties, and it sounded like such an awesome idea. When I roasted the seeds from our pumpkins this year, I separated them into two batches: a sweet batch for snacking, and a savory batch for this chicken dish. The chicken turned out exactly as I hoped it would: crispy and salty, with a nutty, earthy flavor from the pumpkin seeds. To make this meal come together more quickly the night you want to serve it, roast and grind your pumpkin seeds a day or two in advance and store them in an airtight container.
I’ve had these cupcakes in mind to make since the beginning of September. Unfortunately, I was missing one main component for the recipe – the pumpkin. By the time I finally got my hands on some pumpkin, my fall baking list was a mile long, and I completely forgot about them until just recently. My stepmom and sister usually come over every Sunday night to watch True Blood or Bridezillas or The Vampire Diaries highly educational, sophisticated television programs with me, and I always make us something sweet. When I texted my sister last week to see what she was in the mood for, she said “anything pumpkin,” which immediately reminded me of these cupcakes.
If you’re not familiar with Biscoff Spread, this is what it looks like:
It’s made from Biscoff cookies (I guess the kind they serve on Delta flights? I don’t know from experience, but that’s what I’ve heard), and it tastes spicy and sweet, sort of like a gingersnap but BETTER. I thought putting some of it in the frosting would be the perfect complement to the cupcakes. It turned out to be a really delicious combination!
The cupcakes themselves are dense and moist, more like a muffin in texture than a cupcake, and the browned butter gives them an intense, nutty flavor. They’re not too sweet on their own, so they need a really sweet frosting, and this one is perfect. These were a huge hit, and my sister even said these cupcakes were her favorite out of all the desserts I’ve made.
Browned Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Biscoff Cream Cheese Frosting
cupcakes adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes; frosting is my recipe
For the cupcakes:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
For the frosting:
1 stick butter, softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 to 1/2 cup Biscoff Spread
1 pound powdered sugar
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown. Skim foam from top, and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl to stop the cooking, leaving any burned sediment behind; let cool.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, both sugars, eggs, and browned butter mixture. Add the flour mixture, and whisk until just combined.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
4. To make the frosting, cream together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Add in Biscoff Spread and mix well. Add powdered sugar to desired consistency. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Despite his Welsh last name, my husband is Italian. Even though he’s really only a quarter Italian, that’s the part of his heritage he seems to embrace the most. It’s definitely the food he embraces the most. And although I don’t claim to be an excellent Italian cook like his grandmother and great-grandmother, my version of Italian food seems to be good enough for him. These meatballs are one of the meals he requests the most.
I’ve been making these for years, and I can’t believe they haven’t found their way onto the blog yet. What makes these particular meatballs so delicious, in my opinion, is the balance of sweet and spicy. The hot Italian sausage is perfectly complemented by the sweet red bell pepper (which is finely chopped with the aid of a blender, so you get a bite of it in every meatball) and the San Marzano tomatoes in the sauce. If I’m short on time I’ll just crack open a jar of store-bought spaghetti sauce (I’m never opposed to taking shortcuts!) but I really prefer the homemade sauce with the sweet tomatoes for these meatballs. I know in the picture they look pretty generic, but wait until you taste how flavorful they are! There’s definitely a reason my husband can’t get enough of them!
By the way, it's November, which is National Blog Posting Month, and I'm participating because I'm a crazy person. So you'll be getting a post from me every day for the next 30 days!
Joe’s Favorite Meatballs
1 pound hot Italian Sausage
1 red bell pepper, divided
1 large onion, chopped, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 cloves minced garlic, divided
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 14.5-ounce can Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes
1. Halve red bell pepper and discard stems and seeds. Coarsely chop half of the pepper and place in a blender or food processor; chop the other half and set aside. Chop the onion; add half to the pepper in the blender and set the other half aside.
2. To the bell pepper and onions in the blender, add parsley and 2 cloves of garlic. Pulse until very finely chopped and paste-like.
3. Place sausage in a large bowl. Add bell pepper mixture, parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, Italian seasoning and salt. Mix gently with your hands to combine and shape into balls, slightly smaller in size than a golf ball.
4. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. When simmering, add meatballs to skillet and cook until browned on all sides. Drain on paper towels.
5. While the meatballs are cooking, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven or high-sided skillet. Add reserved onions and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until vegetables are softened. Add remaining 2 cloves of minced garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in diced tomatoes and San Marzano tomatoes, crushing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Heat to bubbling, then reduce heat to medium low.
6. Add the meatballs to the sauce so they can gently finish cooking through, 10 or 15 minutes. Serve over pasta or on crusty bread.
