Grandma Mary’s Doughnut Balls

When I met my future mother-in-law in 1951, she introduced me to her very popular Doughnut Balls.  She told me that when her four kids were little, she would get up early in the morning and make these treats before her husband went off to work so he could have some fresh and warm for breakfast and the kids could eat some later when they woke up.  Actually, the recipe is easy and quick enough to do just that.  I never made them for her son for breakfast because he preferred bacon and eggs, but I did make them many times for my own four children and my mother loved them for lunch with a cup of hot coffee.

Here’s a 1950s picture of my mother-in-law, later known as Grandma Mary, at her familiar place in the kitchen, getting a meal ready for her family.

For our first Halloween together as a married couple in 1953 before there were any children, I decided to make special treats for the “beggars” as we called them in those days.  When I was a child out begging one Halloween, word had come along the street that someone was handing out hot doughnuts.  We raced up to the house only to find they had run out, but I always thought that sounded like an ideal Halloween treat.  So, using a wedding gift electric deep fryer, I set up an operation near the door, mixing up batches of Grandma Mary’s recipe and offering piping hot, sugary Doughnut Balls to some very surprised trick or treaters.  I had also made a huge batch of hot chocolate and passed out small paper cups of this to wash down the doughnuts.

I was very pleased with my Halloween treat idea but by the next year, I had a six-month-old baby and after that there were more children and less time, so I never duplicated that 1953 Halloween.  However, we still enjoy having these Doughnut Balls for breakfast and I think of Grandma Mary every time I make them.

GRANDMA MARY’S DOUGHNUT BALLS

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 Tblsp. melted Crisco shortening
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• Crisco for deep frying
• 1-2 cups of confectioners’ sugar for coating

In a medium bowl whisk together the sugar, milk, egg and melted shortening.  In a separate small bowl mix together the flour, salt and baking powder.  Combine dry and wet ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are incorporated.

Heat Crisco shortening to 365 degrees F in a large pan with a fryer basket*.  Drop batter by teaspoonful into hot shortening – 4 to 5 doughnuts at a time.  Fry for 3-4 minutes.  Doughnut balls will flip over and become golden brown on both sides.

*If you don’t have a basket, lift and turn doughnuts with a slotted spoon.

Drain doughnuts on a paper towel.

Continue frying remaining doughnuts, placing the drained doughnuts in a brown paper sack along with about a cup of confectioners’ sugar and shaking until doughnuts are coated.

I’ve never had time to count how many doughnut balls this recipe makes since it requires fast work for a few minutes, frying, draining and coating – and anyone who is in the kitchen grabs a warm doughnut as soon as it’s finished.  These are best when eaten while still warm.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Update: It’s a long time since 1953 and a different world.  I wouldn’t recommend having children eat anything homemade by people they don’t know.  But Doughnut Balls and hot chocolate would be nice for a family Halloween party!

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Irish Apple Scone Cake

I first saw this recipe on Joy of Baking last summer and bookmarked it as a nice St. Patrick’s Day breakfast item.  The original recipe is here.  The only changes I made were to use thinly sliced apples and to omit an egg used to brush the top of the cake.  Please note that this is a quick bread, not a cake.  It is best when served warm from the oven.  Leftovers can be reheated in the oven.

APPLE SCONE CAKE

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Filling:

• 1 lb. Granny Smith apples (about 3-1/2 cups of peeled, thinly sliced apples
• 3 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Topping:

• Granulated sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Butter a 9″ pie pan

From the 1/2 cup of milk, remove 1 Tblsp. for brushing cake.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Blend the butter into the flour mixture until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, the remaining milk and the vanilla.  Add to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork just until the dough comes together.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead gently four or five times and then divide dough in half.  Pat one half of the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan.

In a separate bowl, toss together the apple slices, sugar and cinnamon.  Spread the apples evenly over the bottom  of the dough in the pie pan.

Roll the remaining dough into a 9″ circle on a lightly floured surface and gently place the dough over the apples.  Seal the edges of the top and bottom crusts with your fingers.

Brush the top of the dough with the reserved 1 Tblsp. of milk and sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Cut a slit in the center of the dough to allow the steam to escape.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes until pastry is nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Place the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack to cool slightly.  Serve warm – clotted cream would be nice with this.

When my daughter and I were in Ireland in 1995, we visited a Folk Farm where two ladies were demonstrating making a huge apple dish and now I wonder if it might have been a large version of the Apple Scone Cake.

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Cranberry Cream Scones for Two

These buttery rich scones are from a Crabtree and Evelyn cookbook, first tried in 1991.  I was looking for a scone to enter in a contest at the Cincinnati Irish Feish and these sounded good, made with currants rather than cranberries.  The contest was judged by people from Ireland and I was thrilled to win a first place medal.

My daughter and I enjoy these for weekend breakfast as a special high calorie treat.

CRANBERRY CREAM SCONES

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 3 Tblsp. butter
• 3 Tblsp. dried cranberries
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup whipping cream

Preheat oven to 395 degrees F

In a medium  bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.   Cut in the butter and stir in the cranberries.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and whipping cream.  Pour onto flour mixture and mix with a fork until dough forms a ball.  Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead lightly just enough to get the dough to form a 4-1/2″ flat circle.  Cut the circle into four wedges.

Place in ungreased pan and bake @ 395 degrees F for approximately 12 minutes.

Serve warm with butter and jam.  Makes 4 delicious scones.

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A Taste of Autumn – Cranberry Pecan Scones

Now that fresh cranberries are back in the markets, it’s time to make one of my family’s favorite breakfast quick breads.  Cranberry Pecan Scones are crisp, full of good tart cranberries and crunchy pecans.  They are not difficult to make but the preparation takes about 20 minutes plus 30 minutes baking time, so start an hour ahead of serving and have these delicious scones warm from the oven.

CRANBERRY PECAN SCONES

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine (1/2 stick)
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Cut in the butter/margarine.   Stir in cranberries and pecans.

In separate small bowl, mix the orange juice and beaten egg.  Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing until just moistened.

Dough will be quite sticky.  Use hands dampened with water to form dough into 6-1/2″ circle on buttered cookie sheet.  Cut into 6 wedges but do not separate the wedges.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes.

Best when served warm from the oven.  Can be frozen and reheated.

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