Apple Cinnamon Donuts

This post deserves some love, and I'll get a purty picture up when I have a chance, but it's MY FIRST RECIPE!  Like, mine, not modified from anyone elses! :)

I was looking for something fallish, and I love donuts/muffins as an easy grab for breakfast.  Pumpkin is really expensive here, and though I'm sure I'll cave and get some, or get one of their huge pumpkin like gourds to roast myself, apple cinnamon did the trick for a fall feel.

So here ya go- my first recipe!  These turned out so soft and moist, and I was pretty impressed with the subtle apple flavor.  There's a delicious apple aroma as they bake and the flavor didn't disappoint.

Apple Cinnamon Donuts

1/2 a cup of butter, softened
1/2 c coconut sugar (any sugar will do, but I prefer this to white refined)
1 egg
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 a cup of 100% apple juice (no sugar added)
1 whole apple, cored and grated (I didn't peel)

Preheat oven to 350 f/190 c.

1.  Mix flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl.
2. In a large bowl, blend the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, around 3 minutes.
3. Add the egg and beat an additional minute.
4.  Add in the flour a little at a time, alternating with the juice until fully encorporated.
5.  Mix in grated apple.
6.  I let my batter sit for 20-30 minutes.  The whole wheat flour is not as pulverized here, and I find it helps with the moistness of the batter.
7.  Fill greased mini donut tins (or mini muffin tins) 2/3 of the way full.  Bake for 15 minutes, until donuts are golden.  *Note:  I find filling a piping bag with batter and piping it in to be the easiest way to fill the pans.

This recipe yielded 36 mini donuts.

3 meals: 6/17/15

Apple Cinnamon Donuts
http://joythebaker.com/2013/10/apple-cinnamon-baked-doughnuts-with-brown-butter-glaze/

Modifications:
Whole wheat flour, coconut sugar, half the amount of nutmeg (1/4 tsp), no salt, and no glaze.

And to be honest- I love brown butter, but my babies palates are less discerning, so I just did 2 T melted butter instead of browning the butter.  :)

Turkey Stroganoff
http://jaredandcyndi.blogspot.com/2012/01/ground-turkey-stroganoff.html

Modifications:  garlic powder for garlic salt, no mushroom stems/pieces, yogurt (not sour cream).  I served on whole wheat egg noodles.  

Shepherds Pie:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/shepherds-pie-recipe2.html

Modifications:  no salt

So you can def make this as is, but here are things I've done that still work fine:

-I forgot to put the egg yolk in the potatoes.  They weren't as creamy, but it still worked.

-I used beef vs lamb.

-I add a crust of cheddar cheese on top.

-I used dry spices vs. fresh (just a tiny sprinkling of each thyme and rosemary).

-I used 1 tsp garlic powder instead of fresh.

-I subbed buttermilk for half and half because I needed to use some up.

-I used vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

For adults you'll need to add salt.  The potatoes need it (IMO).  

3 meals: 6/10/15

Baked Strawberry Donuts
Heavily modified from http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/02/baked-strawberry-doughnuts/


Ingredients:
2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c coconut sugar
1/2 c pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c buttermilk
1/4 c + 1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c finely chopped strawberries

Y'ALL.  FORGIVE ME.  The original recipe calls for 2 eggs.  I SWEAR I did not put eggs in this.  I remember thinking how good it would be for those with egg allergies, and that dairy allergies could use coconut milk vs buttermilk.  I really think I didn't put eggs in, because I let the babies taste the batter BECAUSE there were no eggs in it.  All that to say- I really think mine didn't have eggs, but they *might* have.  I was in a rush to get out the door for our class at The Little Gym and maybe wasn't thinking straight?  I'll make them again, I promise! LMK if you do them without egg and if they turn out ok!  My dough was thick- like bread dough.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease mini donut pans (or mini muffin tins).  Mix together flour, sugar, and baking soda.  Add in coconut oil, buttermilk, maple syrup, and vanilla.  Stir until combined.  Fold in strawberries.  Spoon into a ziplock or icing bag, cut the tip/corner off, and pipe into donut pan.  Bake for 11 minutes.  Allow to cool in pan for 3-5 minutes before attempting to remove.

Skinny Meatloaf Muffins with BBQ sauce
http://www.skinnykitchen.com/recipes/skinny-meatloaf-muffins-with-barbecue-sauce/

Modifications:  Omit salt & pepper, use 2 sliced of toasted bread if you don't use store-bought breadcrumbs, be sure your BBQ sauce doesn't have honey if baby is under 1.  

3 meals: 6/4/15

Mango Coconut Donuts
http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2012/08/mango-coconut-donuts/

Modifications:
Sub 2/3 c brown sugar for 1/4 c maple syrup, 1/4 c coconut sugar. I just used plain yogurt and vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean paste.  The coconut was unsweetened and I didn't use the glaze.

I creamed the butter, sugar, and maple syrup, then added the rest of the wet ingredients.  To that I added the dry little by little (I did it all in my stand mixer).  At the very end I added the coconut flakes, put it into an icing bag, cut the end off, and piped it into my mini donut pan.

Avocado Egg Salad
http://boyandgirleatworld.blogspot.com/search/label/eggs

I used a whole avocado this time.

Breakfast: Muffins and Donuts

Pumpkin Apple Muffins:
http://weelicious.com/2010/10/18/pumpkin-apple-muffins/

Sub 1/4 c pure maple syrup for the honey if under one (I'm guessing you could cut the honey too from 1/2 a c).

Baked Blueberry Donuts:
http://www.spoonforkbacon.com/2013/05/baked-blueberry-doughnuts/

Sub 1/4 c coconut sugar for the 1/2 c white it calls for, use full fat Greek yogurt, and no glaze for babies.

Spinach Muffins:

http://weelicious.com/2012/01/04/spinach-cake-muffins/

Sub coconut sugar for white.

Banana Oaty Muffins:

http://bramblebites.blogspot.com/2015/01/banana-oaty-muffins.html

No substitutions.

Zucchini Muffins:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/kathies-zucchini-muffins

Modified:
1.  Peel and chop an apple.  Add enough water to cover the bottom of a pot, put the lid on, and cook on high for 10 minutes, or until soft. Meanwhile, shred 1 1/3 c zucchini (skin on, it was about 1 1/2 zucchinis).
2.  Mix 1 c whole wheat flour, 2/3 c all purpose flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 1/4 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp baking soda in a large boalw.
3.  In a smaller bowl mix shredded zucchini, 1/2 c milk (any kind, full fat), 2 tbsp coconut oil (melted), 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (these were not sweet, you might want to up this if you want sweeter), and 1 egg.
4.  Use a potato masher to mash apples into applesauce.  If not applesauce consistency, add a little water.  Once its applesauce like, mix with wet ingredients.
5.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and fold in the wet ingredients until fully mixed.  Pour into a greased muffin tin and bake at 400 f for 15 minutes.

If you want this to go faster- use 1/2 c premade applesauce.  Pineapple tidbits would be a nice addition as well.

Banana "donuts"

http://foodlets.com/2014/05/15/banana-muffins-a-recipe-from-the-family-cooks/

http://lunchingdaily.com/1-lunch-2-snacks/1-lunch-2-snacks-81/

Modified:

1.  Mash 4 ripe bananas (the riper the sweeter).  Mix with 1 (beaten) egg, 1/4 c melted coconut oil, and 1/4 c pure maple syrup.  

2.  Fold in 1 1/2 c whole wheat flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1 tsp baking soda.  

3.  Fill a greased mini donut or muffin pan.  Bake at 350 f for 15 minutes.  Let sit for 3-5 minutes, then flip onto a cooling rack to cool.  

Tip:  Put the dough into a piping bag or ziplock and cut off the end to fill the donut pan.