LEAP DAY CHOCOLATE DONUTS: Leap Day History & Recipes

Leap Day, February 29, comes every four years and is the day that keeps our calendar in alignment with the Earth's revolutions around the Sun. Julius Caesar implemented the first leap day into his Julian Calendar in 45 BCE. At that time the leap day was February 24, and February was the last month of the year. In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian Calendar which we use today. This calendar has a more precise formula for calculation of leap years.

Leap Day is also a holiday of folklore and traditions. On February 29, according to Irish legend, it was a day when women could propose to men. This balanced things out in the same way that the leap day balanced the calendar. And if a man refused the marriage proposal on Leap Day, he was subject to a fine.

Leap Year Chocolate Cake Donuts
Recipe from allrecipes

Ingredients
1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Directions
All ingredients should be room temperature (70 degrees F).
Beat sugar and eggs together until creamy and lemon colored.
Melt butter and chocolate together in small saucepan over low heat.
Beat into sugar and egg mixture.
In separate bowl combine vanilla and buttermilk. Stir into sugar mixture.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Stir into liquid mixture.
Chill dough slightly to make easier to handle. Roll out half dough on lightly floured board to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into doughnuts. Allow the cut doughnuts to dry for 10 minutes.
Heat 2 inches of oil to 370 degrees F in large skillet. Dough should be at room temperature before frying. Dip metal pancake turner into hot oil each time before using to move or turn a doughnut. Transfer doughnuts to skillet, one every 15 seconds.
Fry each doughnut about 90 seconds per side. Remove doughnuts and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining dough.

To make icing:
Beat sugar, egg white, and vanilla together until smooth.
Drizzle onto the doughnuts after they have cooled.

LEAP DAY CHOCOLATE DONUTS: Traditions and Recipes

Leap Day, February 29, comes every four years and is the day that keeps our calendar in alignment with the Earth's revolutions around the Sun. Julius Caesar implemented the first leap day into his Julian Calendar in 45 BCE. At that time the leap day was February 24, and February was the last month of the year. In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian Calendar which we use today. This calendar has a more precise formula for calculation of leap years.

Leap Day is also a holiday of folklore and traditions. On February 29, according to Irish legend, it was a day when women could propose to men. This balanced things out in the same way that the leap day balanced the calendar. And if a man who refused the marriage proposal on Leap Day, he was subject to a fine.

Leap Year Chocolate Cake Donuts
Recipe from allrecipes

Ingredients
1/2 cups white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Directions
All ingredients should be room temperature (70 degrees F).
Beat sugar and eggs together until creamy and lemon colored.
Melt butter and chocolate together in small saucepan over low heat.
Beat into sugar and egg mixture.
In separate bowl combine vanilla and buttermilk. Stir into sugar mixture.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Stir into liquid mixture.
Chill dough slightly to make easier to handle. Roll out half dough on lightly floured board to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into doughnuts. Allow the cut doughnuts to dry for 10 minutes.
Heat 2 inches of oil to 370 degrees F in large skillet. Dough should be at room temperature before frying. Dip metal pancake turner into hot oil each time before using to move or turn a doughnut. Transfer doughnuts to skillet, one every 15 seconds.
Fry each doughnut about 90 seconds per side. Remove doughnuts and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining dough.

To make icing:
Beat sugar, egg white, and vanilla together until smooth.
Drizzle onto the doughnuts after they have cooled.

LEAP FROG CHOCOLATES: Leap Day & National Frog Legs Day

February 29: Leap Day! Yes, every four years an extra day is added to the year. February 29 is also National Frogs Legs Day. And what does that have to do with Chocolate? Well, French Broad Chocolate in Asheville, NC created the most adorable and delicious Leap Frogs to celebrate. Read the story of French Broad Chocolate here: from a tiny cafe in Costa Rica to internationally reviewed bars and bonbons.

French Broad Chocolate chocolate leap frogs are each hand painted by their talented chocolatiers and flavored with one of three delicious fillings. Each box is a unique work of art. Yum!

FLAVORS 

Raspberry Cream: All of the pink painted frogs are filled with a dreamy, creamy white chocolate and fresh raspberry filling. (4 each)

Orange Chocolate Caramel: The orange frogs are filled with our gooey, orange chocolatey caramel, made with coconut milk. (Vegan) (4 each)

Pistachio Cream: For our green painted frogs, we toast and stone-grind farm-direct pistachios with organic cocoa butter and sugar to make a salty & sweet nutty filling. (2 each)

Fun Froggy Fact: Cacao Bisiesto in Nicaragua is one of French Broad Chocolate's principle cacao producers. "Bisiesto" means "Leap Year" in Spanish which is the day they were founded eight years ago. Their chocolate is featured in the frogs' shells. The hand-painted designs were inspirted by the dart frogs in the jaungles of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, the source of much of their cacao.

Leap Day Chocolate Donuts: Traditions and Recipes

Leap Day, February 29, comes every four years and is the day that keeps our calendar in alignment with the Earth's revolutions around the Sun. Julius Caesar implemented the first leap day into his Julian Calendar in 45 BCE. At that time the leap day was February 24, and February was the last month of the year. In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian Calendar which we use today. This calendar has a more precise formula for calculation of leap years.

Leap Day is also a holiday of folklore and traditions. On February 29, according to Irish legend, it was a day when women could propose to men. This balanced things out in the same way that the leap day balanced the calendar. And if a man who refused the marriage proposal on Leap Day, he was subject to a fine.

Leap Year Chocolate Cake Donuts
Recipe from allrecipes

Ingredients
1/2 cups white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Directions
All ingredients should be room temperature (70 degrees F).
Beat sugar and eggs together until creamy and lemon colored.
Melt butter and chocolate together in small saucepan over low heat.
Beat into sugar and egg mixture.
In separate bowl combine vanilla and buttermilk. Stir into sugar mixture.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Stir into liquid mixture.
Chill dough slightly to make easier to handle. Roll out half dough on lightly floured board to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into doughnuts. Allow the cut doughnuts to dry for 10 minutes.
Heat 2 inches of oil to 370 degrees F in large skillet. Dough should be at room temperature before frying. Dip metal pancake turner into hot oil each time before using to move or turn a doughnut. Transfer doughnuts to skillet, one every 15 seconds.
Fry each doughnut about 90 seconds per side. Remove doughnuts and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining dough.
To make icing:
Beat sugar, egg white, and vanilla together until smooth.
Drizzle onto the doughnuts after they have cooled.