National Donut Day: Make Mine Chocolate

The first Friday in June is National Doughnut Day celebrating the doughnut, an edible, ring shaped piece of dough which is deep-fried and sweetened. This holiday event began in 1938 as a Chicago Salvation Army fundraiser for much needed funds during the depression. The day also recognized special women known as "Doughnut Lassies" who made and served doughnuts to homesick WWI soldiers in France, since doughnuts were thought to be the quintessential American food. Here's a song from a 1918 songbook celebrating doughnuts in WWI.

“A doughnut’s just a doughnut, boys, ’til you are “over there,”
And day and night you’re in a trench away in France somewhere;
You get a fresh-made doughnut, seems it comes from heaven above,
That doughnut, boys, reminds you of a slice of mother’s love.”

Read more.

The history of donuts, like so many foods, is debatable. Some believe that Dutch settlers brought doughnut making techniques from Holland. Hostess Donuts were first launched in the 1930's at a time in our history were looking for inexpensive ways to treat themselves. America's favorite doughnut is glazed, followed by chocolate, powdered sugar and plain.

There are 10 billion donuts made every year.

For a wonderful entry about Donut Day, you'll want to go to: Months of Edible Celebrations' website. Not only is there a great discussion of the history, but Months of Edible Celebrations includes recipes from The Donut Book by Sally Levitt Steinberg, granddaughter of Adolph Levitt, the inventor of the first doughnut machine (1920). As Louise says in her entry, "Sally brings the doughnut to life." You've got to read this.

And it may not be too late today to sample some Free Donuts at your favorite donut shop. Check here.

Chocolate Fudge Cake Donuts
I love this recipe from King Arthur Flour. It always works, and it's easy since you can bake these. The donuts come out moist, dense, and dark.  Icing is optional, but if you're a true chocoholic, you'll want to ice these donuts and add chocolate sprinkles. That makes it quadruple chocolate! 

Ingredients
2/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon espresso powder, optional  (but I think it enhances the flavor)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
 2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 2 teaspoons vinegar, white or cider
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) melted butter or 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Chocolate icing, optional
1 cup chocolate chips
4 tablespoons milk or half & half

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the wells of two standard doughnut pans. If you don't have two pans, simply bake the batter in two batches.
In large mixing bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, espresso powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Set aside.
In large measuring cup or medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and vinegar. You may notice some curdling of the milk; that's OK. Add wet ingredients, along with  melted butter or vegetable oil, to dry ingredients, stirring to blend; there's no need to beat batter, just make sure everything is well-combined.
Spoon batter into prepared pan(s), filling between 3/4 and full.
Bake doughnuts for 12 to 15 minutes, or until  toothpick inserted into center of one comes out clean.
Remove doughnuts from oven, and after 30 seconds or so, loosen their edges, turn pan upside down over rack, and gently let doughnuts fall onto the rack.
For sugar-coated doughnuts, immediately shake doughnuts in 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; add 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder to sugar for an additional touch of chocolate.
If you want to ice doughnuts rather than shake in sugar, allow to cool completely before icing.

To make icing: 
Combine chocolate chips and milk or half & half in microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Heat until half & half is steaming and starting to bubble. Remove from microwave, and stir until chips have melted and icing is smooth.
Dip top of each doughnut in the icing; or spread icing on doughnuts.

Rocky Road Truffles: Rocky Road Ice Cream Day

Photo: California Walnuts

Today is Rocky Road Ice Cream Day! I'm a huge fan of Rocky Road Ice Cream, and I've posted recipes for Rocky Road Ice Cream Pie, Rocky Road Ice Cream Sandwiches and more. But for today's holiday I thought I'd post this fun recipe the appeared on the California Walnuts site. Always good to go to food association sites for ideas and recipes.

And, personally I can never have too many truffle recipes. This recipe was created by Emily Luchetti, pastry chef at two of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco -- Farallon and Waterbar. She also has several excellent cookbooks. This is an easy recipe that I know you'll enjoy. If you're a purist, you can always have some Rocky Road Ice Cream to celebrate!

Rocky Road Ice Cream, by the way, was 'invented' in Oakland,  CA, which makes it pretty special to me, since I live in the Oakland/Berkeley area. One story goes that the Rocky Road ice cream flavor was created in March 1929 by William Dreyer in Oakland, CA. He cut up walnuts and marshmallows with his wife's sewing scissors and added them to his chocolate ice cream that reflected his partner Joseph Edy's chocolate candy that used walnuts and marshmallow pieces. Later the walnuts were replaced by toasted almonds. Fenton's Creamery in Oakland claims that William Dreyer based his recipe on a Rocky-Road style ice cream flavor invented by his friend, Fentons' George Farren, who blended his own Rocky Road-style candy bar into ice cream.  So however it came into existence, be sure and have a scoop of Rocky Road Ice Cream... or make some Rocky Road Truffles.

ROCKY ROAD TRUFFLES

Ingredients
6 Tbsp heavy cream
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup mini marshmallows cut in half (use scissors it’s much easier)
1/2 cup walnuts cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup milk chocolate chip or 1/4 inch pieces
1/3 cup cocoa powder

Directions
Warm cream in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until hot and bubbling around edges, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate. Swirl pan lightly so chocolate is covered by cream. Cover and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Whisk occasionally until room temperature. Stir in marshmallows, walnuts and milk chocolate chips.

Spread chocolate cream in 9-inch pan or pie plate. Refrigerate until hard, at least 1 hour.

Form chocolate into balls using heaping teaspoon for each, placing them in single layer on pan.

Refrigerate until hard.

Place cocoa powder on plate or in small bowl. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

One at time, place chocolate balls in cocoa powder. Dust palms with cocoa powder and lightly roll the truffles between your palms until round. (The cocoa powder keeps them from sticking to your hands.) Roll in cocoa powder.

(If at any point the chocolate gets too warm and the truffles become difficult to roll, refrigerate the chocolate for 30 minutes until it firms up.)

National Doughnut Day: Free Donuts, History, and Recipe

National Doughnut (Donut) Day falls on the first Friday in June. Doughnut Day was created by The Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the women who served doughnuts to soldiers during World War I.

Normally I would post this on National Doughnut Day, but since many American doughnut shops offer free donuts on National Doughnut Day, I thought you'd want to plan ahead. Check out the list below--or check with your local donut shop!


National Doughnut Day started as a fund raiser for Chicago's The Salvation Army. Their goal was to help the needy during the Great Depression, and to honor The Salvation Army "Lassies" of World War I, who served doughnuts to soldiers.

National Doughnut Day celebrates the doughnut, an edible, ring shaped piece of dough which is deep-fried and sweetened. This holiday event began in 1938 as a Chicago Salvation Army fundraiser for much needed funds during the depression. The day also recognized special women known as "Doughnut Lassies" who made and served doughnuts to homesick WWI soldiers in France, since doughnuts were thought to be the quintessential American food. Here's a song from a 1918 songbook celebrating doughnuts in WWI.

A doughnut’s just a doughnut, boys, ’til you are “over there,”
And day and night you’re in a trench away in France somewhere;
You get a fresh-made doughnut, seems it comes from heaven above,
That doughnut, boys, reminds you of a slice of mother’s love.”

Doughnuts are popular in many countries and prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty outlets. They are usually deep-fried from flour dough, and shaped in rings or flattened spheres that sometimes contain fillings. Other types of batters can also be used, and various toppings and flavorings are used for different types.

For a wonderful entry on Doughnut Day, go to Months of Edible Celebrations for a great discussion of the history and a recipe from Entenmann's Big Book of Baking for Chocolate Cake Donuts, as well as information about The Donut Book by Sally Levitt Steinberg, granddaughter of Adolph Levitt, the inventor of the first doughnut machine (1920). As Louise says in her entry, "Sally brings the doughnut to life." You've got to read this.

And, there are a lot of free doughnuts on Friday, June 3 this year! Subject to change, of course.

Krispie Kreme is giving out one free doughnut of any kind, no purchase necessary. (at participating stores)

LaMar's Donuts: Follow this Facebook link to get a “golden ticket” for a free donut on Friday, plus a free 16-ounce Lamar’s cup with any purchase.

Dunkin' Donuts: Buy any drink and they'll throw in a complimentary doughnut (while supplies last)

Randy's Donuts: Customers get free donut holes at this famous Los Angeles donut shop from 6 a.m. to noon.

Shipley Do-Nuts: is giving each customer one free do-nut (that's how they spell it!), 5 a.m. to noon.

Tim Horton's: is celebrating National Donut Day by handing out one free donut with any purchase made (one per customer).

Cumberland Farms: is giving out one free donut per customer buying a coffee or a fountain drink between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Honey Dew Donuts: Purchase any medium-sized beverage, and you'll get a free (Up) Beat Cancer Donut--chocolate frosted with blue and red sprinkles. This donut was created to raise cancer awareness.

Duck Donuts: Go to the Facebook page of Duck Donuts—a chain with dozens of East Coast locations  from the Jersey Shore to North Carolina—for a coupon valid for a free sugar donut on National Donut Day.

Doughnut Plant NYC: is giving out a free mini cake donut (one per order while supplies last).

Winn Dixie: locations in AL, FL, GA, LA & MS -- giving away one free "jumbo" donut hole to customers--one free per guest, per store visit, while supplies last.

Entenmann's Bakery will give away a total of more than 150,000 donuts in more than a dozen cities around the country, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Louisville, New Haven, New York City, and San Diego, plus Entenmann’s is hosting a sweepstakes on Facebook with 10 lucky winners getting free donuts for a year.

Look for other free donuts and celebrations in your town!
 

Here's the original  SALVATION ARMY LASSIES’ DOUGHNUT RECIPE . Not sure about the lard, but it's the original recipe, after all, so historical.


SALVATION ARMY LASSIES' DOUGHNUT RECIPE
Yield: 4 doz. doughnuts

Ingredients
5 cups flour
2 cups sugar
5 tsp baking powder
1 ‘saltspoon’ salt
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup milk
1 Tub lard (!!)

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients (except for lard) to make dough.
Thoroughly knead dough, roll smooth, and cut into rings that are less than 1/4 inch thick. (When finding items to cut out doughnut circles, be creative! Salvation Army doughnut girls used whatever they could find, from baking powder cans to coffee percolator tubes.)
Drop the rings into the lard, making sure the fat is hot enough to brown the doughnuts gradually.
Turn the doughnuts slowly several times.
When browned, remove doughnuts and allow excess fat to drip off.
Dust with powdered sugar. Let cool and enjoy.

Gluten-Free Hazelnut Chocolate Cake: Three Recipes

Some times you feel like a nut! Well today's the day! It's Hazelnut Cake Day, so it's time to get a bit nutty.

Did you know that a hazelnut is also known as a cob nut or filbert nut according to species? O.K. I don't know from cobs, but I do know about filberts. A filbert is a little more elongated.

I've always thought that hazel nuts reminded me of acorns, and I know you can't eat acorns, or at least I've been told that. Let the squirrels have them. But hazelnuts are fabulous, and they add texture and taste to many dishes and cakes.

I'm always looking for a Gluten-free cakes, and the following THREE cakes fit the bill. Ground nuts or nut flour give these cakes texture and a lot of taste. So, since today is National Hazelnut  Cake Day, I'm adding chocolate to celebrate the day with not one but THREE easy recipes. Both cakes are dense and decadent.

The first Flourless Hazelnut Chocolate Cake recipe is adapted from Jill Wilcox (appeared in the Toronto Sun), who adapted the original recipe from Gourmet Magazine. Flourless Chocolate Cakes are terrific! I've posted recipes HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE. So in this recipe, you'll love the additional unique hazelnut flavor.

Want to make these cakes even more delicious? Splash some Fra Angelico in the sweetened whipped cream topping before serving!

I. Flourless (Gluten-free) Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup sweet butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened DARK cocoa powder
1/3 cup finely roasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
sweetened whipped cream
Fra Angelico

Directions
Preheat oven to 375F. Grease 8-inch round cake pan. Line bottom with round of parchment paper.
Place chocolate in double boiler (or a saucepan over a saucepan with simmering water) along with butter. Stir until butter and chocolate are smooth and melted.
Remove from heat.
Whisk in eggs one at a time until smooth.
Sift cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.
Fold in hazelnuts.
Spoon into pan and bake for 25 minutes or until top has formed crust.
Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes. Run knife around the edge and invert onto plate.
Optional: Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream that has been flavored with a spoonful of Fra Angelico

If one recipe is good, two are even better. Here's another recipe for Flourless Hazelnut Chocolate Cake-- this time the Fra Angelico is in the batter! Adapted from Bon Appetit!

II. Flourless (Gluten-Free) Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

Ingredients:
6 large eggs
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup hazelnut liqueur --Fra Angelico, divided
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, at least 60 per cent cacao--75% is even better!
3/4 cup sweet butter, cut into chunks
1 cup finely ground hazelnuts (aka filberts)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup chilled whipping cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter 9-inch springform pan, line bottom with parchment paper and wrap outside with three layers of heavy foil.
Whisk eggs, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup liqueur in large bowl to blend.
Combine chocolate and butter in metal bowl over simmering water. Whisk until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Add to egg mixture and whisk. Add ground nuts and salt.
Transfer batter to pan. Place in large roasting pan (water bath) and pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up side of spring form pan. Tent loosely with foil. Bake until center is set and top is dry to touch, about 1-1/2 hours.
Remove from pan; remove foil. Cool cake in pan on rack. Chill at least 3 hours or overnight, covered.
Using electric mixer, beat cream and remaining 1/4 cup liqueur until soft peaks form, 6 to 8 minutes.
Run knife around pan to loosen, release and cut into wedges. Serve with whipped cream.

III. Flourless (Gluten-Free) Chocolate Hazelnut Cake 

Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp raw hazelnuts
7 Tbsp sweet butter
1/4 cup unsweetened DARK cocoa powder
3 1/2 ounces dark chocolate (70-75% cacoa)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9-inch tart dish or cake pan and line with foil.
Toast hazelnuts in oven or in nonstick saute pan on medium heat for 5 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Place nuts in food processor and pulse until nuts have flour-like texture.
In double boiler, melt chocolate and butter. Remove from heat when melted and stir in cocoa powder. In large bowl, mix together sugars, eggs, and vanilla until blended. Fold in hazelnut powder and chocolate mixture.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until cake is barely set, but not wobbly (a toothpick inserted into the cake will come out with wet crumbs). Do not overbake!
Cool to room temperature onrack and then store in the fridge until cake is set.
Bring to room temperature or briefly reheat before serving.