Canada Day Strawberry Filled Doughnuts

Happy Canada Day!

All over Canada families and friends will be gathering to celebrate Canada's birthday.

If you live in Canada you already know that a Canadian favorite place to meet for coffee is the local doughnut shop.  

We stopped in ourselves for coffee and picked up some Tim Horton  Honey Crullers  for our Canada Day dessert.

 As far as I can tell, a glazed honey cruller is basically deep fried cream puff dough.

I thought it might make a great way to make cream puffs without heating up the oven on a hot day and a great way to make a quick dessert.

 I used an electric knife to slice them in half.

If you don't have an electric knife, use a sharp serrated knife.

I then gently removed the soft part inside which is much like we do with cream puffs.
I then filled them and served them "open faced".
Six doughnuts makes enough for 12 servings.

For smaller appetites,

I used some of the little honey cruller tim bits and stuffed them with whipped cream and strawberries.

• Tim Horton Honey Cruller doughnuts and doughnut holes
• fresh berries
• 2 cups whipping cream (for one dozen doughnuts and 20 timbits
• 2 packages Dr. Oetker Whip It cream stabilizer or 2 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding
• 1/4 cup powdered / icing sugar

1. Slice doughnuts in half using a electric knife or serrated knife.
2. Remove the soft part of in the inside of the doughnut.
3. Wash and dry strawberries and slice and dice into small pieces.
4. Whip cream with stabilizer or instant pudding and powdered sugar until stiff.
5. Place whipped cream into a piping bag with a star tip, fill the doughnut and top with strawberry pieces and then garnish with a few more stars of whipped cream.
6. Refrigerate until serving time.  These filled doughnuts are best when doughnuts are purchased and and put together on the same day.

Rollkuchen

Every Mennonite recipe book needs at least a few different recipes for Rollkuchen. . .and that way when you are out of ingredients for one of the recipes. . maybe you'll have the ingredients for another. . . This recipe is my mother in laws. . .and I've been making it this way. . .for 31 years. . .with no complaints.

Rollkuchen

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 3 farm fresh eggs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 3 cups of flour

1. Mix these ingredients together and knead into a ball.
2. Wrap the dough up and refrigerate it for a few hours.

Letting it sit makes it so much easier to roll out.Rolling it thin, makes a crisper roll kuchen and leaving it a bit thicker makes for a softer roll kuchen. No doubt you'll be making them a few times in summer, so you can experiment on how you prefer them.
Because the dough is rich, its very easy to work with. No sticking problems.Cut the dough into about 3 -4 long strips and then cut across to make rectangular shapes.
Cut 2 slits in the middle of each so that they don't become one big balloon in the hot fat. You can also cut one slit. . .and pull the dough through. . .for a change.
Heat some fat up in a large pot. I use Canola Oil.
When the fat has little bubbles coming to the surface, it is likely hot enough, but put in a small piece of dough to test it. It should start to bubble around the dough quickly and rise to the surface.
Put the fried rollkuchen on paper towels to cool. Serve with Cold Watermelon. ..and some Rogers Syrup on the side.

Bread for the Journey

May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

may the Lord rejoice in his works.

He looks at the earth, and it trembles;

he touches the mountains, and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord all my life;

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

May my meditation be pleasing to him,

as I rejoice in the Lord.

Psalm 104: 31 - 34

Have a Blessed Sunday.

All for now. . .

with love,

Cream Puffs

Cream puffs are a favorite dessert in our family. We like them served with whipped cream and peaches or strawberries or with a vanilla pudding and whipped cream and chocolate drizzled on top.
This recipe can be doubled and you may want to because they disappear really fast!

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 large eggs

1. In a medium sized saucepan bring water and butter to boil.
2. Stir in flour, sugar and salt, stirring constantly until mixture forms into a ball. Remove from heat.
3. Beat in eggs one at a time until mixture is smooth.
4. Scoop mixture on baking sheet at least 2" apart.
5. Bake in a 400º oven for 15 minutes, then lower temperature to 350º for 30 minutes.
6. Turn oven off and with oven door slightly ajar allow puffs to dry out for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
7. Best served fresh. They can be frozen and reheated. 
8. Yield: 9 medium sized puffs

Raspberry Glaze for a Raspberry Custard Pie

It is Raspberry Pie seaon.  This summers raspberry pie features a glaze made with part of the fresh raspberries.  Last year I featured my  raspberry custard pie using a bit of raspberry jam glaze.  It is a bit redundant and yet I like the option of different glazes and perhaps you do too. You should also take a look at Judy's Raspberry Glaze which features raspberry jello.  I have also made that one many times with raspberries, strawberries and peaches. . . Like I said, we want to provide you with options.

• one baked pie shell 

Custard

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 egg yolks

Fresh Raspberry Glaze

• 4 cups raspberries
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Custard Instructions

1. Combine the 1/3 sugar and the first 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a small  saucepan.
2. Stir in the milk and the egg yolks and bring to a boil over medium heat. . stirring continually.
3. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then pour into the baked pie shell and allow to cool in the refrigerator.

The Raspberry Glaze

1. Take 1 cup of the raspberries and combine them with the water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil and allow to simmer 4 minutes.
2. Strain the berries and discard the berries. . .but save the juice.
3. Combine the 1 cup sugar and the 3 tablespoons cornstarch in a small bowl and then add to the juice with a whisk  If you do not combine the sugar and cornstarch first. .you will have lumps.
4. Stir over medium heat until the glaze clears and comes to a simmer.
5. Arrange one layer of berries over the custard and drizzle half the glaze over . . .and repeat.
6. Refrigerate  for several hours to set and decorate with sweetened whipped cream

Fresh Strawberry Pie

There is nothing quite like fresh strawberries bursting with the sweet flavour of early summer..... 

unless.... it is fresh strawberries piled high in a tender pastry crust and topped with a sweet fruit glaze.

The only thing that can improve this pie is a dollop of slightly sweetened whipped cream flavoured 

with just a hint of vanilla.

This pie is best served the same day you make it.  

The juice from the berries will make the crust soggy by the second day. 

• Approximately 3-4 quarts of  whole fresh strawberries, washed and hulled. Leave one large berry with the green hull attached to use as a garnish.
• 1 baked pastry crust
• Whipped cream for serving.

For the glaze:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup crushed strawberries (try to crush them as much as possible so that they are almost pureed.
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind, if desired

1. Wash berries and lay out on a paper towel and pat dry. Set aside.
2. Prepare glaze:
3. Mix sugar and cornstarch in microwave safe bowl.
4. Add crushed berries, juices, water and lemon rind and stir well.
5. Microwave at 1 minute intervals, stirring after each minute, until mixture thickens.
6. Cool slightly in a cold ice water bath, stirring frequently.
7. In the meantime, fill baked pie shell with berries. Place each starwberry pointed side up, starting on the outside and making circles of berries towards the centre until the bottom of the pie shell is covered.  It's nice if the berries are of fairly uniform size.
8. Spoon about 1/3 of the glaze over berries until they are covered.
9. Make another layer of berries, repeating the circular pattern with the points up.
10. Again, spoon glaze over berries.
11. Starting from the centre this time, make 2 more circles of berries (there should be one berry in the very centre) And cover with the rest of the glaze.
12. Take the strawberry reserved for the garnish, and cut slices from the point  almost to the stem, keeping the hull and top part of the berry intact.  Gently spread the slices of the berry open and place in centre of pie.
13. Refrigerate for several hours.
14. Serve pie with a dollop of whipped cream.

Donuts

I started a tradition that wasn't really meant to be a tradition, but when you are Mennonite and do something once that went over well and everyone liked it HAS to become tradition......."awe come on mom, we did it last year". So hence a new tradition had begun. Each child is allowed to invite their friends, cousins, second, third cousins, whom ever they wish. The first year that we did it my sister in-love and I didn't know how many the recipe would make so to be on the safe side the Mennonite in us came out and quadrupled the recipe. After all we wanted to make sure there was plenty. CAUTION..........unless you want to feed the masses of 500 or more DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT quadruple the recipe. We made hundreds, fried for hours, we were covered in a thin layer of grease ourselves. We invited another family, then more families, then people from church, neighbours. They ALL got eaten. Donuts need to be eaten fresh. Set an afternoon aside, set up a Coleman stove outside so your house doesn't smell like a deep fryer, invite the people you love and just enjoy. I must say that fun was had by all. Oh by the way I only doubled the recipe this time, I am sure the teenagers ate a dozen each. The boys for sure did. It made about 200.

Raised Donuts or (Donuts originally from the Mennonite Treasury Cookbook)

• 1 tablespoon quick rise yeast
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups scalded milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening ( I used oil)
• About 6 cups flour

1. Add dry yeast to 3 cups flour, salt and sugar. 
2. Scald milk, add 1 cup water, oil and beaten eggs. 
3. Mix in enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for about 5 minutes. 
4. Let rise approximately 1/2 hour. 
5. Roll into 1/4-1/2" thick and cut into desired shape with either a donut cutter or cookie cutter.
6. Deep fry until golden brown. 
7. Careful that the oil doesn't get too hot, usually cooking on medium heat to medium high is enough. 
8. Glaze while warm in following glaze.

Glaze:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 milk

Bring to boil, take off heat and add

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Whisk ingredients together, keep on a low element.
2. Dip the warm donuts into the glaze and place on parchment lined cookie sheets to dry.
3. Enjoy.

Strawberry Ice Cream and Oreo Crust Pie

Here is another super quick  no bake dessert for a hot summer night.

• 1 1/4 cups oreo crumbs
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk 
• 1 1/2 cup cold whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2  - 2 cups strawberries, pureed in blender or food processor to make 3/4 cup
• red food coloring (optional)

1. Combine oreo crumbs and melted butter and press on the bottom and sides of a deep dish pie dish.  Refrigerate while making filling.
2. Combine sweetened condensed milk, whipping cream and vanilla in a large bowl and beat on high until soft peaks form.  
3. Add strawberry puree and stir together gently until combined.  Add a drop of red food coloring to enhance the pink if desired. 
4. Pour into chocolate cookie crust and freeze until firm. 
5. Garnish with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.

Icelandic Donuts ~ Kleinur

I always enjoy sampling the traditional foods when visiting another country.  We were recently in Iceland and made sure we tried their Kleinur...a slightly sweet deep-fried bread which is rather like a twisted donut.  They are available in every bakery or coffee shop in the country.  I decided to give this Icelandic treat a taste-test in my own kitchen and I will share my version, which is quite similar to my Rollkuchen recipe. It is the addition of the aromatic spices (cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon) that sets them apart.

• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon each of cardamon, cinnamon, nutmeg (or use 1 1/2 teaspoons total of your favorite)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)

1. Combine 4 cups flour with sugar, baking powder, salt and spices.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk and sour cream. 
3. Add liquids to flour mixture and stir to incorporate.
4. Continue to add flour until a soft (but not sticky) dough is formed.
5. Divide dough into two balls and chill for at least 30 minutes.
6. Roll each piece out thin on a floured surface. Cut long strips about 2 inches wide and then cut diagonally across to for diamond-shaped pieces, using a pizza cutter or pastry wheel. Cut a small slit in the centre of each piece, and gently pull one end through the slit to make a twist in the donut. 
7. Deep fry in hot oil until golden on one side.  Flip and fry on the other side until golden.
8. Serve 'hot off the grill' dusted in confectioner's sugar, or leave them plain and dip in sugar while eating. 

Someone 'near and dear' who was born in Iceland, recommended that we try Kleiner.  One of these days I'll have her sample my version and see if they pass the test.

Food for Thought

She provides food for her family...
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
Prov. 31 : 15, 20