apples Archives | Page 6 of 8

I filled up about 4 notebooks with recipe tests and notes when I was developing products for Sweet Miscellany. On good days (i.e. the days when something turned out well) I felt like a chemist. On bad days it was hard to not feel like an absolute failure. But, I persevered because I wanted people with food allergies and sensitivities to be able to enjoy treats just like everyone else. Why shouldn’t someone with celiacs or lactose intolerance also be able to enjoy a doughnut? It just seemed really unfair. So I made it my mission to provide not just substitutes at the market, but damn good baked goods and treats period. And, I still continue with that tradition here on the blog.

Today I’m sharing a snickerdoodle in doughnut form because why the hell not? It’s similar to a cake doughnut in terms of density, but it’s also slightly chewy like a bagel. I developed this recipe around 3 or so years ago for the market but haven’t actually baked doughnuts since my last market season in 2014. What the what?! I figured I would do both me and you a favor and share this fall-appropriate version on the blog. The doughnut pan is sprinkled with cinnamon sugar prior to filling it with dough so that the tops of the doughnuts caramelize while they bake. And, if you want even more cinnamon sugar goodness, you can dredge the tops in more cinnamon sugar after baking.

Not a cinnamon sugar fan? You can leave it out for a basic baked doughnut ready for whatever glaze you’d like to drizzle over it. If you don’t have a doughnut pan you can make “doughnut holes” by baking the batter in a mini muffin pan. DOUGHNUT TIME!

p.s. It’s October!! I’m currently watching all things spooky and trying to come up with my Halloween costume. What October traditions do you guys partake in? Let me know in the comments 🙂

Baked Snickerdoodle Cake Doughnuts

60g brown rice flour
25g millet flour
35g arrowroot flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

69g full fat coconut milk (or whatever plant milk you like)
60g unsweetened applesauce (find a recipe here!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp dark maple syrup (Grade A)

cinnamon sugar: 2 tbsp raw cane sugar + 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease your doughnut pan with coconut oil. If you are using the cinnamon sugar mixture, sprinkle it into the wells of the doughnut pan. Mix together the dry and wet ingredients separately in two bowls. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until a smooth and thick batter forms. I like to pipe the dough into the pan (with either a pastry bag or ziploc bag) but that part is totally up to you. You can also spoon it into the pan. Once you have the dough in the pan tap it on the counter a few times to settle the dough and release any air bubbles. Bake the doughnuts 15-17 minutes until the top springs back when touched. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the doughnuts to cool for at least 15 minutes before un-molding them. Dredge the tops in more cinnamon sugar or eat as is. Makes 6 doughnuts.

I get great satisfaction and fulfillment out of making my own products at home instead of buying them at the store. Whether it’s homemade nut milk, bread, or applesauce, there’s something inherently gratifying when you can create something nourishing with your own two hands instead of buying it from someone else. There’s more intention and love behind it. And that definitely shines through in the finished product.

Back in the days when I still sold goods at the farmers market, I became rather adept at canning and preserving. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but it seems to be a lost art and skill. It’s something that our grandparents used to do out of necessity, but these days it seems more like a novelty.

To help resurrect the lost art of canning and preserving, I’m sharing with you the incredibly easy and fulfilling process of making your own shelf-stable applesauce . You don’t need a fancy water bath canner or equipment. In fact, as long as you have clean jars with new 2 piece lids, apples, a pot, and an oven, you’re in business. I always prefer my own applesauce to store-bought versions because it’s velvety smooth, full of flavor, and a beautiful golden hue. Plus, I can flavor it any way I like or leave it plain.

If you’d like to see any other tutorials on the blog, let me know in the comments 🙂

Homemade Applesauce

notes: for this batch I used a combination of Galas and Gingergold. Overall I’ve found Galas to be best in terms of consistency, texture, and flavor but honestly your applesauce will taste like the apples it’s made from so use the ones you like to eat. Feel free to use any spices you like. One of my more popular offerings at the market was a cinnamon vanilla bean variety that’s more akin to a dessert than humble applesauce. For a bit of perspective, I used a little more than 5 pounds of apples and it yielded 4 full pint jars with a couple of spoonfuls leftover for me to snack on.

Peeled and cored apples, roughly chopped
filtered water (1 cup for every 2 lbs of apples)
juice of 1/2 a small lemon

a large pot with a lid
clean jars & unused 2-piece lids (the lids that come with mason jars) — I used pint jars
a baking pan
a clean tea towel/dishtowel
a spatula or large spoon
an immersion blender or regular blender

Thoroughly clean your work space and any tools you will use before you get started. If you are planning on canning your jars and making them shelf stable, preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Line your baking sheet with a clean tea towel and arrange your clean jars and lids on it. Once the oven reaches 250 degrees, place the tray with the jars in the oven and leave them there for at least 30 minutes so that they will sterilize. The jars can remain in the oven until you are ready to fill them.

To make the applesauce, combine the apples, water, and lemon juice in a large pot over medium heat. Cover the pot with a lid. Allow the apples to cook, making sure to stir them every few minutes. When the apples are very tender and have started to break down, remove the pot from the heat and set the lid aside. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, puree the apples until you reach a consistency you like. I prefer a very smooth consistency myself. If you don’t have a blender you can use a potato masher. It will be a bit chunkier this way.

Return the applesauce to medium heat and cook it for an additional 5 minutes. Be careful not to get burned because it will splatter and sputter as it cooks. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat. Remove the jars from the oven and set them close by your pot. Fill each jar with the applesauce leaving about 1/2 an inch of headspace at the top of the jar (this allows the applesauce room to expand as it’s heated during the canning process). Once the jars are filled, gently tap them on the counter to help remove excess air bubbles. Then, using a clean damp paper towel, wipe any excess applesauce off the rim of the jars. Put the lids and rings on the jars, screwing on the rings until they are just finger-tight. Then, return the pan with the jars to the preheated oven. Leave them in the oven for 15 minutes to process.

After 15 minutes, remove the jars and allow them to sit undisturbed for one hour. You’ll hear the popping sound of the lids depressing as the jars cool and they seal themselves. After one hour check to make sure that the lids sealed (the center “button” will be depressed). If any jars have not sealed, put them in the fridge and consume within a couple of weeks. Allow the sealed jars to cool overnight or for at least 12 hours. Store in your pantry for up to one year. Once you open a jar, store it in the fridge and make sure to eat it within a couple of weeks (though I’ve had some jars last up to a month).