Deep Fried Homicide (The Donut Shop Mysteries) (22 page)

“You’re welcome,” I told him.

“Is everyone all right in here?” Momma asked as she joined us in the kitchen.  “Phillip, you rushed out of the living room as though you’d seen a ghost.”

“We’re all fine,” I said.  “Momma, are you sure you wouldn’t rather go someplace nicer for your wedding reception?” I asked her.

“Where could we possibly go that has more ambience than our kitchen?” she asked me.

“You’re right, on both counts,” I said as I hugged her again.

“I’m confused.  Both counts?” Momma asked me.

“This place has all of the atmosphere anyone could ever need, and it will always be how you just described it.  This is our kitchen, even if you aren’t living here anymore.  You know that, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.  I love you, daughter of mine.”

“I love you, too, Momma,” I answered.

And then, as if on cue, the oven timer went off.

“Is anybody hungry?” I asked the three of them.

Both men nodded. 

“I’d stay out of our way if I were you,” Jake said.  “We’re both starving.”

“Then let’s see if we can do something about that and get everyone fed with this bounty.”

As we ate, it felt so good to have my world back, even though it had changed forever less than an hour ago.  Momma was a married woman again for the first time in a long time, and she was living somewhere else to boot, even though it was still in April Springs. 

I wondered how our lives would change now that she and Phillip were married.  After Jake recovered and went back to work, I’d be on my own in the cottage, truly alone for the first time in my life.

To my surprise, I found that I was looking forward to it.  I’d gone from being Momma’s daughter to Max’s wife and then back to Momma’s daughter again without ever experiencing what it was like to live by myself. 

Not that I’d ever truly be alone. 

After all, when Jake finished recovering from his bullet wound, he would be back in April Springs every time he got the chance whenever his job allowed it, and Momma was just a three-minute drive away.  It didn’t hurt that my best friend, Grace, was just a few steps down the road as well.

Still, for what it was worth, I’d have my own space, a place to call mine.

I loved every last person in my life, but it might be nice to finally be on my own.

RECIPES

TWIST ON AN OLD STANDBY

In the course of this series so far, I’ve included well over a hundred recipes for more donuts than any one person should ever eat.  It occurs to me that it might not be a bad idea to go back every now and then and try different takes on basic ideas.  These donuts are basic, but there’s nothing mundane about the way they taste!  Give them a try.  I think you might just like them!

INGREDIENTS

Dry

2 packets rapid rise yeast (about half an ounce)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh is best, but store-bought is good, too)

4-5 cups flour (cake flour can be substituted)

Wet

1 and 1/4 cups half and half (whole milk, 2 percent, or even 1 percent can be substituted)

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1/3 cup water, warm

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

Glaze

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 vanilla bean, scraped (optional for richer flavor, but a bit pricey)

1 and 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

3-4 Tablespoons hot water, or as needed

Oil for Frying

Canola or Peanut Oil, about 1 quart

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small bowl, add the warm water and then sprinkle the yeast packets in.  I like to use a wooden spoon for this step to give the yeast every chance.  In three to five minutes, the yeast should be incorporated and there should be some foam on the top.  After the yeast has dissolved, take a larger bowl and mix the yeast, salt, nutmeg, half and half, sugar, melted butter, and eggs together with a wooden spoon.  After that is blended thoroughly, add 2 cups of flour and beat on low speed with a hand mixer until smooth.  Next, add more flour, half a cup at a time, until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  On a floured surface, knead the dough by hand until it is smooth.  Check the dough by touching it in the center with your finger.  It should feel somewhat elastic at this point.  Next, roll the dough out until it’s about 1/2 inch thick, and then cut the donuts out with a donut cutter.  If you don’t have one available, try using two different sized glasses.  This will do in a pinch.  After all, this part of the operation isn’t that precise.  Cover the donuts loosely with a light cloth in a warm place for about an hour to give them a chance to raise.  After forty minutes, bring your oil to 350 degrees F.  As the oil is heating, melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the sugar, vanilla, and vanilla bean caviar.  Mix thoroughly, thinning with hot water as needed.

When the oil reaches the proper temperature, fry the donuts in shifts, taking care not to overcrowd your frying pan.  Turn the donuts as they rise to the surface and fry another few minutes.  Total time could vary, but should take approximately 4-7 minutes total.  Remove the donuts from the oil and place on a wire cooling rack.  Dip your donuts into the glaze while they’re still hot, and then enjoy! 

Yields 6-8 donuts
.

DIPPING DONUT STICKS

These are a favorite of ours in cold weather.  While the basic recipe can be used for several different shapes and styles of fried donuts, we like ours as long and narrow rectangles, perfect for those who prefer their donuts dipped in coffee, hot chocolate, or anything else yummy.  An added bonus is that you don’t need special cutters for this donut, or be forced to improvise if you need to like the earlier recipe above.  My favorite size for these are created by making cuts about an inch apart and four to five inches long. 

INGREDIENTS

2 packets rapid rise yeast (about half an ounce)

1/3 cup water, warm

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh is best, but store-bought is good, too)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

4-5 cups flour (cake flour can be substituted)

Simple Glaze

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1-2 tablespoons hot water, as needed

Oil for Frying

Canola or Peanut Oil, about 1 quart

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large bowl, add the warm water and then sprinkle the yeast packets in.  Stir until somewhat incorporated.  In four to five minutes, the yeast should be dissolved and there should be some foam on the top.  It’s important to use yeast before its expiration date, so if you’re not getting any foam, check the date, and also the temperature of your water.  After the yeast has dissolved, mix into the yeast blend the beaten eggs, evaporated milk, melted butter, white sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.  Once that’s mixed in, add two cups of flour and mix thoroughly.  At that point, you’ll be adding a cup of flour at a time until you get a smooth and consistent ball of dough.  Remove it from the bowl and turn it out onto a well-floured surface.  Knead the dough for about five minutes.  It should be smooth and elastic at this point.  Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rest 15 minutes in a warm place that’s not drafty.  I like to use my oven, turned off, but with the light on.  I find it emits enough heat to do the job properly.

Next, roll the dough out onto the floured surface until it’s between 1/2 and 1/4 inch thick.  Using your knife or a pizza wheel cutter, cut the dough into one-inch strips, then cut the strips to be 4 to 5 inches long.  I’ve found that this size fries best in my particular fryer.  Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, and then lay out your strips out so that they’re not touching.  This may take more than one cookie sheet.  Put them back in the unlit oven and let them raise for another hour.  They should come close to doubling in size by then.  Heat your oil, and once it hits 350 degrees, fry these two or three at a time, taking care not to overcrowd your pot.  After about three minutes, flip one over and check for a golden brown color.  Let them go another three minutes, remove, and drain on a wire rack.  While the next batch is in the pot, drizzle or dunk your sticks in the glaze and set aside to cool completely.

Yields 8-12 sticks
.

MY VERSION OF CRONUTS

I get so excited when the world sits up and takes notice of donuts.  The latest craze is a new invention called the cronut, a delightful cross between a donut and a croissant.  While I’m not about to try to duplicate the donut chefs who originally created this confection, I’ve been able to come up with something that I think is delicious.  This one’s quite a bit more work than my usual offerings, so be warned, make sure you have a lot of free time the day you try these, because it’s a much longer process than I usually prefer, but I thought that this would be fun to at least try.

INGREDIENTS

1 packet rapid rise yeast (about a quarter of an ounce)

1/4 cup water, warm

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup buttermilk (whole, 2%, or 1% will do fine as a substitute)

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided into three portions of 3 tablespoons each

3 tablespoons granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh is best, but store-bought is good, too)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3-4 cups flour (cake flour can be substituted)

Cronut Glaze

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons buttermilk, as needed (whole, 2%, or 1% will do fine as a substitute)

Oil for Frying

Canola or Peanut Oil, about 1 quart

INSTRUCTIONS

I like to use my stand mixer for this recipe, but feel free to use a hand mixer or even a wooden spoon to incorporate all of the ingredients.  In the mixer’s bowl, add the warm water and then sprinkle the yeast packets in.  Stir until somewhat incorporated.  In four to five minutes, the yeast should be dissolved and there should be some foam on the top.  After the yeast has dissolved, mix into the yeast blend the beaten eggs, buttermilk, 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, white sugar, vanilla extract, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.  Mix on low for about one minute, or until it’s all incorporated.  Once that’s mixed in, add in one and a half cups of flour and mix thoroughly, still with the whisk attachment.  At that point, you’ll be adding a cup of flour at a time until you get a smooth and consistent ball of dough.  Change over to a dough hook before you add more flour.  Once the ball has formed and pulls away from the side of the bowl, turn it out onto a floured space and knead for about one minute and shape it into a ball.  Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for 25 to 30 minutes.  After that time, take the dough out of the fridge, unwrap it, and dust it with flour.  Next, roll the dough out onto the floured surface until it’s somewhere between 1/2 and 1/4 inch thick.  Spread 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter on the center portion of the dough, fold a third of the dough over, spread 3 more tablespoons over the folded part, and then complete the fold with the last third of the dough.  Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, and then place your dough on the sheet.  Cover it lightly with plastic wrap and return it to the refrigerator for another half hour.  After the half hour is up, remove the sheet from the fridge and put the dough on a floured surface.  Gently pat it out until it forms a sheet about 8 inches by twelve.  It should be anywhere between 1/2 and 1/4 inch thick at this point.  Fold the dough into thirds again, and then place on the resprayed cookie sheet, covering with plastic wrap again.  Refrigerate for 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours.  After that time has elapsed, take out the cookie sheet and transfer the dough to the lightly floured surface again.  Roll out the dough again until it’s around 1/2 inch thick all the way around.  Using your donut cutter, cut out donuts from the dough, place on a sprayed cookie sheet, and let rise for about an hour in your unheated oven with the light on for gentle warmth.  Heat your oil, and once it hits 350 degrees, fry these two or three at a time, taking care not to overcrowd your pot flipping them after about two minutes on one side.  These will puff up as they cook, so don’t worry about it.  Drain the cronuts on a wire rack, and then drizzle them lightly with the glaze recipe above.