Well Chanukah is around the corner, and we all love those doughnuts. well last week I decided to try to experiment and baked some doughnuts... well they came out amazing..even two days later they still taste great. I hope I can reproduce it or maybe I was having a lucky night. Look for recipe at the bottom of page.
So why I don't I just fry them? well for one I am weight conscious and two heating oil is not good for you.
Let's talk about olive oil- the greatest oil for the heart.
Apparently bringing olive oil to a smoking point creates a health risk as it increases the amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs. The finer the extra virgin olive oil the worse it is
PAH
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are a group of chemicals which are formed when petroleum, petroleum products, coal, wood, cellulose, corn, or oil are burned. There are over 100 PAHs which have been studied. During oxidation and detoxification in the liver they are thought to form substances which damage DNA, starting a chain of events which could lead to cancer. A few of them have been classified by the EPA and The Department of Health and Human Services as carcinogenic. Bringing any type of oil to a smoking point can increase the amounts of PAHs Oil of any kind which has been heated repeatedly to its smoking point will lose its natural antioxidants and accumulate free radicals and other cancer causing substances. Let's see what Dr. Hari has to say, and then try my doughnuts.
FREE RADICALS: A MAJOR CAUSE OF AGING AND DISEASE
by: Sharma, Hari, M.D.
Dr. Sharma is Professor of Pathology and Director of the Cancer Prevention and Natural Products Research at the Ohio State University College of Medicine. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Pathology, and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is a consultant to the National Institute of Health, Alternative Medicine Section. He has lectured around the world to medical audiences including the World Health Organization. He has published over 100 scientific research articles and has recently published Freedom From Disease, a book about free radical control, based on India's traditional health care system, ayurveda.
FAT Unsaturated fat is of two types: polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Polyunsaturated fat is not good; it ultimately causes damage. Polyunsaturated fat has multiple double bonds which can become oxidized and cause an increased production of free radicals and increased incidence of colon cancer. All these vegetable oils are polyunsaturated fatty acids which become very easily oxidized. Oxidation also occurs in fried foods and meats. It is in beef, lamb and chicken. Monounsaturated fat does not get oxidized and these are olive oil and mustard oil. Olive oil increases high density lipoproteins (HDL - good cholesterol) and vegetable oil decreases them. All those are all right. But stay away from polyunsaturated oils. And don't heat your olive oil too high.
GHEE Clarified butter, known as ghee, contains the conjugated linoleic acid which has anti-cancer properties. Casein which is a harmful protein is removed by this process. You take the butter, slowly heat it until butter solids precipitate on the top and then you filter it through a cloth and you will have a liquid that can be stored at room temperature. This is the best combination of different fatty acids for human consumption. Safflower oil and most vegetable oils get oxidized and damage the liver and heart. Clarified butter does not cause this damage.
SESAME OIL which is cold pressed is very powerful. It contains natural antioxidants and when it is cured by heating, the long molecular chains are broken down to shorter chains and become very powerful antioxidants. When you massage your whole body with sesame oil, apart from the nice effect of massage, you are also introducing antioxidants.
So after all Chanukah is here and my doughnuts were success. Healthier than frying for sure and less calories for sure, try them you wont be able to eat just one.
Baked Doughnuts
Doughnuts:
•1 1/3 cups warm milk, 95 to 105 degrees
•2 teaspoons instant yeast
•2 tablespoons butter, I used earth balance palm oil
•2/3 cup granulated sugar or evaporated cane sugar
•2 large eggs
•5 cups all-purpose flour : 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour + 3 cups all purpose flour = 5 cups
•A pinch or two of nutmeg, freshly grated
•1 teaspoon salt
Topping:
•1/2 cup butter, melted
•½ cup honey cup + ½ cup granulated sugar
•1 tablespoon cinnamon
•Directions
•Place the warm milk in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the yeast and sugar. Add the butter. Mix the eggs, flour, nutmeg, and salt. Beat the dough with the dough hook attachment (or with a wooden spoon and eventually your hands) for 2-3 minutes at medium speed. Adjust the dough texture by adding flour a few tablespoons at a time or more milk. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and be very soft and smooth but still slightly sticky - don't overflour! Knead the dough for a few minutes (again, by mixer or by hand) and then transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size (the exact time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen).
•
•Punch down the dough and roll it out to about 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured counter. Using a doughnut cutter or a 2-3 inch circle cookie cutter, cut out circles in the dough. Carefully transfer the circles to a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet and stamp out the smaller inner circles using a smaller cutter. Be sure to make the holes large enough that as the doughnuts rise again and bake, they don't fill in the doughnut hole with the puffiness of the dough. Cover the tray with lightly greased plastic wrap. (At this point, you can refrigerate the doughnuts overnight or proceed with the recipe.) Let the doughnuts rise for about another 45 minutes, until they are puffed and nearly doubled.
•Bake in a 375 degree F oven until the bottoms are just golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Start checking the doughnuts around minute 8. They should still be pale on top, not golden and browned, and just baked through.
•Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let cool for 1-2 minutes. Dip each one in the melted butter and toss or sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar. Serve immediately
Printed from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com) with Surie Weinberg's changes. 416-890-4928
and my quinoa doughnuts were a great success as well but more like a muffin:
Ingredients
•1 cup whole wheat white flour (or gluten free baking mix), minus 2 tablespoons
•1/2 cup quinoa flour
•2 tablespoons corn starch
•2 tsp baking powder
•1 tsp salt
•¾ cup coconut palm sugar (or sugar of choice)
•¼ teaspoon cinnamon
•1 T butter or earth balance, melted and cooled slightly
•2 eggs or egg replacer
•1 cup cooked quinoa
•1 cup buttermilk (Or 1 cup almond milk mixed with 1 T lemon juice)
•1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.Measure out a cup of whole wheat white flour.
3.Remove two tablespoons of the flour and return to the flour bin.
4.Place flours in a sifter and add two tablespoons of corn starch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, coconut palm sugar and cinnamon.
5.Sift.
6.Place melted butter, eggs or egg replacer, quinoa, buttermilk and vanilla in a blender or food processor.
7.Process until smooth.
8.Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
9.Place batter (it will be thick) in a miniature cake doughnut pan about 2/3 of the way full.
10.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. (If you are using a full size doughnut pan you will need to adjust cooking time accordingly.)
11.Remove from oven and take a butter knife and run it around the edges of the donuts.
12.Allow to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes and remove from pan, using the butter knife again on the ones that do not easily pop out.
13.Allow to completely cool on a wire rack.
14.Top with glaze or sugar.
15.To make sugar donuts, place evaporated cane sugar (or other sugar of choice) in a plastic bag and and 2 to 3 cooled donuts at a time.
16.Shake until coated.
17.To make a glaze, combine 1/4 cup water and a teaspoon of vanilla in a small sauce pan.
18.Heat until warm and add 2 cups of confectioners sugar.
19.Stir with a whisk until smooth.
20.Dip donuts and top with sprinkles if desired.
21.Allow to sit on a wire rack or parchment paper for 10 minutes prior to serving.
22.Makes 24 mini doughnuts
Important Numbers
