D is for…

Doughnut… Cookies that is! Today was Matheu’s show and tell and the letter of the week was D, so we made some “Doughnut Cookies”. When I started with our “letter-baking project” I already know I would be trying this cookies for letter d week. I saw them at Joe’s blog, Culinary in the Desert, and since then was just waiting for an excuse to bake them and have some fun in the kitchen. And fun we had yesterday! The cookies were super simple to make and the dough very easy to work with, plus Matheus had a blast with the decorations; our kitchen was happy and colorful, not to mention full of sprinkles!
I made the dough Tuesday and let it rest in the fridge overnight, baked the cookies yesterday morning and then Matheus and I decorated then in the afternoon. A fun project that was a hit with the kids at preschool!
The cookies are simple and not too sweet (which I like), so the glaze complements them well. Matheus loved his doughnuts and so did daddy, I was glad the recipe yielded a lot (48 cookies). And I could not believe when my “gourmet hubby” said he liked the doughnut cookies better than the macaroons…(can you tell he is definitely NOT a foodie?!?!?!)
A fun day in the kitchen, besides I am very pleased with having accomplished two successful cookie recipes in a row!
Thanks Joe for sharing your recipe for the doughnut cookies!
Now I am trying to find something with E that the kids will like… I can’t think of anything else besides eggplant, endives, and escarole… all of which I don’t think would make for a good snack… and Matheus suggested eggs!

Ana










Doughnut Cookie's (adapted from King Arthur Cookie Companion)

Dough
2 tbls canola oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs - room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
4 oz confectioners' sugar (1 cup)
10 1/2 oz all-purpose flour (2 1/2 cups)

Icing
4 oz confectioners' sugar (1 cup)
4 tsp milk
4 tsp light corn syrup
Your choice of food coloring

Directions - Dough
Beat oil, butter, eggs, vanilla, salt, baking powder, and sugar until smooth in a medium bowl. Add flour, beating until smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop the dough into 2 teaspoon sized balls. Roll the balls into ropes about 4 inches long and about 1/2 in diameter. Coil the ropes into round doughnut shapes, leaving a small hole in the middle.
Place the cookies on the baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Place in the oven and bake for about 18 minutes. They will have just a slight golden color on top - but will not be brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack and cool completely before icing.

Directions - Icing
Place 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar into 4 tiny bowls. Add 1 tsp milk and 1 tsp corn syrup to each bowl. Stir until you have made a spreadable icing - add milk drop by drop until you reach the desired consistency. Tint the icing in each bowl a different color.
Dip the top of each cookie in one of the icings and place back on rack to let the frosting harden completely.
Yield: 42 cookies

(Check out Joe's post and pictures here: http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005_09_01_desertculinary_archive.html)