Vanilla Sugar Dusted, Gluten Free Yeasted Donut Recipe

A first for me. The homemade gluten free donut. I needed guidance.  It wasn't that easy to find a definitive, simple enough gluten free yeasted, fried donut recipe on the Interweb.  Most of them were baked. Normally, this would be my plan, healthier the better. But, I've not eaten a donut for so many years so if I was going to have one I wanted it to be full fat and tasting like I remember a donut tasted.  Phase Two will be trying the baked versions and seeing how they compare.  Meanwhile, I figured I'm probably only ever going to eat my homemade donuts, and I'll make it a once a year occurrence.  

Vanilla Sugar Dusted, Gluten Free Yeasted Donut Recipe

The ingredients
1 1/2 cup warm unsweetened almond milk
1 1/4 cup garbanzo & fava flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1 tbs tapioca flour (meant to add 'chew' to gluten free flours')
2 tbs dry quick acting yeast
1/4 cup xylitol
1 tsp white sugar (I used the 'demon' white and not all xylitol as I read somewhere that yeast needs processed white sugar)
2 tbs flax meal
1/2 tsp salt ( I used less salt than Gluten Free Girl used as I think using mainly garbanzo and lava flour lessens the need)

white processed sugar for dusting

Method
Sift the flours and add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix the dough/batter until well incorporated.  I did this by hand, you may get an even better result from an electric mixer. The mixture is going to be wet.  You'll probably think you've got it wrong.  I did too, but several assurances in my internet research said the dough would be more like a thick batter.  My research took me all over, and conflicting ideas caused much a little confusion, but basically, I used Gluten Free Girls tips for guidance.
Now to form the donuts.  I didn't have a donut cutter so I made mine with my hands. It is absolutely crucial you flour your hands really well from the start.  I didn't and it got messy. Place onto a sheet of baking parchment onto of a baking sheet tray.  Form balls and place (with room for expansion) onto the sheet.  Leave to rise for 45 mins. Mine spread more than towered in height.  

Cooking
Make sure your pan is completey dry before adding in the oil.  Any water residue will make the hot oil spit like an angry camel. When the oil reaches 375F (I didn't have a candy thermometer so I did the throw in a small piece of dough or bread trick and it sizzled nicely so I knew it was hot enough) place the dough carefully into the fryer.  After the first two, the donuts only took about 30-40 seconds to fry each side, if that.  I fried one at a time.  I was so scared of the oil!  I could only handle the stress of mono baking.  Use two slotted spoons or forks to flip the donut.  When cooked both sides put onto kitchen towel to let the excess oil drain for a few moments. Then transfer to your dish of sugar and coat.  It will stick better when the donuts are still fairly hot.

I got tips mainly from  Gluten Free Girl and some from  Gluten Free On A Shoestring &
Gluten Free Baking

I couldn't find the large quantities of starch flours in my local supermarkets, I was amazed, these are not small shops.  Potato starch and tapioca were nowhere to be found and the arrow root came in silly little 5g bags.  To make this recipe 60% starch (40% grain) it would have cost me a Kings ransom.  I am going to go on a hunt of the Asian stores the other side of town to see if they have them as Indian cooking uses a lot of gluten free starchy flours for when I embark on my gluten free bread experiments.  I will let you know.

Their taste far exceeded hoped for visual appeal. I had wanted to fill them but the had not risen sufficiently.  So, I quickly whipped up some cashew, banana, vanilla soft serve in the blender to scoop on top. They were a hit.  Not only with me.  They had to stand up to my donut queen, gluten loving Mother.  Verdict?  You'd never know they were gluten free!  'They're good', she declared.  Any therapist would say I should be way past the stage of seeking parental approval, but I guess I'm still not quite there yet!!   Hey, I'm blogging everyday, and seeking approval of complete strangers who I probably will never even come into contact with, so I think I'd potentially make some therapist quite rich!  Hey ho.

Enjoy the donuts or doughnuts…spell them how you will.  x

Day 17 - Vegan MoFo 2013  

Raw Butternut Squash And Kiwi Soup With Chilli Apple Croutons

I have been wanting to make this soup for a while.  I love butternut squash.  Really love it.  I love the way it is just about the most patient vegetable there is.  It sits, looking pert and lovely upon my shelf until I decide to use it.  It doesn't sag or deflate in despondency.  Sometimes weeks can go by and it stays as fresh as a daisy.   As September brings that sweet smell of falling leaves and shorter evenings I am far too inclined to cook everything,  it's all about the comfort and the salads and raw foods come second best.  I try to do my utmost to stop this.  My body craves nutrients, not lost in the steam of long cooked stews.  I've wanted to make raw butternut squash soup forEVER but I didn't have a kickass blender that could whizz it up to a sweet thick cream. Well, now I have one (I'll tell you about that another time).  

It's Vegan MoFo Day 14 (my life already!). I'm plunging on.  Most other bloggers take a break at the weekends but I'm travelling again soon and am not sure I'll get chance to post.

This recipe was the very first thing I made with my new kitchen gadget.

Raw Butternut Squash And Kiwi Soup With Chilli Apple Croutons

1 medium butternut squash

1/2 organic kiwi (leave the skin on..this is good if it is organic

1/4 red onion

1/4 inch piece of fresh ginger

1/2 hot(ish) red chilli pepper, seeds removed

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper

apple croutons

dice 1/2 a dessert apple really small, keep the skin on

dust with salt, cracked black pepper, hot chilli powder (or chipotle powder if you have it).

Use a vegetable peeler to peel the squash.  Chop into chunks and remove the seeds (you can dust these with seasoning and roast for  a healthy snack).  

Use a garlic press to mince the ginger (I know, isn't this a great tip..I was busy the other day and a lightbulb moment struck and I popped it in and hopped up and down at my discovery. So much easier than grating!) mince it straight into your blender. Throw all the other ingredients in along with it and blend on high speed for about 2 minutes.  In this time, the centrifugal force of the blender will transform into a warm silky soup.

Serve into bowls, placing the chilli, apple croutons in the centre. Shake over a few chilli flakes too.

The kiwi just gives it a slight edge to cut through the sweet squash.  It is also a great boost of vitamin C.  With the colder weather it is a good idea to up your intake.  Stay healthy.

I don't know, sometimes I just feel so smug that I wised up to vegan food so long ago.  To coin a phrase, 'it's the nuts'!

x