Happy Easter...

Happy Easter everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful peaceful day. I actually can't believe it's almost May, weren't we just having snow and a long winter? Anyway, we've taken today and just spent it at home together, having hamburgers and being thankful for all the Lord has given to us.

 I love the different seasons, such beauty in each season, although Fall is my favorite. We just enjoyed the cherry blossoms, now it's strawberries and Farmers Market right around the corner. Flowers are coming out everywhere and Spring is really waking up everything.

I've been in a cleaning mode, in the house and getting ready to start outside now that it's getting warmer. With the nights being colder and you never know what the weather will be lately, I've held off on buying anymore flowers.

 I want to grab some basil and rosemary to plant and chop up in olive oil to spread on bread and cook with, basil and rosemary are my two favorite herbs. I saw them at Lowes and when I passed by I told them I'd be back. :D 

I'm really starting to use this time to take inventory on my craft items, see what little projects I've started in the winter and try to finish up some things. Spring always gets me motivated to rearrange things. lighten up and gets things in order.

For some reason the thought of summer coming and apple cider donuts at the apple orchard made me start craving them, so I found this great recipe. I'll let you know how they turn out this week.

 Apple Cider Donuts

Ingredients

1 Cup Apple Cider
3 + 1/2 Cups Flour plus more for work surface
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
4 Tablespoons room temp unsalted Butter
1 Cup granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Milk
Oil for frying

Topping

1 Cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 Tablespoon Cinnamon

In a saucepan over medium to low heat slowly reduce apple cider to about 1/4 cup.  Takes about 20 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Set aside.

In a mixer cream the sugar and butter until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time.

on low-speed add the apple cider and the milk and mix until combined.

Add the flour mixture and combine until a dough forms.

Line 2 baking sheet with parchment paper and coat generously with flour.

Turn the dough out on to one of the sheets and flatten out with your hands until 1/2 inch thick.  Add more flour if dough is sticky.

Transfer baking sheet to freezer to firm up for about 20 minutes.

Remove tray from freezer and cut out donuts using a 3 inch donut cutter (I use a biscuit cutter and find something to make the donut holes)

Transfer to second baking sheet and put in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.  You can reroll and recut leftover dough.

Heat oil to 350 degree.

Remove cut donuts from fridge and working 2 or 3 at a time carefully place in hot oil.  They only take a couple of minutes per side.

Remove when golden brown and put on paper towels.  (if dough starts getting flimsy return to fridge, it’s easier to fry up when they are cool)

While donuts are still warm coat them in the cinnamon sugar topping.