Oh. My. Heavens!

These were delicious. Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. I made a few modifications to the original recipe (they're listed below to photo of Mama's big belly bump) and mixed up the dough while Geo and Soph napped this afternoon.



I didn't make them into traditional donut shaped pastries because I couldn't find anything to cut them out with. I considered one of the mason jar lids but couldn't find something small enough to take the centers out with. So, mini donut holes it was. It will help keep us from overindulging...yeah, that's it.

And for your amusement, here is a photo of my big belly. If you look quickly it just appears that they wind is blowing my apron away from my body....but noooooo....there is a baby still baking under there.


My version of the recipe

• 1 cup raw cream and 1/3 cup organic soymilk (body temperature)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast
  
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 1/3 cup organic, raw agave nectar
• 2 eggs
• 5 cups stone ground, unbleached, organic, white all-purpose flour
• A pinch or two of cinnamon (I didn't have any nutmeg)
• 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract (from the holiday gifting extravaganza)
  

Topping

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups organic pure cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Notes:
I've learned a lot about baking and yeast from the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. One of the things that the authors discuss is that modern day yeast doesn't need to be proofed anymore (you don't have to let it sit in the warm liquid and make sure that it bubbles). So, I mixed the first four ingredients in the bowl and added it to the flour, egg, cinnamon and salt. Let it mix in the Kitchen Aide with a dough hook on 2 for about 3 minutes. Added a little bit more soy milk to get the texture that I was looking for.

I also baked the holes at 350 for 10 minutes instead of 375. The smaller pastry required a cooler oven. I pulled the out, dipped only the top half in butter and the topping mixture and then called in the troops.

They kept asking for more. more. more.

This would be a super easy bake sale favorite. I think I'm going to wrap some all pretty and gift them to my midwives. If I see them before they get stale that is. Ugh.