Rosenbaum '90 makes doughnuts

 

The author: A food writer and cook, Rosenbaum is the author of Kids in the Kitchen: Fun Food; Honey from Flower to Table; The Astrology Cookbook: A Cosmic Guide to Feasts of Love; and Anti-Bride Guide: Tying the Knot Outside of the Box. She has been a restaurant critic for the San Francisco Bay Guardian and for San Francisco magazine. Last year, she worked as an assistant chef at the Headlands Center for the Arts, an artists’ residency program located in the Marin Headlands (Sausalito, Calif.).

 

The book: A lot of people eat doughnuts on the go (with a cup of Dunkin’ Donuts joe). But in this cookbook, Rosenbaum shows readers how to make these treats at home by providing more than 50 recipes and tips. The recipes range from the classic jelly doughnuts to buñuelos (popular in Mexico) and Greece’s honey-soaked loukoumades to powdered sugary beignets from New Orleans. 

 

Opening lines: “Who doesn’t love a doughnut? Cupcakes may be cute, cookies sweet, but doughnuts, glazed or raised, frosted or sprinkled, are fun. Sometimes, they’re even downright goofy: just look at the names of some of our favorite doughnut shops. Sure, there are still plenty of Formica-counter joints named after Bob, Ann, or Betty Ann, but now these down-home spots are getting some sassy competition.”

 

Read more: PAW’s Feb. 13, 2002 story about Rosenbaum and her Oct. 10, 2007 essay in PAW.

 

 

Strawberry and Cream Doughnuts

Makes 16 doughnuts

 

For this summertime treat, yeasted doughnuts are split open and filled with sweetened fresh strawberries and freshly whipped cream.

 

Dough for Yeast-Raised Doughnuts (page 30), made through the first rise

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

1 pint strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon

1 cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Powdered sugar for dusting

 

1. Gently punch the dough down. Lightly flour a work surface and a baking sheet. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a ½-inch-thick round. Using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour, cut out rounds of dough, dipping the cutter in flour before each cut to prevent sticking.

 

2. Transfer the doughnuts to a lightly floured baking sheet, cover with a dry clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

 

3. Heat the oil in a cast-iron Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat to 375°F on a candy or deep-fat thermometer. Place a grid-patterned wire rack on a baking sheet or line the pan with two layers of paper towels.

 

4. Using a slotted spoon or a skimmer, drop the doughnuts into the hot oil in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, then flip and fry for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the doughnuts are puffed, golden brown, and cooked through. Break open a “test doughnut” from the first batch to make sure the doughnuts are cooking correctly; adjust the heat level of the oil as needed.

 

5. Using a slotted spoon or a skimmer, transfer the doughnuts to the wire rack or paper towels to drain. Let cool.

 

6. In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries with the 2 tablespoons sugar and let stand for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.

 

7. In a deep medium bowl, using a whisk or a hand-held electric mixer, beat the cream until thickened. Add the 1 teaspoon sugar and the vanilla extract and continue beating until soft peaks form. Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip.

 

8. Slice each doughnut horizontally, cutting about three-quarters of the way through. Gently pry open the doughnut and tuck in a layer of strawberries. Pipe in a thick ribbon of whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts. Dust the doughnuts with powdered sugar and serve immediately.