 |
| "Our Doughnut Girl." War Cry, November 9, 1918. |
I've noticed a recent trend has been to celebrate various food holidays. Most of them seem pretty random, both in date and food, and I generally thought of them as a modern invention. So I was surprised to see that today, the first Friday in June, is National Doughnut Day and that the tradition dates back to 1938! Unfortunately this is a national holiday in the United States - But! This doesn't mean we non-Americans can't celebrate the history and tastiness of doughnuts! I have to say though, considering Canada is home of Tim Hortons and consumes the most doughnuts per capita, why do we not celebrate this holiday too?!
National Doughnut Day was created by the Chicago Salvation Army as a way to honour women who had served doughnuts to soldiers during World War One and to act as a fundraiser during the Great Depression (1930-1940s). During World War One, "huts" were set up in Europe by the Salvation Army which served baked goods, mended clothing, and provided basic supplies for writing letters. Women were chosen to run these huts so that they could "mother" the male soldiers. No doubt they provided a comforting presence. Providing doughnuts at the huts was the idea of Ensign Margaret Sheldon and Adjutant Helen Purviance, two volunteers. Doughnuts became so popular that the women who served them became known as "Doughnut Dollies."
If you haven't had your fill of doughnuts today, fear not! You can also take part in International Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day (tomorrow! June 8th), National Cream-Filled Doughnut Day (September 14), and Buy A Doughnut Day (October 30).
Doughnuts themselves have an even older history, and are present in some sense on every continent - beignets in France, churros in Spain and Latin America, zeppole in Italy, paczki in Poland, dolcho in Africa, jam doughnuts in Australia, and sufganiyah in Israel. The unassuming doughnut can be traced back as far as Ancient Rome, where sweet dough was fried in oil. In the middle ages, deep-fried yeast cakes were invented in Northern Europe. There is a long tradition of these kinds of fried dough being eaten for breakfast or as fair food. Here in Canada we particularly love to eat Beaver Tails at fairs - yum!
 |
Young woman with a cooking pot of
oliebollen (oliekoecken) by Aelbert Cuyp, c. 1652. |
It is generally assumed that the Dutch (thumbs up for my ancestors!) were responsible for introducing the doughnut to the New World, in the early form of their recipe, called oliekoecken (literally, oil cakes). These sweet balls were traditionally eaten during the winter holiday season, which isn't surprising, as they contain many of the typical ingredients in Christmas fruit cake, such as almonds, cinnamon, ginger, currants, raisins, and citrus zest.
Anthropologist Paul R. Mullins determined that the first cookbook to mention doughnuts (by that name) was published in England in 1803. By the mid-1800s doughnuts became popular in American cookbooks and were so ingrained in the local culture that they became a staple in the American kitchen.
If you'd like to read more about the doughnut, particularly in the Canadian context, I highly recommend Steven Penfold's The Donut: A Canadian History.
As you might imagine, there were a ton of recipes to choose from for today's theme. I really had a hard time choosing. I was going to make a recipe for Dutch Krullen (Crullers) from the 19th century, but then I remembered another recipe...A few days ago I bought this book which caught my eye, Handwritten Recipes by Michael Popek. The book includes recipes written on scraps of paper, which Popek found slipped inside various books at his used book store. One of the recipes included in the book is for Maple Syrup Doughnuts. I cannot verify the time period of this recipe, but it was found in a book published in 1953. A brief internet search didn't turn up much, except for this recipe from Cooks' Woods, which is practically identical.
Original Recipe:
Maple Syrup Doughnuts
1 cup Maple Syrup
2 Eggs
3 tbl shortening
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp Vanilla
2/3 cup sour milk
Flour to make workable dough. Mix ingredients as stated adding enough flour to make dough workable. Pat out on floured board to 1/2 inch thickness and cut with doughnut cutter. Fry in hot fat, heated to 370 degrees.
The Verdict:
This recipe doesn't specify any kind of sugar or glaze to go on top of these doughnuts, although that is often included in other recipes I've read. I'm not sure if this is because they are not meant to have a glaze, or if it was considered standard practice and didn't need to be included in the recipe. Anyway, these doughnuts are not very sweet. They are good plain, but don't really taste of maple (mostly nutmeg) and are barely sweet. I brushed some maple syrup over the tops of some of them and I think it really improved them, but of course it wasn't "authentic". That said, these aren't bad at all, and Mr. Man and Little Y and I all enjoyed them plain.
It also took me a bit of time to get the temperature of the oil (I don't have a thermometer) and the timing right, but I always expect the first few batches to be a mess anyway. However, this recipe is pretty forgiving, and even when overcooked the doughnuts were edible.
The texture of the doughnuts was dense and bread-like, especially when overcooked. They will sink to the bottom when you first put them in the oil, but will come quickly to the surface and float. They need to be flipped over at least once and should be cooked to a golden brown, as in my photographs. Any darker and they will be edible, but very dense. They cook very quickly.
Modernized Version:
1 cup MAPLE SYRUP
3 tablespoons SHORTENING
2 EGGS
Pinch of SALT
1 teaspoon BAKING SODA
1 teaspoon BAKING POWDER
1/2 teaspoon NUTMEG
1 teaspoon VANILLA
2/3 cups SOUR MILK (use buttermilk or milk with a splash of lemon juice in it)
~5 cups of FLOUR
1. In a large mixing bowl, blend together the maple syrup and shortening. Add the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the flour. Mix well and slowly add the flour until it becomes a thick dough which can be rolled out. I used about 5 cups, I think.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll or pat out the dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Use a doughnut cutter or two different sized circle cutters to cut out doughnut shapes.
3. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan (a couple inches, to deep fry the doughnuts) and cover a plate with paper towels. Fry the doughnuts in the oil, turning at least once and cooking until golden brown. Remove to the paper towels and let cool. If desired, brush the tops with maple syrup or dust with powdered sugar.
-----
Sources
"Doughnut." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 06 May 2013. Web. 06 June 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doughnut>.
Olver, Lynne. "Doughnuts." The Food Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2013. <http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodfaq1.html#doughnuts>.
"National Donut Day." Donut Day USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 June 2013. <http://donutdayusa.com/>.
"National Doughnut Day." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 06 June 2013.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Doughnut_Day>.
"Oliebol." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 May 2013. Web. 06 June 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliebol>.
You know when you go to look something up on Wikipedia and you click on a link in the article and before you know it 2 hours have passed and you've gone from the history of pasta to the 1974 Olympics? Yeah, that's something like how I found this recipe. I was browsing Wikipedia and I stumbled across a website which had a digitized version of The Sure to Rise Cookery Book. This cookbook was originally published in 1908 and has been in print since then (but is now known as the Edmonds Cookery Book, after the Edmonds company). It is considered "the quintessential guide to traditional New Zealand cuisine". This recipe for cinnamon scones comes from the 1914 edition.
Because there weren't a lot of directions included in this recipe and because I have never made scones before, I took some direction from a slightly older scone recipe I found in an American cookbook from 1921.
Original Recipe:
The Verdict:
Not bad. At 20 minutes, mine were slightly overcooked, but I think I also made them on the small side. The cinnamon on the inside was a little dry - it didn't soak into the dough at all, so it just sort of sat there. I think maybe mixing it directly into the dough or brushing the inside of the scones with milk or melted butter would help the cinnamon get a bit wetter. I used 4 heaping tablespoons of sugar, and although these weren't very sweet, I liked them that way. The 1921 recipe called for just 2, so it could be reduced. I should also note that I used about a 1 to 4 ratio of white to whole wheat flour, so they were a bit dense and weren't very fluffy. More like cookies, than scones. I'm not sure if I would make this exact recipe again, but I will definitely eat all of them because they are tasty. I give them a high 3 star rating, because the taste is good, but the execution needs improvement.
Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from The Sure to Rise Cookery Book)
1 pound FLOUR
3 teaspoons BAKING POWDER
SUGAR, to taste (I used 4 tablespoons)
A pinch of SALT
2 ounces UNSALTED BUTTER
1 EGG, beaten
1/3 to 1/2 cup MILK
2 teaspoons CINNAMON
1. Preheat the oven to 375F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl or in a food processor, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
3. Use a pastry cutter or your food processor to blend in the butter. Add the egg and enough milk to make a soft dough. If it's a little wet, that's okay, because it will absorb flour during rolling.
4. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/2 an inch thickness. Cut into 3-inch squares and sprinkle on cinnamon. Fold into triangles and press lightly.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
These banana muffins can easily be vegan if shortening and vegan milk are used.
Original Recipe:
bananas
1 cup of brown sugar
4 tablespoons of shortening
2 cups of flour
5 teaspoons of baking powder
1 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
Rub a sufficient number of bananas through a sieve to measure one cup. Place in a mixing bowl and add rest of ingredients.
Beat to mix and then bake in well-greased and floured muffin pans in a moderate oven for twenty-five minutes. Ice the tops with water-icing.
Plain Water Icing
1 pound XXXX sugar
2 tablespoonfuls cornstarch
1 teaspoonful lemon juice
sufficient hot water to spread
Beat to mix, then use.
I was a little sad about these muffins. There was only a very faint banana taste and the nutmeg was really overwhemling. Also, my family traditionally eats nutmeg on green beans, so it kind of weirded me out to have it that strong with bananas. Replace the nutmeg with cinnamon and these would be way tastier. The icing did improve the muffins as well. Mr. Man felt the same way, and Little Y gobbled hers up.
I do like that these don't have any eggs, though! I decided on four stars, because I probably would make these again, except using cinnamon.
Edit: These muffins improved heaps the next day! The flavours mellowed a bit and they were super tasty, especially with the frosting. I also tried adding some lemon extract to some of the frosting and that was really delicious too. I would make these again, but I would consider adding some more banana flavour somehow.
Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from
Mrs. Wilson's Cook Book)
1 cup PUREED BANANAS (about two)
1 cup BROWN SUGAR
4 tablespoons SHORTENING or UNSALTED BUTTER
2 cups FLOUR
5 teaspoons BAKING POWDER
1 cup MILK
1/2 teaspoon NUTMEG
1 pound POWDERED SUGAR
2 tablespoons CORNSTARCH
1 teaspoon LEMON JUICE
HOT WATER
1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour a 12-cup muffin pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the pureed bananas, brown sugar, and shortening.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the bananas alternately with the milk. Stir until well-mixed.
4. Divide the batter into the muffin pan, filling the cups to the top. I used about 2 heaping tablespoons per cup. They won't rise very much. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. To make the icing, mix together the powdered sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Add just enough hot water to make it spreadable and ice the tops of the muffins.
This recipe is pretty healthy - it could be dessert or breakfast!
Original Recipe:
2 cups cooked oatmeal
1 cup sliced apple
1 cup peanuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Mix and bake in greased dish for 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold. This is a very nourishing dish.
The Verdict:
I thought this would be really good...clearly I have no luck with puddings. First off, it was kind of mushy. I mean, it was oatmeal-texture, but I was expecting something firmer, like a baked oatmeal bar. The taste was okay, edible, but I really didn't like the peanuts in there. The raisins were so-so. I think using peanut butter or pulverized peanuts would have been much better. Also, it needed more cinnamon and maybe some vanilla. I won't make this again. I gave this 3 stars, which I think was generous, but I think some people might not find this as offensive as I did.
Follow the original recipe, but add spices to taste and bake at 350F.
Perhaps its my Dutch roots showing, but I'd prefer a deliciously sweet sandwich like this over a savory one any day!
Original Recipe:
1 tablespoon of butter
1 cup of light brown sugar
1 tablespoon of water
Melt the butter with the light brown sugar, and the water; cook for a few moments, till well incorporated, then spread between slices of buttered bread.
The Verdict:
This tastes exactly like sucre a la creme! And for those who aren't familiar with this Canadian treat, sucre a la creme is a traditional fudge from Quebec which is made with, well...pretty much the exact same ingredients as this sandwich filling. It was a delicious and decadent spread which seemed perfect for tea time sandwiches. I used whole wheat bread because it's just what we eat, but I think white bread would make this prettier and would really let the caramel flavour shine a little more. The caramel itself was a bit grainy, but that's probably just my impatience. It didn't bother me at all, but if you want a smoother spread, make sure the sugar completely dissolves (234 - 240F) and stir constantly as it cools so that large sugar crystals won't form.
Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from The Suffrage Cook Book)
1 tablespoon BUTTER, unsalted
1 tablespoon WATER
1 cup BROWN SUGAR
BREAD
1. In a small saucepan, heat the butter, water, and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved (234 - 240F). Once the sugar has dissolved, heat to boiling. Remove from heat and stir briskly until thickened and cooled.
2. Butter slices of bread and sandwich the cooled caramel between two slices. The caramel will solidify quickly, so only do one sandwich at a time and make sure the caramel is still warm enough to spread. Remove crusts and cut into fancy shapes if desired.
One of the reasons I love spring is because rhubarb is in season (let's ignore that the first day of summer is in a week)!
Original Recipe:
The Verdict:
The original recipe seemed like it was meant to feed a small army or something, so I quartered it. I still ended up with over a cup of sauce. The sauce is very tart, so if you like your rhubarb on the sweeter side, I suggest adding more sugar to taste. I didn't mind it, but it was rich so I barely made it through the two slices. It was good though; basically like a rhubarb jam. I actually poured some over a slice of cake and I enjoyed it a lot that way. So yay! Multipurpose sauce!
Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from The Woman Suffrage Cook Book)
1/2 cup WATER
1/8 cup SUGAR
1/2 pound RHUBARB, diced
WHOLE WHEAT BREAD or GRAHAM BREAD
1. In a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar to boiling. Add the rhubarb and cook until the rhubarb is soft and falls apart, about 5 minutes or so. Let cool.
2. Toast bread and butter it. Serve with cooled rhubarb poured over it.
.png)
.jpg)
Posts
