"Not very healthy but terribly delicious" Homemade Donuts

Yummy chocolate glazed donuts made from biscuits.

This is such a fun recipe to do with kids but I have 2 warnings.  First, donuts are never the healthiest breakfast but wonderful for a special occasion or lazy Saturday morning.  Second, this recipe involves deep frying so you have to be extremely careful with hot oil when kids are around.  In my cooking classes I am very careful to keep the kids at a safe distance from the hot oil since it can pop as you put in the dough.  As the instructor, I always do all the frying and stove top cooking myself as they observe.


Having said that, every person (child or adult) who tries these donuts seems to grab the counter after the first bite (to keep from falling over).  They are that good.  Be sure and try some with powdered sugar, some with cinnamon sugar and dip a few in the vanilla and chocolate glazes (recipes follow) but be quick, if you look away for too long, they will disappear!

"Not very healthy but terribly delicious" Homemade Donuts

2 cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Canola oil, for frying 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

Icings:

2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided

5 tablespoons milk, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Colored sprinkles

Chocolate sprinkles

Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to 350 degrees F. In a shallow bowl, stir together the ground cinnamon and sugar and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, set aside. This is the vanilla icing. In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons of milk and set aside. This is the chocolate icing.

Lay out the biscuits on a cutting board and with a 1/4 to 1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter (or any small circle you can find), cut out a hole from the middle of each biscuit. Fry them in the oil until just golden and then flip with tongs to fry the other side. Be careful not to cook them to long. You can even fry the donut holes. Drain on paper towels and then toss in the cinnamon-sugar or ice and decorate with sprinkles, as desired.

Tomato Basil Soup Recipe

Tomato Basil Soup

As promised, here is a delicious recipe for tomato basil soup. I think this version is mild enough for the whole family to enjoy. You can always use less basil for an even milder flavor, if the basil is too intense for little ones. Our family loves the soup. I serve it with a big caesar salad and french bread. It's a perfect fall meal. I hope you all enjoy.

Tomato Basil Soup

l large can crushed tomatos

4 cups tomato juice

1 stick butter

15 leaves of fresh basil

1 cup cream (or half & half for a lighter version)

Puree tomatos in a food processor or blender. If you like a thicker soup, adjust accordingly. Add the basil leaves to the tomato puree and pulse again until basil is in minced. Pour this tomato mixture into a large stock pot. Add the tomato juice and butter and simmer over low heat for half an hour. Remove from heat and slowly add the cream (or half & half). Stir and return to low heat until heated through. Remove from heat and serve in bowls or cups with bread and salad.