Ingredient: walnuts, chopped, divided

Carrot Cake Doughnut Holes with Cream Cheese Glaze

With doughnuts, its all about the ‘hole’. No hole, no doughnut. That little circle means everything. The idea of frying a piece of dough is ancient. The Romans, Dutch, Spanish and Germans all did it. While we know who introduced the doughnut, the story behind the doughnut hole is a little less clear. The most likely explanation was that at some point, bakers started adding egg yolks to their recipes, which produced a richer dough. Of course, this meant the middle of the doughnut no longer cooked at the same rate as its edges, resulting in doughy, raw centers. They came to the conclusion, that if they removed the thick center, the doughnut would cook evenly throughout. It was also believed that the hole was formed to make it easy to ‘dunk’ the doughnut in coffee. However, as in all food history stories you will find various other versions that are more entertaining and whimsical.

In Canada, doughnut holes that are sold by the Tim Horton franchise, have become known as ‘Tim bits’. The name is a play on the word ‘tidbit’ (a delicate bit of food). They were introduced in April 1976 and are available in at least 20 flavors that differ from store to store.

I’m not big on deep fried things whether they are sweet or savory. These carrot cake doughnut holes are baked — no frying necessary. Dip them in a bit of cream cheese ‘glaze’, sprinkle with remaining chopped walnuts and enjoy!

Print Recipe
 Carrot Cake Doughnut Holes with Cream Cheese Glaze
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine American, European, German
Servings
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Batter
Cream Cheese Glaze
Course dessert
Cuisine American, European, German
Servings
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Batter
Cream Cheese Glaze
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Doughnuts
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a bowl, finely grate carrots. Sift in flour then add brown sugar, soda & spices. Add egg & oil & beat until mixture is smooth. Fold in half of the chopped walnuts.
  2. Butter & flour a cake pop pan. Divide batter between 14 holes. Secure top pan in place with rubber clamps. Bake for 10-12 minutes, testing with a toothpick at about 8 minutes. When baked, remove from oven & allow to cool before removing top pan.
Glaze
  1. In a small bowl, with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, margarine & milk. Gradually add sugar & vanilla beating to a glaze consistency.
  2. Once doughnut holes are removed from pan & thoroughly cooled, dip in glaze, sprinkle with remaining walnuts. Allow to firm up in refrigerator before serving with forks.
Recipe Notes
  • Self-Rising Flour is made with 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt & enough all-purpose flour to measure 1 cup.

Coffeecake with a Twist

Baking with yeast is not everyone’s forte. My mother, on the other hand, seemed to have it down to a science. Of course, since her wonderful bread and baked goods were the ‘norm’ at our house, we took it all for granted. When my older sister married, she and her husband moved to California, USA. Later on, when their first child was born, my mother made a trip to their home by way of the Greyhound bus. It was an interesting experience for all of us.

For mom, to travel that far, alone to be with her daughter and son-in-law. For dad, the rare occasion of being without mom to share all the work and responsibilities of kids and farm. For me, being the second oldest, meant I needed to step up to the plate and help dad with the three younger siblings, etc. I was in my early teens at the time. Dad and I had an ‘agreement’, I could stay home from school two days a week while mom was away. On one to bake bread and the other to wash clothes for the family. For this help dad would let me make the supper menus of my choice as well as making a corresponding grocery list. Without realizing it, I was once again learning those precious ‘life skills’.

In today’s blog recipes, I wanted to make a couple of pastries which normally have been made with yeast dough. There are numerous people experiencing a ‘yeast’ intolerance these days so I decided to make these ‘coffeecakes’ using baking powder instead. I also found using cream cheese in dough makes it very tender and the leftovers taste great, kept in the fridge, for a few days.

The original ‘Bear Claw’ pastry was similar to a Danish, originating in the United States during the mid 1920’s. A bear claw is a sweet, yeast-raised pastry usually filled with almond paste and sometimes had raisins. It is shaped in a semi-circle with slices along the curved edge. As the dough rises, the sections separate evoking the shape of a bear’s toes. In this bear claw coffeecake, your filling choices can be endless.

The ‘Poppy Seed’ pastry is shaped to resemble a flower. This is a nice little showy idea that I believe originated with the Pillsbury company years ago. There again, the filling can be your choice. Brion and I really enjoyed both of these pastries probably a little too much!

Print Recipe
 Poppy Seed / Bear Claw Coffeecake
Tender cheese-flavored coffeecake with a design & filling of your choice.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Coffeecake
'Bear Claw' Filling
Poppy Seed Filling
Glaze
Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Coffeecake
'Bear Claw' Filling
Poppy Seed Filling
Glaze
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. With a pastry blender, cut in cream cheese & shortening until mixture resembles coarse peas. Stir in milk. On a lightly floured work surface, knead dough gently 20 times.
  2. To make 'BEAR CLAW' pastry: Place dough on parchment paper. Roll out to a 12" X 8" rectangle, leaving dough on paper , lay on a baking sheet. Spread preserves lengthwise to cover 2/3 of the rectangle; sprinkle with nuts. Fold the third of the rectangle without preserves over the center. Fold over again, making 3 layers of dough and 2 layers of filling. Seal edges. From folded edge cut dough into 1-inch slices to within 1-inch of opposite side; twist strips so that cut side is up. Bake 25 minutes or until golden. Remove coffeecake from baking sheet & allow to cool for 10 minutes. Prepare glaze & drizzle on warm coffeecake.
  3. To make 'POPPY SEED' filling & pastry: I a small saucepan, combine pudding powder, sugar, poppy seed & extract with COLD milk. Stir constantly until it begins to to simmer. Simmer while stirring for 5 minutes; remove from heat & cool slightly.
  4. Divide coffeecake dough into thirds. On a sheet of parchment paper, roll one portion into a 12-inch circle. Transfer paper with circle of dough on it to baking sheet. Divide filling in half & gently spread over pastry to within 1/4" or so of edge then sprinkle with 1/3 of walnuts. On another sheet of parchment paper, roll out second portion of dough. Using parchment paper, carefully lay second circle on top of first layer. Spread with remaining filling & another 1/3 of the walnuts. Roll out remaining dough in a 12-inch circle & place on top. Pinch outer edge to seal.
  5. Place a small glass in center. Cut from outside edge just to glass, forming 16 wedges. Remove glass & twist each wedge five times. Tuck edge under. Sprinkle remaining walnuts over all. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden. Remove coffeecake from baking sheet & allow to cool for 10 minutes. Prepare glaze & drizzle over warm coffeecake.