Baked Caramel Apple Donuts

This whole post was originally about how discouraging it can be to fall into a creative slump while being busy with things you aren't passionate about, and then I deleted it. The thought of someone reading it and scoffing, "oh she thinks she's just SO busy," killed my vibe entirely, and that is some real bullshit. This blog isn't for those people. It's for awesome, nonsensical, nice people who like good food and sharp wit.

...And dogs, but that doesn't really apply right now.

If that sounds anything like you, then try this baked caramel apple donut recipe (adapted from Queen Shutterbean) and dance around like an idiot while you're at it. I recommend this song to set the mood.

Side note: supportive people are the best. Be one. Find one. Keep 'em around forever!

The first thing you should know about these donuts is that the apple flavor comes out just perfectly after they set overnight. Also, if you aren't reeeeaaally into caramel, you may want to go with a different topping (obviously) because the one I used is mighty chewy. However, it does soften up overnight. Give them a try! You won't hate me for it.

Baked Caramel Apple Donuts

Adapted from Shutterbean 

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 medium Gala apples, peeled & shredded
• 1 1/2 cup chewy caramel candies
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• Optional: chocolate melts for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray donut pans with cooking spray & set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Whisk in oil and vanilla. Stir into the flour mixture until just combined; stir in the apples. Spoon the batter into the prepared donut pans until almost full. Baked until golden and a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out dry. It takes about 15-20 minutes.

In a small, microwaveable bowl, combine the caramel and milk. Microwave for 1 minute at medium power. then stir; repeat in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. If making small donuts, dip them directly into the caramel. For larger donuts, spoon caramel topping on top! If you want chocolate drizzle, melt your chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, then transfer it to a ziplock bag and snip one corner off. Drizzle quickly!

Left my Heart in...Nashville Actually

One of the issues most twenty-somethings won't admit to is feeling torn between wanting to live it up in a big modern city versus settling down in a neighborhood with lawns and mailboxes. Most of us grew up that way with our families, and most of us turned out pretty well because of it, but if you asked if we want the same thing we'd swear "we'll never settle," and we can't imagine living like that. At least not until something reminds us of how amazing it was.

The minute we got off the plane in Nashville, something seemed different. It had been a long flight, it was late at night, and I guess irritable travelers are just something you learn to expect, but every single person was 100% sweet and polite. That kept increasing through baggage claim and out to the car where Stephanie's friend Lyle (who sounds like Luke Bryan, hello) and her dad, Ron, who was immediately the funniest person in the world, took care of our luggage and even opened our car doors like that's a regular thing everyone does. We added pizza and beer to the equation and I was pretty much hooked then.

Steph and Ron at Mafioza's Pizza!

Our first full day in the south started out with what might be the world's best tacos at Mas Tacos Por Favor with Ron and his sweetheart Leah. Our shamefully full stomachs basically forced us out for a walk through Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. Right at the park entrance I could hear a riding lawn mower and started to smell fresh cut grass. Stephanie and I both freaked out like we'd forgotten how great that was! And seriously, a riding lawn mower? You could probably count those on one hand in all of San Francisco. My dad mows the lawn at my parents' house in the East Bay on weekends, but I guess its been a while since I actually sat and enjoyed it there. I'm not sure I could live somewhere permanently without it.

The state park was a real eye-opener. There were several memorials throughout it that were all inspiring. One of my favorite feelings in the world is the pride you get from a little patriotism, and nobody does it better than the South. Every piece of history there is a reminder of why we built this nation (and yes, we the people built it) and how hard we fought to make it happen. Obviously there isn't much Revolutionary War history in California, but I never realized what we were missing out on. The history books in school don't do it justice, you really have to stand right there to appreciate it!

This quote from the TN Constitution should be remembered more often.

We ended up at the State Capitol building and I thought we were just just going to take some nice pictures of it and walk around outside. Last month I tried to take my mom to San Francisco's City Hall and we were told it was closed to visitors - we said, "it's a public building owned by the citizens, you literally can't be closed to us." Tennessee seems to value that fact a whole lot more, because we ended up not only entering the capitol building but we were welcome in every single room! We could have walked right into the governor's office without a problem. We wandered through the room where the House of Representatives meet, we sat right at State Senators' desks in congress, and we gave "State of the State" addresses at the press conference podium. We met everyone in there like we were meeting neighbors. Closed to visitors my foot, San Francisco.

Feeling like Elle Woods.

We jumped on bikes to make sure we could see as much as possible before dinner. There were the sweetest little neighborhoods where anybody would be blessed to live, where everyone seemed to take a lot of pride in their home. We might not realize it now, but there's something special about growing up seeing your parents always gardening and working in the yard. Kids in Nashville will have that, but most kids in San Francisco and New York City won't. I think I want my kids to know what a wheelbarrow is when they seen one.

Riding our bikes down the road completely terrified me - we're talking the frozen muscles, talking to myself out loud kind of terrified. I couldn't figure out why I was so scared until we hit the "busiest" area, and there were like...seven cars total, all driving perfectly fine. I had been thinking of San Francisco streets, where you literally couldn't pay me to ride a bike on the actual road with all the lunatic cab drivers. The sound of the spokes spinning around took me back to when my sister and I would ride bikes with our dad and grandpa. Those are some of my favorite memories and even though I was a scaredy-cat kid, I'm pretty sure I loved it. I think I'd rather live where I won't feel physically ill at the thought of riding a bike on a sunny day.

Here's me being a wuss. I swear we were riding on the street, just not in this picture. 

This all probably sounds common and trivial, but I can't help that little things like lawn mowers, wheelbarrows, and bike rides were what stood out to me. All the parts of life that we're supposed to pretend we aren't thinking about yet seemed more like an adventure than an "oh my god I don't want to seem old or weird" secret. When you travel, you fantasize about the life you could have in all the different places you visit, and Nashville felt like something I could really go for without being wildly unrealistic. Maybe I'll get off the plane and get hooked on San Francisco life all over again, but I dare you to visit the south and tell me you don't fall in love with it, too. Good people, good homes, amazing food, and the music ain't half bad either ;)

The world's friendliest place to bar-hop.

We covered so much ground over one great weekend, it's going to take me a whole separate post to tell you about how crazy-great the food was. You and I both know that's why you're here! Stay tuned ya'll. 

Lemon Pound Cake - for a Friend

Life doesn't just give you lemons. It doesn't hand them to you nicely. It hurls them at you full-speed when you least expect it. They hit you less like lemons and more like bricks, if bricks were sour. Life threw a lemony curve-ball last month.

Kate Hopkins was one of the best people you could ever meet. She had happy eyes and she laughed at everything all the time. She was absurdly photogenic without even trying. She was one of those people who was smart in every subject and good at every sport and was so humble that it never would have even occurred to her that she had plenty of room to brag. If you were having a bad day, you could count on her to say something so ridiculous that you would have to burst out laughing and forget whatever was bothering you. Last month, an accident took her away from us. We all miss her very much. 

The little tree in my parents' yard grows the most perfect lemons. It gets just the right amount of sun and the colors pop like yellow and green confetti against a brown fence. Sometimes I sit under it for no particular reason and it cheers me up when I didn't even know I was sad. It's a bright spot, just like Kate.

I promised her that sometime we would spend a full day baking recipes from Joy the Baker's blog. I'll never get to keep that promise, but this lemon pound cake reminds me so much of her that it's as if she was right there in the kitchen with me while I made it. If you've ever felt a kitchen become instantly cheerful with hints of lemon in the air, you know what I mean. If you don't, you'll have to try this recipe to find out.

So Kate, this is your special lemon cake. I know you would have preferred something packed with chocolate, but trust me on this one. It has just a few blueberries in it, because they added a little splash of purple and a break between lemony bites. It's dense like pound cake but perfectly moist. The glaze is sweet and you would have drizzled it like a pro. It's even better on the second day, once the flavors have had time to get comfortable, but we both know it's hard not to devour something fresh out of the oven. 

Life throws lemons. Zest them, squeeze them, and smile. 

LEMON POUND CAKE

Ingredients:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)

3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup blueberries (optional)

For the glaze:

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired. I recommend letting your ingredients reach room temperature before starting.

Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, sprinkling the blueberries in as you pour. Smooth the tops and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them upside-down on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; poke several holes in the bottom of each cake using a fork or a skewer. Spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely before flipping them back over.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.