Dynamo DONUTS

If you know me, you know that I obsess about food. If I hear of a delicious morsel somewhere, I WILL stop at nothing to get to it. And if I don't I will never forgive myself or the person who came between me and my FUhd. Example: the Red Iguana experience or should I say NON experience. Still have not forgotten or forgiven my husband, for that missed-adventure, in Salt Lake City. Dynamo Donut turned out to be somewhat of a MISSED-adventure also, but I will get to that in a minute.

Here's the scoop. I love food, I love to travel, and when I travel it is really all about the food. This weekend I was at a conference full of "foodies", although there was nary a one that would go with me on this adventure to Dynamo Donuts. (I twittered it people.) It's OK I am a big girl, I can do these things on my own.

I have seen Dynamo Donuts on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate", a few times, so when I found out I would be coming to Bloghers Food conference in San Francisco I just knew come "hell or burnt bacon" I was going to have myself a Maple Glazed Apple Bacon donut as seen, on the show, eaten by Chris Cosentino.

There's Hank, my cab driver, sweet man, not sure what his name really was but I'm going with Hank. Hi Hank! 7:30am I departed with Hank in search of possibly the best donut I would evER eat!

I asked Hank to wait for me while I took pictures, and chatted up the boys behind the counter, and purchased my donuts and coffee.

Oh my, my Oh, yes, yes! I tramped myself on back to see what was happening in the back of the bakery. AAAAmaaaZingness. I was doing the donut happy dance. Probably good no one chose to join me they would have been mortified at my shuffle-ball-toeing for a donut.

No donuty grease smells here, only sweet aromas of chocolate, spice, and coffee. It was luverly.

Cutting each donut by hand, with a....is that a soup can? I think it is. Perfect, just like at home.

There is the man that was very sweet. I ordered 3 "bacon" donuts, and ask for an assortment of 5 more to make 8 donuts in all. He placed my donuts in the smart looking box, and handed it to me with a cheesy smile. I like cheesy, I had confidence in his donut packing expertise. I trusted him. Unlike the people at Wendy's. I did not check my box...as I check my bag at Wendy's before I drive away. I trusted him. Did I say I trusted him and I did not check my box? I did? OK.

There he is, the man I trusted, with my 3 Maple Glazed Apple Bacon, 2 Spicy Chocolate, 2 Apricot Cardamon, and 1 unidentified donut.

There is the cutie pie with the dimple that I was hoping would dip me after I did my happy donut dance. This picture does not do him justice...he was flirting with me, I was nervous...I have four kids and a husband dag-gum-it, and a cab waiting....don't get this donut luvin' mama flustered.

Back in the cab. All aflutter from the excitement of eating the anticipated MGABD, and from being flirted with by the dimpled cutie, with the big brown eyes, that poured my coffee. The smell was amazing. I had to wait to partake of my donuts, because my germaphobia prevented me from eating in an environment that was, ummm well kinda germy. I did text big D, my sweet seestor, my son, my husband and anyone else that I thought might care that I got THE donut!

Poor Hank had to smell them all the way back to the hotel I always say "it's nice to share" so how could I not, share with my cab driver. He opted for a Cardamon Apricot. Hank you have good taste baby.

There it is. The Maple Glazed Apple Bacon Donut. How was it Lester? I hope it was extremely tasty. I pray that you ate it, and didn't accidentally bump it on to the floor off your bell stand.

Lester was so sweet. He said, "I love the MGAB donuts at Dynamo".

"Oh my goodness", I said "I have 3 of them, take one, please take one."

"Oh no Ms. Johnson I couldn't."

Me, "Oh please do, I have 3 of them...take one."

Lester, "No Ms. Johnson, I just couldn't."

"Will you get in trouble for eating at the bell stand?" I asked. "Please JUST take one!" I insist.

"OK Ms. Johnson, thank you so much."

"My pleasure Lester." I say as I skip back to my room, all giddy about, jumping back into bed, and dropping my face in my box of donuts. Finally sinking my chompers into "THE" donut to end all donuts!

You think that's bacon? I did. At a glance it looks like bacon. Peering past the donuts that were on the top of it, it appears to be bacon. It's NOT. You heard me. This is not a Maple Glazed donut with Bacon Crumbles. I really don't know what the dad-blame flavor of this donut was, I was so annoyed. I frantically dug through the box........

This is a shot from the edge of my bed as I fell back and cried out, "NOOOoooooo, say it isn't true. How can this be.....waahahawahhhaha."

I have had a few disappointments in life. I will get over this. It's not personal or life changing....well it might have been life changing, but I will never know. I was very tempted to run back down and see if Lester would share a bite with me. Just one bite. I think I could have put my idiosyncrasies about germs behind me and actually eaten off the bell hops donut. I sucked it up. And honestly I did enjoy the Chocolate Spice and the Apricot Cardamon Donuts from Dynamo. Yes, I ate two! They were amazing, truly mouthwateringly delicious!

I also REALLY enjoyed my coffee. It was awesome. Look at the sludge in the bottom of the cup. Now that is what I call a cup a JO! The real thing, something I can sink my teeth into.

Unlike this measly morsel....there it is the elusive Maple Glazed Apple donut with Bacon crumbles....in the paw of Lester.

I still am a firm believer of "it's nice to share".

LuvYa,

DOUGHnuts

I think I have shared with you that I totally spoil my kids on their birthdays...when it comes to food that is. A few days ago my oldest daughter turned in her menu. Here it is:

Breakfast: home made doughnuts

Lunch: YesterDog (local dive that has crazy good chili dogs)

Dinner: Penne Alla Betsy (Pioneer Woman recipe)

Birthday Cake: Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake (will share this recipe someday....hopefully soon)

I thought not bad, I can do this. Only thing is I have never made homemade doughnuts. My mom used to make them all the time. I sat and watched and devoured, but I never actually have done it myself. So I dug out my moms doughnut recipe which is called New England Doughnuts. Why New England? Not sure...cause I am pretty sure non of us ever lived in New England. I think I am just going to call them Doughnuts. Or I could call them Fat Balls, that's what the local bakery calls my favorite doughnut in their display. I always hate saying"two fat balls please". But I do it anyway......

You will need these ingredients to make zee doughnuts!

Doughnuts

printable recipe

1/4 cup Crisco

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup mashed potatoes (no salt or butter added)

4 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk

approximately 4 cups of grease for frying (Crisco melted or vegetable oil)

You will need to start by boiling some potatoes. Yes I said potatoes. This is the hidden, secret ingredient. It's fabulous I promise. It cuts down on the fat in the dough, making these doughnuts low-cal. Not really, but I like to think that way. You will need one cup of mashed potatoes, no salt or butter added.

Blend the Crisco, sugar, salt, and eggs together well or very good.

I hate to tell you this....you are going to have to haul out your sifter and sift all the dry ingredients together......if you don't have one, well....umm then just forget I said anything about sifting.

Plop in the mashed taters.

Blend this together with your mixer for 3-5 minutes. Pick out any pesky lumps of potato that refuses to be squished into this lovely dough.

Alternate adding the sifted ingredients and the buttermilk to the sugar mixture. The dough will be very sticky...that's OK, it will all be glorious...I promise. Just flour your counter...with lots of flour at least 3/4 of a cup.

There it is the dough ball. PLOP! Yup plop-her right on down on the bed of flour. Get your hands all floury and then pat it down into a round.....like so....

about a 1/2 inch thick, more or less.

Now you want to prepare your toppings. I got all crazy and did four. Cinnamon Sugar, Powdered Sugar, Traditional Glaze, and Chocolate Glaze. Printable Glaze Recipes here.

You don't have to do all this. The Powdered Sugar were the simplest and they were the favorite...well next to the chocolate...I cannot tell a lie. I was trying to make it simple for you.

Now get your oil hot. 375 degrees. Or you can just to the dough ball test=take a pinch of dough plop it in there if it fizzles and floats to the top you are ready to fry your doughnuts, if it does nothing and sinks to the bottom...well then my friend you need to turn up the heat or wait a few more minutes and try the dough ball trick again.

I don't have a doughnut cutter thing-a-ma-jig. I just have these biscuit cutters, I ended up using the one to the far right. It made the cutest little doughnuts EVER!

Here they are all waiting to get fried....see I tried to make a traditional doughnut up there on the top...but, it was lame.

There they are zee leetle ballz of dough floating around in zee hot greze. I don't know why I am talking with zee French accent...it just seems like a goood sing to du.

Give the doughnuts a flip. You can flip them a couple times. Back and forth.

Until they are golden brown and have cooked for at least 3 minutes.

There is the set up. Pan with lots of paper towel for draining. Toppings in the background. then the rack set up for the finished doughnuts. Let the doughnuts drain for a minute, roll them around a bit to get all the access grease off.

Then dip and roll and dunk and smear all the good stuff on them.

WOW, if I may brag......I don't think anyone would ever have known that this was my first doughnut making experience. The only big flub was the last 8 doughnuts I was not patient enough and they were not done on the inside...bummer.

There is the HAPPY Birthday girl. That smile makes this mess worth it 100x over!

Thats just part of the mess....the stove top was beyond photographing.

There is the inside. Perfectly, tender and cakey. Very moist! They were just as I remembered as a kid. I was worried they wouldn't be. I hate that when you have this memory of something and then you go there or you make it and eat it and it's not at all like you remembered. Not so with these lil pillows of perfection. Delicious...if I may say so myself.

Enjoy!