Red, White, & Blue Jelly-Filled Donuts

The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 men representing the 13 colonies. The moment marked the beginning of all-out war against the British. The American Revolutionary War is said to have started in 1775, however. The Declaration was signed more than two years after Boston officials refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, fueling colonists to dump the tea into the harbor in what became the infamous Boston Tea Party.  You know what goes good with tea? Donuts.  These donuts courtesy of The Family Kitchen Blog are a beautiful combination of the red, white, & blue. Wonderful table appeal for Independence Day parties!

Ingredients:

oil for frying

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup heavy cream

Glaze:

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoons water

blue sprinkles

Filling:

1/2 cup raspberry or strawberry jam

Directions:

Heat 4-5″ oil in a medium-sized saucepan to 350 degrees F. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Mix in sour cream and then fold in heavy cream to make a soft dough. If the dough seems a bit dry, add in a bit more cream, one tablespoon at a time.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll out until it is 3/4-1″ high. Using a small round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out donut “holes.”

Fry for 60-90 seconds in 350-degree oil or until golden brown, and then flip and fry an additional 60 seconds. Drain on a wire rack with a brown paper bag.

While the donuts are still warm, mix together powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of water, just enough to make a thick glaze, about the consistency of white glue, except must better tasting. Dip one end of the donut into the glaze and immediately dust with blue sprinkles.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a medium-sized round tip, insert the tip into one side of the donut just under the glaze and pipe about 1 teaspoon of jam into the center of the donut. Place on wire rack for glaze to set. Eat whenever you please.

MLK Favorites--Chunky Pecan Pie Bars and Buttermilk Fried Chicken

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., here is a take on one of his favorite foods—pecan pie.  I wanted to switch it up from the traditional pie recipe, so here we have Chunky Pecan Pie Bars courtesy of Brown Eyed Baker.  MLK was also a big lover of Southern food, like fried chicken.  So, below is also one of the most delicious recipes for buttermilk fried chicken I’ve ever tasted! Enjoy!

Chunky Pecan Pie Bars

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened

¼ cup packed brown sugar

Filling:

3 large eggs

¾ cup corn syrup

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1¾ cups coarsely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (or chocolate chunks in a bag!)

1½ cups chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.

2. For the crust, mix together the flour, butter and brown sugar until crumbly. Press into the baking pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly brown.

3. For the filling, beat the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla extract with a wire whisk. Stir in the chunks and pecans. Pour evenly over the baked crust and bake for 25-30 minutes or until set.

4. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cool completely and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in the refrigerator if you live in a warm/humid area with no air conditioning).

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

¾ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 ½ pound chicken fryer

1 cup flour

1 ½ cup vegetable oil

Fried Chicken Directions:

Crispy fried chicken soaked in buttermilk for delicious an old fashioned flavor.

Combine buttermilk, salt, pepper and chicken in shallow dish. Refrigerate 20 minutes, turning once. Remove chicken and dredge in flour. Cook in hot oil (350F.), turning to brown both sides. Reduce heat to 275F. Cover and cook 25 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 5 minutes until crispy.

Note: Drain chicken on paper towels.