By Teri Cayton
The Parsons Advocate
I never thought I would live to see the day when I would say that I am happy to see gas prices drop to $4.64. What really makes me mad is to see the quarterly profit margins for the big gas companies. I get so angry I could bite nails, (not my finger nails, actual nails!!). I feel I am just working to buy gas to come to work to make money to buy gas. Momma Said, “Where is it going to end? Maybe all of us going on strike and refusing to use gas and see how they like that.”
I know that will never happen but something needs to happen or we will be home without jobs whether we want it or not. I know I am not very up on politics but why is Russia being at war with Ukraine having this effect on us? We should have enough oil reserves right here in our own country to sustain us though someone else’s crisis.
I just wish we were back in simpler times when gas cost .50 a gallon not today when it takes $30 to buy gas for the lawn mower. Maybe it would be cheaper to buy a goat or two, no gas required. At least if times got really tough I could then eat my lawn mowers. Momma Said, “The day may come when you have to make do with what you have.”
I will now report on little Ripley, who is getting bigger and bigger every day. She is learning very quickly as she is a very smart little girl. I am doing leash work with her right now and she is responding very well. Now if I can just get her to stop eating dirt and getting into pine sap I will be coming up aces.
CINNAMON APPLE BAKED DONUTS
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 TB regular butter, melted
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 small OR 1 large apples; peeled, grated, and squeezed dry
- For Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:
- 4 TB regular butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 1–2 tsp. cinnamon (depending on how much cinnamon flavor you like)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and set rack on middle or lower middle position. Grease mini donut pans and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In another bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, 2 TB melted butter, vanilla extract, and grated apple (Use the largest holes of box grater; then squeeze out as much juice as you can. Save juice for drinking – yum.)
- Use rubber spatula to fold wet ingredients with dry ingredients, gently folding just until combined; do not over-mix or it won’t be as tender. Spoon or pipe batter into greased mini donut pans until batter is level with the top of pan. Use damp fingers to gently smooth out the tops.
- Bake about 7 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool in pan slightly, just until they are able to be easily removed. Set donuts on wire rack while you make the cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Whisk together the sugar with desired amount of cinnamon in a small bowl (this can be done days ahead of time.) Melt butter in another small bowl. When ready to eat, dip donuts in melted butter and roll generously in cinnamon sugar. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
Use Honeycrisp Apples for recipes, as it imparts a big and bright apple flavor without turning to mush. If you can’t use Honeycrisps otherwise, Granny Smith works well too.
Do not dip donuts in butter/roll in cinnamon sugar until ready to serve, as the fresh coating helps provide a slightly crisp outer texture when eaten right away (though leftovers are still yummy.)
Batter is deliberately not too sweet, since cinnamon sugar coating provides a lot of the sweetness. If you want a sweeter batter, add a bit more sugar into dry ingredients.
If using regular-sized donut pans, bake time will still be roughly the same (7-8 min) as you will only fill each mold partway up, rather than all the way to the top.