Bat And Cat Doughnuts Recipes

Steps:

• For a bat doughnut: cut a caramel wafer cookie in half. Dip one pointed end of a wafer cookie in the melted chocolate and place behind the doughnut on the left side; repeat with the second half of the cookie and place behind the doughnut on the right side to form "bat wings."
• Brush a dot of chocolate onto the back of 2 candy eyes and place on the doughnut above the bat wings. With a paring knife, create 2 slits on the inside of the doughnut hole, right below the eyeballs. Dip the flat ends of 2 candy corns in chocolate and press them into the slits to create fangs. Repeat with 3 more doughnuts. Allow the doughnuts to stand until the candy is well-set, about 15 minutes, or refrigerate to speed the setting process.
• For a cat doughnut: cut 3 slits in a doughnut with a paring knife--2 on the top-outer-edge of the doughnut (for the ears) and 1 on the inside of the hole towards the bottom (for a tooth). Dip the flat ends of 3 candy corn pieces in the melted chocolate. Press 2 into the upper slits to form ears. Press 1 into the bottom slit to create a tooth. Brush a dot of chocolate onto the back of 2 candy eyes and place on the doughnut just below the ears. Brush a dot of chocolate onto 1 confetti sprinkle and glue it in the center beneath the eyes to create a nose. Use the jumbo sprinkles to form 3 whiskers on each side of the nose; adhere with chocolate. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts. Arrange the decorated doughnuts together on a large tray and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 12-cavity mini doughnut pans.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl; mix together with a fork until combined. Add shortening and mix with the fork until broken up into small clumps.
• Mix together apples, milk, and eggs in a separate bowl. Add to flour mixture and stir just until blended. Spoon batter into the prepared doughnut pans.
• Bake doughnuts in the preheated oven until slightly browned on the bottoms, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• While doughnuts are cooling, place melted butter for topping in a shallow bowl. Mix together 1 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in another shallow bowl. Dip cooled doughnuts in butter and then in sugar mixture to coat.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 6-cavity doughnut pans or one 12-cavity muffin pan with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and ginger. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, milk, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla. Fold the carrots and raisins into the wet mixture, then fold the dry flour mixture into the wet.
• Transfer the batter to a large pastry bag or resealable plastic bag. Cut a 1/4-inch hole in the corner of the bag, then squeeze the batter evenly into the 12 cavities. Bake until golden and set, rotating the pans halfway through, 14 to 16 minutes. A toothpick inserted into a doughnut should come out with moist crumbs attached.
• Let the doughnuts cool in the pan for a few minutes, then tip them out onto a cooling rack to cool.
• To prepare the glaze, gently heat the cream cheese in a wide, shallow bowl in short 5-second bursts in the microwave until warm and runny. Whisk in the sugar. Dip the top of each doughnut into the glaze. (If the glaze gets too thick as it cools, you can pop it in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds at a time.) These are best the day they're made.

Steps:

• Heat the milk until it is warm but not hot, about 90 degrees. In a large bowl, combine it with the yeast. Stir lightly, and let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, beat the eggs, butter, sugar and salt into the yeast mixture. Add half of the flour (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons), and mix until combined, then mix in the rest of the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time, if the dough is too wet. If you're using an electric mixer, the dough will probably become too thick to beat; when it does, transfer it to a floured surface, and gently knead it until smooth. Grease a large bowl with a little oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, and cover. Let rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and roll it to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out the doughnuts with a doughnut cutter, concentric cookie cutters or a drinking glass and a shot glass (the larger one should be about 3 inches in diameter), flouring the cutters as you go. Reserve the doughnut holes. If you're making filled doughnuts, don't cut out the middle. Knead any scraps together, being careful not to overwork, and let rest for a few minutes before repeating the process.
• Put the doughnuts on two floured baking sheets so that there is plenty of room between each one. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until they are slightly puffed up and delicate, about 45 minutes. If your kitchen isn't warm, heat the oven to 200 at the beginning of this step, then turn off the heat, put the baking sheets in the oven and leave the door ajar.
• About 15 minutes before the doughnuts are done rising, put the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and heat it to 375. Meanwhile, line cooling racks, baking sheets or plates with paper towels.
• Carefully add the doughnuts to the oil, a few at a time. If they're too delicate to pick up with your fingers (they may be this way only if you rose them in the oven), use a metal spatula to pick them up and slide them into the oil. It's O.K. if they deflate a bit; they'll puff back up as they fry. When the bottoms are deep golden, after 45 seconds to a minute, use a slotted spoon to flip; cook until they're deep golden all over. Doughnut holes cook faster. Transfer the doughnuts to the prepared plates or racks, and repeat with the rest of the dough, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil at 375. Glaze or fill as follows, and serve as soon as possible.

Steps:

• SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:.
• 3 doughnut pans, a large pastry bag, 2 small pastry bags and 2 small round decorating tips.
• MAKE THE DOUGHNUTS:.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray 3 doughnut pans with non-stick cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the melted butter and sugar.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Working in batches, add in the flour. Scrape down the bowl, set the mixer to a low speed, and slowly stream in milk. Mix until just combined.
• Transfer batter into a large piping bag with the tip cut off. Pipe each doughnut mold 3/4 of the way full.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Set aside to cool.
• DECORATE THE DOUGHNUTS:.
• Using a microwave on half power, melt 20 ounces of the white melting chocolate in a shallow bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the black candy coloring, a little at a time, until you reach the desired light grey color.
• Use a pairing knife to make 2 slits on the top edge of each doughnut.
• Dip the rounded bottoms of 2 almonds into the chocolate and attach to the top of each doughnut, like ears, pushing the chocolate edge into the pre-made slits. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts. Let them set for 5 minutes.
• Once the ears have set, dip the entire front face of doughnuts into the melted chocolate. Let set.
• Pour half of the remaining melted chocolate into another bowl. Use the black candy coloring to dye 1 bowl a darker grey and the other black.
• Transfer dyed chocolate to 2 small pastry bags fitted with small round decorating tips.
• Use the black chocolate to draw the eyes, mouth and whiskers onto each doughnut. Use the dark grey chocolate to draw the hands, feet and small vertical stripes between the ears.
• Using a microwave, again at half power, melt the pink chocolate in a small bowl.
• Dip the front side of the Cheerios into the melted pink chocolate. Sprinkle with sprinkles.
• Use melted chocolate to attach the cheerios to the hand-area of each of the doughnuts. Let them set.
• Doughnuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.