
We are all familiar with those children’s stories where someone goes on an adventure, possibly dressed up as a dream, but then they know it was real because they bring back something with them as proof. I don’t believe Alice returns with more than her memories after her adventures in wonderland but it’s fun to imagine the little ‘Drink-me’ bottle or the tiny ‘Eat me’ cake tucked into her apron pocket when she wakes up on the river bank. When Minty and Rémy were learning to read they enjoyed the Oxford Reading Tree books . Biff, Chip and Kipper would go on an adventure when the magic key glowed to Ancient Greece for the first olympics or to Paris for the designing of the Eiffel Tower only to return to normal life with a souvenir. For me All-Star Chef Classic was a little bit like that. Krissy and I refer to going down the rabbit hole together for our events, hence Alice in Events, and this was definitely an adventure of a lifetime. The proof for me that it happened, apart from the photographs and video, are the mini fonut making kits that the kids brought back with them from the Sunday Savor the Season cooking class with Waylynn Lucas.
It was a blast – 60 kids all baking in Restaurant Stadium taught by Waylynn. Just stop to think of the organization involved in making sure each of the 60 kids got their fonuts back from the oven – not to mention checking the oven to make sure none was burnt. Thank you to the army of helpers behind the scenes – especially Grace Lee and Brooke Burton – we really couldn’t have done it without you. Such a great recipe meant that every child got 6 perfect fonuts back to decorate. Thank you Waylynn – you are definitely an All-Star!
Rémy hardly let me get back through the door on the Sunday night after the event before he was asking me to help him whip up mini-fonuts. Given the fact that each child at the class was given the mini-fonut kit to take home with them – including the non-stick Kitchen Aid mini-donut pan that’s so great there’s no need to grease it. I have no excuse and let’s just say baking with two children is a lot easier, and quieter, than with 60! Plus Waylynn taught them so well I’m not needed in the kitchen.
The recipe is extremely simple – just as in the class the dry and the wet ingredients are mixed together and then carefully transferred over to the mini pans – at the class we had thought it would be necessary to use a piping bag for the batter but given the size of the Kitchen Aid mini donut pans it seems a spoon does the trick.
Mini-Fonut recipe from Waylynn Lucas
Ingredients:
Dry ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
½ cup oil (vegetable or canola)
¼ cup buttermilk or 1/4 live yogurt with a splash of milk
1 egg (lightly whisked)
¼ tsp vinegar
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 – 3 teaspoons of milk – although Minty likes to use Heavy cream
1 drop red food coloring
Sprinkles
You will need
Kitchen-Aid mini donut pan
Makes 15 mini donuts
What to do:
1. Heat oven to 350F.
2. Combine all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl and mix well. In another bowl combine all wet ingredients.
3. Mix the dry and wet together, until combined. Careful to not over mix.
4. Fill Kitchen Aid mini donut pan ¾ full.
5. Bake at 350F for approximately 4-8 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
5. Mix the powdered sugar with milk/cream – a teaspoon at a time to reach the desired creamy consistency. Add a tiny drop of red food color to make it pink.
6. When the mini-donuts have cooled completely frost and cover with sprinkles.
Can this recipe be adapted to be gluten free?