Yum. Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Donuts. This one is getting filed under "Recipes for Rockstars." To explain, I'll lay out what I'm calling my “fanology” (i.e. the road to obsessive
fan behavior that led to a donut recipe for The Cardinals).
Let me start with an excerpt from an email I sent on 9/28 to the friend who came along with me for my second Cardinals show (within two weeks ) in September:
"My dessert homage to Ryan Adams & The Cardinals (RA & TC or The Cardinals from here on in) will probably be an apple butter pumpkin pecan pie. That would make a sick donut flavor, too, I think. So, that's another thought. I thought I could safely pull myself away from my obsession with the Cardinals after this show, but (obviously) evidently not. I may be in need of RA & TC rehab."
His response:
"My name is _____ and I'm
a Cardinaloholic. I thought I could quit after a week but it just kept becoming
more and more part of my life. Pretty soon I was the one
who was getting miffed when people thought it was Bryan Adams. Freakin' robots. When I changed my desktop to a picture of RA
& TC I knew I had hit top bottom."
How did it get to this point? Oh, it's no surprise really, as I am easily obsessed with things that speak to me. However, it's crystal clear that I am now embracing my Cardinals fanhood like a long lost friend. Why shouldn't I? So, I listen to their music constantly. So, I went to a few shows in September. So, I talk about them all the time and try to persuade people to listen to them like I was hired by the Cardinals themselves to go out, knock on doors, and spread the word like some right-winged religion . So, I might have pre-ordered the new album. So, I've been wanting to add them to my Recipes for Rockstars category. And, I'm definitely thinking about hitting the show in NYC at the Apollo. All I have to say is read on if you feel like it, otherwise skip on down to the actual donut recipe. This is a food blog, after all. Honest, though, I suggest you jump on the
wagon. If not for the Cardinals, then for SOMETHING else because life IS too short NOT to have a LOT of fun. Read on and you'll understand.
Summer 2007: Ryan Adams & the Cardinals emerged from my
peripheral musical vision (i.e. tracks here and there from the past 8 years or
so from various sources like KEXP out in Seattle, as well as some memories of the 90's band Whiskeytown) into my direct sight thanks to a friend from Boston who played the album Cold Roses all the way through on a super nice ride to Newburyport, NH. Here's what went through my head: What the hell was I thinking NOT
listening to this band? Really. The sound just worked for me.
Fall 2007: I started furiously burning through all things RA & TC until it was in heavy heavy rotation, streaming through my IPOD at all times and coloring my fall
walks through Jamaica Pond in Boston on the way to my internship at the test
kitchen. Great start and end to those busy baking days that seemed to blur together in a haze of butter and flour. I became more and more
bitten and started schooling myself more on their story.
Winter 2007 into 2008: I felt compelled to share my borderline
juvenile jolt on this band with anyone who would listen without caring about the
repercussions. No one really cared, though, which I found sorta funny.
They humored me, alright, but didn’t hear me. I just kept thinking, hey, they don't know what they are missing. I continued to add albums and listen deeply. I never grew weary of the music as you sometimes can with such zeal and, yes, potential overkill. I found the music to be made of the stuff I could carry with me whenever, wherever. And, I love that. I was (not surprisingly) drawn to some of the more melancholy
melodies and twangier stuff because, lord knows, I do love me a little sad and a lot of twang. And, for some reason this band got me all reminiscent and sappy faced over my younger days when rock and roll was SO HUGE to
me and I constantly craved that high music gave me whenever I was down, up, or somewhere in between. And, also when I was just living to go to shows on a regular basis because that was the thing to do. It was cheap, exciting, and fun. So, I decided that whenever the Cardinals toured, I would absolutely brave the
younger annoyingly attention deficit incessantly texting and cell phone chatting fans and see
them live (see how crabby you can get when you age!).
Spring 2008: I came off winter with a seasonal
affective hangover like you wouldn’t believe yet was unwavering in my devotion
to this band. In fact, some of their music was certainly the highlight of a very bleak winter. My friends' eyes glazed over when I spoke about them and I could see they thought I was just a woman in her late 30's chasing
silly youthful ghosts. However, I was undeterred which is oh so very typical of me. Because, man, they
didn’t know me back when I would stand in line all night in the pouring rain
for concert tickets, drive hours to other cities without tickets and take my chances
with the scalpers or tailgate in stadium parking lots like a pro. Nope, they are totally unfamiliar with
that part of me….which is strange, I realized, because music is one of my biggest
interests. Anyway, I waited patiently for shows to be announced.
Summer 2008: The tour dates started rolling out and I
snagged two tickets to the Bank of America Pavilion show in Boston for 9/7. I was psyched. And, I won’t lie because I certainly have no shame but, don’t think I wasn’t all over Ryan Adams’ blog and
following all his posts and videos (which I still do, of course, because it is a lot of fun). I ignored the
media (as always) and just enjoyed the ride.
September 7, 2008 Bank of America Pavilion, Boston
What a fantastic night. I got those fun butterflies I used to
get before a show when I was younger. This show was a little magical, dreamy and beyond all of my expectations.
Was it the breeze blowin’ in off the harbor? The amazing acoustics?
A good view no matter where you were sitting? A really decent crowd (even all the "kids")?
Or, just the band, who played for over two hours, no warm up? They seemed to just work well together and the result was quite beautiful. I’ve been to a ton of
shows in my time and I am being totally honest, this show was up there…..it was
awesome. They rocked. So, I
enjoyed my $10 Stella, the cool harbor breeze, and just let the music flow around
me. Lovely, it was.
And, really, what I loved most about the show was when it
ended I couldn’t wait to see them again.
I caught that high, you know.
Like when you get off a roller coaster and it was so thrilling and fun,
you get right back in line so you can do it again. What a great feeling that is! And, my life has been
so mundane lately that I thought, wow, what a rarity! So, I acted on the feeling and bought a ticket
for the Proctor Theater in Schenectady. I knew I'd find a way to make it work because it just
fit into my plan.
Yeah, my plan. Since turning 39 in August, I’ve been
working on making this year fun as all hell by doing
stuff every month that I either have never done before or that brings back my crazy
youthful spirit (not that that it ever went away, it’s just easy to make excuses
for not doing things when you get older because of all the draggish
responsibilities we all have). So, this rock and roll
trip to Schenectady, NY was just perfect.
Wednesday, September 17: The Egg in Albany, NY left me a voice
mail to tell me the venue for the show had been changed. It was so strange to get a call from some random person at something called The Egg. Although I was a bit bummed I
wouldn’t see the band in the Proctor, a beautiful old restored theater with red
velvet and gold trim that just seems to beckon a band like this to its stage, I
just rolled with it and got even more excited because I grew up in New York State
two hours south of Albany. My entire
extended family is from all the towns that surround Albany and I even lived in Albany for a semester
of college. So, I actually know of the Egg. It’s this huge crazy 1970’s industrial
concrete looking kind of half egg shaped building. Pretty ugly, to be honest. I've included an image below for your viewing pleasure. I had been around and by the Egg a million times, but never IN the
Egg. Now, I was going to see The Cardinals IN the EGG. When I really
thought about it, it was hilarious.
Made the whole idea EVEN better.
Two days later: I met up with a friend I haven’t seen
since May. During all of our
catching up, I conveyed my RA & TC story with a borderline crazy and most
definitely infectious amount of enthusiasm. I have to get my dig in here and point out that I attempted last spring to get this friend on the Cardinals wagon. He totally ignored me! However, this time he
listened. In fact, he was so into
it, he bought a ticket on the spot and took all the RA & TC I had in the car to
start immersing himself in all things RA & TC. Thanks to the Internet, he was caught up in no time. And, so HIS obsession began. I don't think he knew what he was in for, but it's too late now. He's hooked.
September 25, 2008:
THE EGG
What a trip! Nothing but The Cardinals in the car all
the way there (well, and good conversation) to get all psyched up and read to rock. Pre-show activities included food and beer at the Lark Tavern and then
meeting up with my cousin and his wife for some more fun. They just happened to live about a quarter mile from the EGG…no joke! It was all meant to be and went off seamlessly.
And, the EGG…..well, it was crazy and confusing and
intriguing all at the same time. All the fans were trying to navigate entering the building and finding the floor with the theater. It was kind of trippy, but filled with a lot of laughter as we finally found our
elevator to the correct floor and rode, literally, up into The Egg…which at that point felt very
much like a big honkin’ spaceship. Here I am on the ascent, ticket in hand, with some seemingly crocked strangers behind me. Very funny.
The theater had only about 800 seats so you really couldn’t
go wrong. I had a nice spot up close with a great view that I was super pleased with. The small theater was a lot more intimate and it was very cool to see/observe the band so
close. As expected, the show was
fantastic. A little more banter
than the last time. A few more of
the new songs, which I dug very much. And, they always change up the set list which I appreciate tremendously. At the risk of sounding totally sappy, it was just one of those moments when you feel all cheesy and good to be alive. And, it made me think about how, when I was younger, I used to love talking to the “older” concert goers….they always had such great stories about all the shows they saw back in the day. It’s pretty cool that I’m the one with the stories now. And, I should keep going to shows and not let growing older slow me down too much.
October 2008: So. Yes. I admit
it. I, too, am a Cardinaloholic. And, I am not ashamed. Quite the opposite, in fact. Even after two shows, they are in heavy rotation. And, I am very much looking forward to Cardinology which will be released before the end of the month.
So, The Cardinals definitely deserve a Sweet Mary special in their honor
for being part of my 39th year, an eternal spot in my
Recipes for Rockstars, and a big fat thank you for a rockin’ September.
I chose homemade Cinnamon Sugar Donuts for them because in addition to pizza, donuts seem to be a mainstay in their diets. Can't say I was quite ready to make a pizza flavored dessert just yet, so donuts seemed a better choice. Let's chalk that up to my creative license as the cook for now; however, for the record, I'm certainly not opposed to a pizza flavored dessert. Not at all.
Although I rarely eat donuts, I do crave a real homemade donut once in a while. Especially in the fall. They are so good when you dunk them in coffee or some fresh
cider from a local farm. With these old fashioned Cinnamon Sugar donuts, I was definitely going for a taste of something incredibly down home that, kind of
like certain songs or melodies, can jog your memory and take you somewhere (hopefully) pleasant.
I definitely get visions of the Hudson Valley where I grew up, apple picking
with my family, the smell of my Mom’s apple pies baking in the house, fresh
cider, crunchy leaves, and chilly fall nights. Now, the Hudson Valley hasn't been my home since 1987, so I also get visions of the road from San Mateo over to Half Moon Bay in California filled with pumpkin patches and farm stands, as well as the hay rides and crazy petting zoo with the big bad ass pig at Baugher's Farm outside of Baltimore. Now, I'm sure I'll think of September 2008 and the Cardinals.
Of course, there’s
the major chain store donuts and I am sure they're good and all, but, hey, they have nothing on my homemade donuts made from all natural ingredients. In my eyes, from scratch is always better. I got some great feedback from everyone who tried them. So, I think the recipe is a keeper. I plan on doing a repeat test and playing with flavors in the upcoming month. I had never really deep fried anything at home before because I tend to eat healthy and not fry things.... but it was really easy and fun.
Anyway, Cardinals, these puppies are for you. If you swing by New England again, you know where to get your donuts.
1 package active yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons 110 F water
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup milk at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick of butter, softened
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup super fine sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
vegetable oil for deep frying
Stir together the yeast and hot water in a small bowl until the yeast dissolves completely. Let it sit until it is foamy, roughly 5 minutes. If you don't see any foam, throw it away and try again with some new yeast. You want to make sure it is active.
Then, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, milk, sugar, butter, yolks, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon on low speed until the dough comes together. You should then increase the speed to medium high for 3-4 minutes. The dough should be a bit sticky.
Scrape the bowl down with a bowl scraper or spatula and form a ball with the dough in the center of the bowl. You could also transfer this ball to a new bowl if you want. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and let it rise in a warm and draft-free area until it doubles in size. This should take roughly 1 1/2 to 2 hours. You will have to check it to see. n the meantime, place parchment paper on two baking sheets and set aside until you are ready to roll the dough.
Then, flour your work surface and a rolling pin lightly. Turn the dough out onto this surface. Roll the dough out into a 12 inch round that is approximately 1/2 inch thick. I used a 3-inch cookie cutter and a 1-inch cookie cutter to cut out as many donuts as I could without re-rolling the scraps. You can really use whatever size cookie cutter you want, of course. Place the donuts on the parchment lined baking sheets. Cover them with clean dish towels and let them rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes. They should puff up a bit more during this time.
In the meantime, heat vegetable oil in a large pot until it is 350 F. Also, line baking sheets with paper towels for when you take the donuts out of the oil. Then, mix the super fine sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Spread this mix out on a plate so you can roll your donuts in it.
Fry the donuts a few (2 or 3) at a time. These took about 2 minutes per side. You can flip them with a mesh skimmer or with any slotted spoon. After frying both sides, place them on the paper towels so they can drain. However, just keep them on the paper towels for about 2 minutes. You will then take the donut and rub both sides of it in the cinnamon sugar.
This recipe will make about 12 3-inch donuts. They are best eaten fresh.
*non-food photos taken by R.Miscovich
