A BAKER'S MAN

It began innocently enough as a baby’s nursery rhyme. You may know the one that starts “patty cake, patty cake, baker’s man. Bake me a cake as fast as you can”.

The first of Mother’s Little Helpers heard this one often as an infant and as a toddler. It was right up there with the “Itsy Bitsy Spider”.

As he grew, his fascination with baking grew as well. By the time the teenager years came about, Old Mother Frugal’s kitchen was his baking playground.

Being a growing, hungry boy, his appetite was insatiable at times. It was more cost effective for me to allow him to bake at home than to purchase baked goods at the grocery store.

Off to college he went, where his dorm room was equipped with his own baking playground. From the looks of the kitchen, he used it quite often. No spoon or bowl or stainless steel pot was spared when it came to baking.

It's been twenty years since that first cake came out of Old Mother Frugal's oven. On a visit to see Mother’s Little Helper, he baked homemade donuts for me. These cake donuts were healthier than the fried variety, as he was aware of restrictions in Old Mother Frugal’s diet. But more importantly, they were moist and delicious.

A hobby that once filled the void in a young boy’s empty stomach has now become a joy that he shares to satisfy the palates of others. In retrospect, Old Mother Frugal can only rejoice that there was less fascination with the Itsy Bitsy Spider!

SOUND THE BUGLE! Today’s tip: The cost of donuts has escalated over the years. For a one time investment in a donut pan, it will pay for itself after baking a dozen cake donuts. You have these ingredients in your pantry!

TWELVE DONUTS

§  2 eggs

§  4 TBS melted, unsalted butter

§  1 tsp vanilla or almond extract

§  2/3 cup granulated sugar or less to taste

§  2 cups all purpose flour

§  ½ tsp salt

§  1 ½ tsp baking powder

§  1 cup milk (skim, almond, soy or coconut)

 

Pre-heat oven 350 degrees and spray donut pan with non-stick spray.

Beat eggs for 1 minute. Add butter, vanilla and sugar until smooth.

Mix in flour, salt and baking powder. Add milk and stir until smooth. 

Spoon batter into pans and bake for 12 – 15 minutes until tooth pick comes out clean.

 

Remove from pan and glaze with mixture of 1 ½ cup confectioner’s sugar; 2 tsp vanilla and 4 TBS milk. Enjoy!

 

                                HOMEMADE GLAZED CAKE DONUTS

 

 

DONUTS COMING OUT OF THE OVEN

 

DONUTS COOLING ON RACK

 

READY FOR CONSUMPTION!