• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Cardamom and Tea
  • Blog
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • About
  • Subscribe

creamy rice pudding

August 29, 2021 by Kathryn Pauline 1 Comment

Rice pudding is too often a stodgy blob. Typically, it bubbles away until it’s the consistency of peanut butter, then you plonk it into a bowl, and it immediately sets up like concrete. But lucky for us, it’s super easy to make perfectly silky, creamy rice pudding instead.

This particular recipe has the consistency of a lovely custard or pastry cream. Pour it into cute little bowls, top it with all your favorites, and enjoy hot or chilled.

There are two secrets to this recipe’s deliciousness:

1) make it creamy by using enough liquid, and

2) make it al dente by adding the rice in two stages.

how to make your rice pudding creamy

The secret to perfectly creamy rice pudding? Use enough liquid!

My recipe uses almost twice as much liquid as your average rice pudding recipe. It might seem like way too much when you first throw it together. But after a long simmer, the rice absorbs a ton of liquid, and also gives off a ton of starch. That starch thickens the liquid it’s cooking in, and it all ends up being the perfect amount.

how to make it al dente

Creaminess is all well and good, but to keep it from turning out mushy (or worse, totally runny!), I add the rice in two stages.

Here’s why that works:

The first addition of rice cooks for-absolute-ever, until it starts to break down and thicken the liquid. You’ll notice slightly bigger bubbles in the milk, and the whole thing will take on an almost creme-anglaise-like consistency. *

You add the second addition of rice once the first addition has done its job. The first batch thickened the liquid, but the second batch only needs to cook until it’s al dente. That way you’ll have some chewier grains in the mix. As these rice grains cook, they give off even more starch, and the liquid thickens further.

And voilà! You’re left with a perfect pot of pudding!

* Note: You could actually stop adding rice after the first addition, let it simmer for a while longer, and serve it as a more Middle Eastern style rice pudding (extremely silky smooth, and not super set).

rice pudding toppings

The recipe below includes 5 ideas of toppings for your rice pudding. But feel free to get creative, or even enjoy it plain on its own. You can’t really go wrong!

The 5 described at the end of the recipe below are:

  • Rose pistachio
  • Cinnamon walnut
  • Strawberry sumac
  • Thai mango sticky rice
  • Vanilla biscoff

Enjoy the recipe, and don’t miss my post on creamy oatmeal. Because apparently it’s my mission in life to get people to add more liquid to their puddings and porridges.

Print

creamy rice pudding

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Author: Kathryn Pauline
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup [200g] medium grain rice, split into ¾ cup [150g] and ¼ cup [50g]
  • 8 cups [1920g] milk of choice
  • ⅓ cup [65 g] sugar*
  • 1 pinch salt
  • Flavorings and/or toppings (see note)

Instructions

  1. Combine ¾ cup rice, milk, sugar, and salt in a large dutch oven or small stock pot.** Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, lower the heat and let it simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, until the rice is starting to fall apart. Stir occasionally as it simmers.
  2. Add the remaining ¼ cup of rice, and simmer for another 20 minutes, unti that rice is cooked through but still holding its shape, and the liquid has thickened significantly. Stir a little more frequently for these last 20 minutes, scraping the bottom often. If/when it develops a skin, feel free to lift it away with a fork, or just stir it back in.
  3. It should be a pourable consistency, but not runny. It will set a little more once you pour it into bowls. Stir in any flavorings off the heat (if using), pour into individual servings, and sprinkle on toppings (if using).

Notes

* A quick note on sugar: I don’t like my rice pudding to be super sweet, so I only add 1/3 cup of sugar. It has a lot of natural sweetness from the milk and rice starches. But if you prefer a sweeter pudding (especially if you won’t be topping it with something sweet), feel free to increase this amount, to taste.

** If you use a very wide pot, you may need to top it off with a little more water as the second rice addition cooks (because more water will evaporate). Keep an eye on it, and if it starts to look too dry, feel free to add a few tablespoons of water at a time. On the other hand if it is too thin (perhaps because your pot is very narrow), feel free to cook it a bit longer to reduce down further.

Toppings and flavorings:

  • Levantine rice pudding: Stir into the pot rosewater or orange blossom water (to taste—add it 1 teaspoon at a time, and taste as you go). Sprinkle bowls with some bright green ground pistachios and/or edible dried rose petals.
  • Cinnamon walnut: Sprinkle bowls with a mixture of chopped walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon
  • Strawberry sumac: See this oatmeal post and top bowls with macerated strawberries (sumac optional)
  • Thai mango sticky rice: Optionally make your rice pudding with “coconut beverage” (not the kind of coconut milk from a can, but the kind from a carton), top bowls with sliced mango and sesame seeds.
  • Vanilla biscoff: Stir in a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, top bowls with biscoff crumbles.

find us on instagram and let us know what you made!

Filed Under: breakfast, dairy free, every recipe, sweets, vegan, vegetarian, weeknight Tagged With: middle eastern, rice

tomato basil soup with butter corn

August 15, 2021 by Kathryn Pauline 2 Comments

My favorite ramen is hands-down butter corn miso ramen. I love it so much that even when I order something else, I’ll often order extra butter corn as an add-on. We lived across the street from an Ippudo when we lived in Hong Kong, and I think I’ve tried (some might say ruined) everything on their menu by tacking on butter corn from their menu’s extras. And I don’t stop at ramen—I now add butter corn to pretty much any soup I make at home. It’s got a sweet crunch and silky beads of butter, and it’s just the best topping ever. And in late summer, butter corn is very at home atop a bowl of tomato basil soup.

tomato basil soup ingredient substitutions

I developed this recipe using canned tomatoes, but you can absolutely make it with a similar amount of fresh, especially if you’ve got a ton growing in your garden. Use about 6 or 7 medium tomatoes [1kg]. First halve your tomatoes, coat in a thin layer of olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt, and roast your fresh tomatoes cut-side-up at 350°F [180°C] for about 45 minutes, just until they soften and caramelize very slightly. Don’t let them fully dehydrate—you just want a little flavor concentration. Roasting adds a caramelized quality that you wouldn’t get with fresh or sautéed. If your fresh tomatoes are a little on the sad side, you can add 2 to 3 tablespoons [30 to 45g] tomato paste to liven them up.

You can also get away with using dried basil, though the flavor will be different. Substitute 1 tablespoon [3g] dried basil in place of fresh, and add it along with the stock so it hydrates and melds with the other flavors.

Also feel free to use frozen corn instead of fresh. It’ll just take an extra minute or two to sauté if you go straight from frozen. But whether frozen or fresh, tomato corn soup is better than just tomato soup.

Also feel free to cut back on the cream if you’d like, but keep in mind that a little cream goes a very long way in making tomato basil soup delicious. It comes out to slightly more than 1 tablespoon per serving, and makes all the difference. So feel cut back if you must. But don’t forget to live a little! It’s August—time to enjoy that glorious combination of butter fat and late summer veggies.

Print

tomato basil soup with butter corn

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Ingredients

For the tomato basil soup:

  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion [180g], sliced
  • Salt
  • 28 oz [800g] can whole tomatoes with their juices (see note above recipe to use fresh)
  • 1 quart [940g] vegetable stock
  • 3 medium garlic cloves, crushed through a press [10 g]
  • ½ tsp [1.5g] freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup [120g] heavy cream
  • Leaves from 1 medium bunch basil [40g leaves] (see note above recipe to use dried)

For the butter corn topping:

  • 4 Tbsp [55g] butter
  • 1 cup [50 g] thinly sliced green onion
  • 1½ cup [210g] corn kernels
  • Salt
  • More basil, for topping (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place a stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat and let it heat for a few minutes. Once hot, add the olive oil, onion, and a pinch of salt. Cook stirring occasionally until the onions soften a little (about 5 minutes).
  2. Add the tomatoes, vegetable stock, and pepper, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low to maintain a simmer. Simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes, just until the flavors meld a bit.
  3. Add the cream and basil, then blend with a high-power or immersion blender until completely smooth. If you use a blender, learn to do it properly so the top doesn’t pop off. 
  4. Make the butter corn topping: place the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the green onion and cook for about 1 minute, just until they soften a little. Once the butter melts, add the corn and a pinch of salt and continue cooking until everything is warmed through and slightly more golden, about 2 more minutes.
  5. Serve each bowl with a little spoonful of butter corn and a few basil leaves (if using).

find us on instagram and let us know what you made!

Filed Under: dinner, every recipe, gluten free, lunch, soups and stews, vegetarian, weeknight Tagged With: basil, corn, herbs, summer, tomato

sabzi khordan chopped salad

July 31, 2021 by Kathryn Pauline Leave a Comment

This sabzi khordan chopped salad could probably just be called “sabzi khordan,” full stop. I mean, sabzi khordan is simply a platter with lots of herbs, sometimes with cheese. But whenever I make it for guests who aren’t super familiar with Middle Eastern food, I tend to do an awkward amount of arm-twisting to convince them that they absolutely must pile their flatbread high with a mountain of cilantro and basil. So I decided that this salad might be a more gracious way of letting guests know that there’s no such thing as too many herbs.

My favorite salads always pile on the herbs with reckless abandon, and this one is no exception. Indeed, it is pretty much just a big mountain of herbs, dressed with a perfectly tangy and rich dressing. You can absolutely feel free to include some of your other favorites—throw in whatever you’ve got on hand. Dill, mint, and tarragon all work wonderfully here in smaller quantities. If you can’t stand cilantro, you can also just add more parsley and basil to compensate. It’s super adaptable, but the idea is always the same: 1/3 herbs, 2/3 lettuce, and lots of good stuff on top.

A few quick notes: The only herbs to stay away from here are the woody/perfumey kinds like thyme, rosemary, oregano, and sage. While you can get away with using as much basil as you’d like, their more intensely fragrant flavors work better in small doses. And don’t miss the note below the recipe on making this ahead. It includes a link to learn to properly store herbs so they’ll last in the fridge.

Print

sabzi khordan chopped salad

Print Recipe

  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • Outer leaves from 1 medium head romaine [225g leaves], coarsely chopped
  • 1 small bunch watercress [40g], torn
  • Leaves and tender stems from 1 small bunch cilantro [40g leaves]
  • Leaves from 1 very small bunch parsley [20g leaves]
  • Leaves from 1 very small bunch basil [20g leaves]
  • 1 very small bunch chives [20g], coarsely chopped
  • 1 large green onion [20g], thinly sliced
  • 4 or 5 radishes, thinly sliced [60g]
  • 6 small tomatoes [175g]
  • ⅔ cup crumbled feta [90g] (omit or replace with vegan feta to make vegan)
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts [50g]

For the dressing:

  • ¼ cup [55g] extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons [15g] honey
  • 1 tablespoon [15g] red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon [15g] water
  • 1 teaspoon [5g] dijon mustard
  • 1 medium clove garlic, crushed through a press
  • ½ teaspoon [3g] salt

Instructions

  1. Place the romaine in a large mixing bowl and toss together with some of the dressing.
  2. Top with the watercress, herbs, chives, green onion, radishes, tomatoes, feta, and walnuts, drizzle with more dressing, and serve.

Notes

Tips for storage: Store your herbs properly for a long shelf life—basil and chives will last for a few days, parsley and cilantro will last for more like a week or two. You can also store greens this way, which will last for about 3 to 7 days. Whole romaine leaves will last longer—if their stems oxidize a little, just trim the brown bit away.

If you want to make this salad ahead of guests, store the lettuce and herbs in one container, the toppings in another, and the dressing in another. Dress the lettuce at herbs at the last moment, then top with the rest of the toppings, and drizzle with more dressing.

If you don’t want to eat the whole salad at once, store the lettuce/herbs in one container, toppings in another, and dressing in another, and assemble smaller portions as needed.

find us on instagram and let us know what you made!

Filed Under: appetizers, dairy free, dinner, every recipe, gluten free, lunch, meze, salads, vegan, vegetarian, weeknight Tagged With: basil, cilantro, feta, herbs, middle eastern, parsley, radish, spring, summer, tomato, walnut

donuts 6 ways (+ a recipe to create your own donut)

July 9, 2021 by Kathryn Pauline Leave a Comment

6 colorful donuts photographed from above

Donut week is coming to a close! But today I’m leaving you with a guide to creating a custom old fashioned cake donut. Get creative with your favorite flavors and mix-ins, and don’t forget to decorate them so that it’s clear what’s inside. The 6 I posted this week are a few of my favorites, but there are so many possibilities:

Try substituting raspberries in my blueberry icing, then make the recipe below with a handful of chocolate chips added to the dry ingredients, and a little bit of almond extract added to the wet ingredients. Or make my cinnamon sugar donuts, but add some lemon and orange zest to the wet ingredients and even more to the cinnamon sugar. The sky’s the limit—get creative, and have fun!

  • 6 colorful donuts photographed from above
  • 6 colorful donuts photographed from the side

Here’s a quick list of the 6 recipes I posted this week, in case you want to borrow a glaze or some inspiration for your own creation:

  1. Lemon poppy seed donuts
  2. Funfetti cake donuts
  3. Persian love cake donuts
  4. Cinnamon sugar donuts
  5. Blueberry cake donuts
  6. Old fashioned donuts (plain or with powdered sugar)
  • 6 colorful donuts photographed from above
  • 6 colorful donuts photographed from above
Print

create your own cake donut

6 colorful donuts photographed from above
Print Recipe

  • Yield: about 8 to 10 donuts

Ingredients

  • Neutral high smoke point oil, for deep frying (e.g., canola)
  • 250g all purpose flour (2 cups), plus more for dusting
  • Dry ingredient flavorings*, to taste (e.g., spices like cinnamon, cardamom, etc.)
  • 4g salt (¾ teaspoon)
  • 9g baking powder (2 teaspoons)
  • Dry mix-ins, to taste (optional, e.g. chocolate chips, chopped nuts, etc.)
  • 45g melted butter (3 tablespoons), cooled slightly
  • 100g sugar (½ cup)
  • 50g egg (1 large) at room temperature
  • 120g plain unstrained yogurt (½ cup) at room temperature
  • Wet ingredient flavorings*, to taste (e.g., extracts like vanilla or almond, flower waters, or citrus zest)
  • Optional: glazes and/or decorations (see the 6 examples linked to above this recipe for recipes and inspiration)

Instructions

  1. Set up a safe fry station on your stove or a dedicated deep-fryer. Make sure it cannot be knocked over. Set over medium-low heat so it can heat gradually while you prep the donuts, and set up a deep fry thermometer. Keep a close eye on it, and aim for it to reach 350°F [180°C] by the time you’re ready to fry. If it heats too quickly, reduce the heat to low or turn off for a few moments until you’re ready.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, dry ingredient flavorings, salt, baking powder, and mix-ins (if using). Whisk or sift together until completely lump free.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, egg, yogurt, and wet ingredient flavorings. Whisk together until completely smooth.
  4. Scrape the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then mix together just until combined (do not overmix).
  5. Dust a clean counter with more flour, then scrape the dough onto the dusted counter. Sprinkle on a little more flour, then gently pat it into an oval.** Take care to make sure it’s well dusted both underneath and on top. Roll it out to ½-inch thick, redusting above and below to keep it from sticking as you work.
  6. Stamp out as many donuts as you can using a donut stamp or set of pastry rings. Collect the scraps***, re-roll, and stamp out more donuts.
  7. Once the oil has heated, fry the donuts. They should take about 2 minutes per side at 350°F [180°C], and should be deeply brown (but not burnt) and cooked through. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate or cooling-rack-lined sheet pan to cool.
  8. Glaze and decorate (if using).

Notes

* You don’t need to use both dry and wet ingredient flavorings, but you should at least use one or the other.

** Do not knead the dough or incorporate the flour into it, or it will turn out dry—just pat it into shape.

*** To get a really good re-roll out of the scraps, try not to let any flour touch the freshly stamped edges, and compress them together so the bare edges mush together with other bare edges. Try not to introduce a lot of new flour. Feel free to fry the donut holes, or re-roll them with the scraps (if you fry them, they will take about 30 seconds less per side).

find us on instagram and let us know what you made!

Filed Under: breakfast, every recipe, sweets Tagged With: donuts, icing, yogurt

old fashioned donuts (no pan required)

July 8, 2021 by Kathryn Pauline 2 Comments

Australia really knows how to do donuts… or I should say doughnuts, as they’re spelled here. While I haven’t yet been to my first footy match, I did walk by the roaring stadium late one night, and passed by all the food stands outside. I waited in line to get a jam-filled sugar-rolled doughnut, and it was so good. Those light and chewy yeast-risen donuts were wonderful, but they made me miss one of my favorite things: plain old fashioned donuts.

While cakey donuts totally exist here, I’ve had a hard time tracking down the nutmeg variety. But that hasn’t stopped me from making them! So I developed a recipe for my ideal plain old fashioned donuts, and have been enjoying them with many cups of coffee.

reasons I love these old fashioned donuts

1. They’re not too sweet.

These donuts are just sweet enough, but not so sweet that your coffee will taste like you added a spoonful of sugar after dunking. If you’ve got a bit more of a sweet-coffee tooth, you can absolutely sprinkle on some powdered sugar if you’d like to. I, however, will go for one of the un-sprinkled ones at the bottom of the pile. But it’s entirely a matter of preference, and they’re truly wonderful either way.

2. You can make them without a donut pan!

Deep fried donuts are wonderful for a couple reasons. First, it means you don’t need to own a donut pan! I can’t stand having specialty equipment around, so that makes me very happy. Anyone with a container of canola oil and a heavy pan can deep fry, and I love that minimalist spirit.

3. They have a very authentic donut shop flavor.

But deep frying isn’t just great because of its ease. Fried donuts also taste absolutely incredible (and it’s not like any donut is going to win an award for healthiest snack—even the baked variety). Nothing else gets you that authentic donut shop flavor.

4. They feature ingredients you probably already have at home.

Old fashioned donuts are traditionally made with sour cream or buttermilk. But this recipe uses plain yogurt. Buttermilk is one of my all-time favorite ingredients, but nothing beats yogurt’s convenience. And these still turn out deliciously.

By the way, this is my last donut post in my donut series! Tomorrow, I’ll be posting a roundup of all 6, with a few ideas of making your own variation. In the meantime, put the kettle on, and enjoy this recipe + the other 5.

Print

old fashioned donuts (no pan required)

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Yield: about 8 to 10 donuts

Ingredients

  • Neutral high smoke point oil, for deep frying (e.g., canola)
  • 250g all purpose flour (2 cups), plus more for dusting
  • 1g (½ teaspoon) ground nutmeg
  • 4g salt (¾ teaspoon)
  • 9g baking powder (2 teaspoons)
  • 45g melted butter (3 tablespoons), cooled slightly
  • 100g sugar (½ cup)
  • 50g egg (1 large) at room temperature
  • 120g plain unstrained yogurt (½ cup) at room temperature
  • Powdered sugar (100% optional)

Instructions

  1. Set up a safe fry station on your stove or a dedicated deep-fryer. Make sure it cannot be knocked over. Set over medium-low heat so it can heat gradually while you prep the donuts, and set up a deep fry thermometer. Keep a close eye on it, and aim for it to reach 350°F [180°C] by the time you’re ready to fry. If it heats too quickly, reduce the heat to low or turn off for a few moments until you’re ready.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder. Whisk or sift together until completely lump free.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, egg, and yogurt. Whisk together until completely smooth.
  4. Scrape the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then mix together just until combined (do not overmix).
  5. Dust a clean counter with more flour, then scrape the dough onto the dusted counter. Sprinkle on a little more flour, then gently pat it into an oval.* Take care to make sure it’s well dusted both underneath and on top. Roll it out to ½-inch thick, redusting above and below to keep it from sticking as you work.
  6. Stamp out as many donuts as you can using a donut stamp or set of pastry rings. Collect the scraps**, re-roll, and stamp out more donuts.
  7. Once the oil has heated, fry the donuts. They should take about 2 minutes per side at 350°F [180°C], and should be deeply brown (but not burnt) and cooked through. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate or cooling-rack-lined sheet pan to cool.

Notes

* Do not knead the dough or incorporate the flour into it, or it will turn out dry—just pat it into shape.

** To get a really good re-roll out of the scraps, try not to let any flour touch the freshly stamped edges, and compress them together so the bare edges mush together with other bare edges. Try not to introduce a lot of new flour. Feel free to fry the donut holes, or re-roll them with the scraps (if you fry them, they will take about 30 seconds less per side).

find us on instagram and let us know what you made!

Filed Under: breakfast, every recipe, sweets Tagged With: donuts, yogurt

blueberry cake donuts

July 7, 2021 by Kathryn Pauline Leave a Comment

a blueberry old fashioned donut photographed from above

These blueberry cake donuts are studded with berries and topped with a bright purple glaze. While you can whip up this glaze in a food processor, I like to make it by mashing blueberries and powdered sugar with the back of a fork. It’s so much easier, and I love the way the whole blueberry pieces look.

You can usually tell exactly how a donut is flavored by the way it is decorated. As with gelato and cupcakes, donuts like to announce themselves. So I like how completely unambiguously *blueberry* these ones are. There’s no question where the glaze gets its color and flavor. Feel free to add a little lemon zest if you’re looking for something just a little different, or make the recipe as-is. It’s wonderful either way!

  • a blueberry old fashioned donut photographed from above
  • a blueberry old fashioned donut photographed from the side
Print

blueberry cake donuts

a blueberry old fashioned donut photographed from above
Print Recipe

  • Yield: about 8 to 10 donuts

Ingredients

For the donuts:

  • Neutral high smoke point oil, for deep frying (e.g., canola)
  • 250g all purpose flour (2 cups), plus more for dusting
  • 4g salt (¾ teaspoon)
  • 9g baking powder (2 teaspoons)
  • 75g (½ cup) blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 45g melted butter (3 tablespoons), cooled slightly
  • 100g sugar (½ cup)
  • 50g egg (1 large) at room temperature
  • 120g plain unstrained yogurt (½ cup) at room temperature

For the glaze:

  • 35g (¼ cup) blueberries
  • 125g powdered sugar (1 cup)

Instructions

  1. Set up a safe fry station on your stove or a dedicated deep-fryer. Make sure it cannot be knocked over. Set over medium-low heat so it can heat gradually while you prep the donuts, and set up a deep fry thermometer. Keep a close eye on it, and aim for it to reach 350°F [180°C] by the time you’re ready to fry. If it heats too quickly, reduce the heat to low or turn off for a few moments until you’re ready.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk or sift together until completely lump free.
  3. If using fresh blueberries, make sure they’re completely dry. If using frozen, make sure not to thaw them first. Add your blueberries into the dry ingredients and toss around until coated in flour.
  4. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, egg, and yogurt. Whisk together until completely smooth.
  5. Scrape the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold together just until combined (do not overmix).
  6. Dust a clean counter with more flour, then scrape the dough onto the dusted counter. Sprinkle on a little more flour, then gently pat it into an oval.* Take care to make sure it’s well dusted both underneath and on top. Roll it out to ½-inch thick, redusting above and below to keep it from sticking as you work.
  7. Stamp out as many donuts as you can using a donut stamp or set of pastry rings. Collect the scraps**, re-roll, and stamp out more donuts.
  8. Once the oil has heated, fry the donuts. They should take about 2 minutes per side at 350°F [180°C], and should be deeply brown (but not burnt) and cooked through. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate or cooling-rack-lined sheet pan to cool.
  9. Make the glaze: combine the blueberries and powdered sugar in a small mixing bowl. Mash the blueberries on the side of the bowl until they fall apart and form a purple icing. Drizzle over the donuts.

Notes

* Do not knead the dough or incorporate the flour into it, or it will turn out dry—just pat it into shape.

** To get a really good re-roll out of the scraps, try not to let any flour touch the freshly stamped edges, and compress them together so the bare edges mush together with other bare edges. Try not to introduce a lot of new flour. Feel free to fry the donut holes, or re-roll them with the scraps (if you fry them, they will take about 30 seconds less per side).

find us on instagram and let us know what you made!

 

Filed Under: breakfast, every recipe, sweets Tagged With: berries, donuts, icing, yogurt

cinnamon sugar donuts

July 6, 2021 by Kathryn Pauline Leave a Comment

a cinnamon sugar old fashioned donut photographed from above

All of this week’s donuts are a joy to eat, but I love the process of making cinnamon sugar donuts the most. There’s nothing simpler than rolling still-hot donuts in cinnamon sugar, and then calling it a day. They are also low-maintenance travelers, since you don’t have to worry about icing crumbling or decorations falling off, so these are one of my favorite things to bring to someone’s house as a host gift.

This brings me to one of my personal favorite rules of thumb:
When you go to someone’s house for dinner, if you’re going to bring food as a little gift, make it a breakfast they can enjoy the next day!

I mean, obviously I’m going to bring food to your house if I’m coming over for dinner (I mean, have you met me?). But I always worry about bringing something homemade, putting the host in an uncomfortable position where they feel like they have to shoehorn it into the meal. Breakfast solves everything, because it sends a glaringly obvious signal that it is 100% for the hosts only.

Wine, chocolate, and coffee are my favorite store-bought things to bring. And it’s not like you have to bring something homemade in the first place. But when I feel like making something, granola, donuts, scones, and crêpes are wonderful options.

As usual, there’s a little sneak peak at tomorrow’s donut in one of the below photos. But in the meanwhile, I’ll leave you with my recipe for these cinnamon sugar donuts. Keep them all to yourself, or bring them to a friend’s for dinner!

  • a cinnamon sugar old fashioned donut photographed from above
  • a cinnamon sugar old fashioned donut photographed from the side
Print

cinnamon sugar donuts

a cinnamon sugar old fashioned donut photographed from above
Print Recipe

  • Yield: about 8 to 10 donuts

Ingredients

For the cinnamon sugar:

  • 60g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
  • 8g (1 tablespoon) ground cinnamon

For the donuts:

  • Neutral high smoke point oil, for deep frying (e.g., canola)
  • 250g all purpose flour (2 cups), plus more for dusting
  • 2.5g (1 teaspoon) cinnamon
  • 4g salt (¾ teaspoon)
  • 9g baking powder (2 teaspoons)
  • 45g melted butter (3 tablespoons), cooled slightly
  • 100g sugar (½ cup)
  • 50g egg (1 large) at room temperature
  • 120g plain unstrained yogurt (½ cup) at room temperature

Instructions

  1. Make the cinnamon sugar: mix together the sugar and cinnamon, and set aside.
  2. Set up a safe fry station on your stove or a dedicated deep-fryer. Make sure it cannot be knocked over. Set over medium-low heat so it can heat gradually while you prep the donuts, and set up a deep fry thermometer. Keep a close eye on it, and aim for it to reach 350°F [180°C] by the time you’re ready to fry. If it heats too quickly, reduce the heat to low or turn off for a few moments until you’re ready.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Whisk or sift together until completely lump free.
  4. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, egg, and yogurt. Whisk together until completely smooth.
  5. Scrape the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then mix together just until combined (do not overmix).
  6. Dust a clean counter with more flour, then scrape the dough onto the dusted counter. Sprinkle on a little more flour, then gently pat it into an oval.* Take care to make sure it’s well dusted both underneath and on top. Roll it out to ½-inch thick, redusting above and below to keep it from sticking as you work.
  7. Stamp out as many donuts as you can using a donut stamp or set of pastry rings. Collect the scraps**, re-roll, and stamp out more donuts.
  8. Once the oil has heated, fry the donuts. They should take about 2 minutes per side at 350°F [180°C], and should be deeply brown (but not burnt) and cooked through.
  9. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate or cooling-rack-lined sheet pan for just a few seconds. Once the oil has drained away a bit, immediately roll the still-hot donuts in the cinnamon sugar.

Notes

* Do not knead the dough or incorporate the flour into it, or it will turn out dry—just pat it into shape.

** To get a really good re-roll out of the scraps, try not to let any flour touch the freshly stamped edges, and compress them together so the bare edges mush together with other bare edges. Try not to introduce a lot of new flour. Feel free to fry the donut holes, or re-roll them with the scraps (if you fry them, they will take about 30 seconds less per side).

find us on instagram and let us know what you made!

Filed Under: breakfast, every recipe, sweets Tagged With: cinnamon, donuts, yogurt

Persian love cake donuts

July 5, 2021 by Kathryn Pauline Leave a Comment

a persian love cake donut photographed from above

Today I’ve got Persian love cake donuts! They’re flavored with cardamom, lemon, and rosewater, drizzled with a lemon rose glaze, topped with rose petals and pistachios. If you’ve never had Persian love cake, you should absolutely try it first. Then: these donuts! They’ve got all of my favorite flavors in one place. And they’re inspired by these ones from Twigg studios, which are a great alternative for baked instead of fried.

If you’d like to learn how decorate your donuts so they look just like the ones in this post, check out my original Persian love cake post. In it, I describe how to choose the right rose petals and pistachios for decorating, and I give instructions for treating these ingredients so they’ll look their best. It’s all really easy and just takes a little bit of know-how.

  • a persian love cake donut photographed from the side
  • a persian love cake donut photographed from above
Print

Persian love cake donuts

a persian love cake donut photographed from above
Print Recipe

  • Yield: about 8 to 10 donuts

Ingredients

For the donuts:

  • Neutral high smoke point oil, for deep frying (e.g., canola)
  • 250g all purpose flour (2 cups), plus more for dusting
  • 0.5g (¼ teaspoon) cardamom
  • 4g salt (¾ teaspoon)
  • 9g baking powder (2 teaspoons)
  • 45g melted butter (3 tablespoons), cooled slightly
  • 100g sugar (½ cup)
  • 50g egg (1 large) at room temperature
  • 120g plain unstrained yogurt (½ cup) at room temperature
  • 1g (½ teaspoon) lemon zest
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) rosewater

For the glaze:

  • 75g (⅔ cup) powdered sugar
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) rosewater
  • 10g (2 teaspoons) lemon juice
  • Finely ground pistachios and edible dried rose petals for decoration

Instructions

Make the donuts:

  1. Set up a safe fry station on your stove or a dedicated deep-fryer. Make sure it cannot be knocked over. Set over medium-low heat so it can heat gradually while you prep the donuts, and set up a deep fry thermometer. Keep a close eye on it, and aim for it to reach 350°F [180°C] by the time you’re ready to fry. If it heats too quickly, reduce the heat to low or turn off for a few moments until you’re ready.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cardamom, salt, and baking powder. Whisk or sift together until completely lump free.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, egg, yogurt, and lemon zest. Whisk together until completely smooth.
  4. Scrape the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then mix together just until combined (do not overmix).
  5. Dust a clean counter with more flour, then scrape the dough onto the dusted counter. Sprinkle on a little more flour, then gently pat it into an oval.* Take care to make sure it’s well dusted both underneath and on top. Roll it out to ½-inch thick, redusting above and below to keep it from sticking as you work.
  6. Stamp out as many donuts as you can using a donut stamp or set of pastry rings. Collect the scraps**, re-roll, and stamp out more donuts.
  7. Once the oil has heated, fry the donuts. They should take about 2 minutes per side at 350°F [180°C], and should be deeply brown (but not burnt) and cooked through. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate or cooling-rack-lined sheet pan to cool.

Glaze and decorate:

  1. Whisk together the powdered sugar, rosewater, and lemon juice until completely smooth.
  2. Drizzle lines over the donuts and top with pistachios and rose petals.

Notes

* Do not knead the dough or incorporate the flour into it, or it will turn out dry—just pat it into shape.

** To get a really good re-roll out of the scraps, try not to let any flour touch the freshly stamped edges, and compress them together so the bare edges mush together with other bare edges. Try not to introduce a lot of new flour. Feel free to fry the donut holes, or re-roll them with the scraps (if you fry them, they will take about 30 seconds less per side).

find us on instagram and let us know what you made!

Filed Under: breakfast, every recipe, sweets Tagged With: cardamom, donuts, icing, lemon, pistachio, rosewater, yogurt

funfetti cake donuts

July 4, 2021 by Kathryn Pauline Leave a Comment

a funfetti old fashioned donut photographed from above

Part 2 of my old fashioned donut series: funfetti! AKA, sprinkles both inside and outside, vanilla flavor, and a thick and creamy icing. Feel free to dye the icing pink if you’d like, or leave it bright white so the rainbow sprinkles will pop. While you can use whatever sprinkles you’d like to decorate these, be sure to use the brightly-colored strand kind for the dough. Rainbow strands work best for brightly-colored funfetti donuts (or really, funfetti anything).

This series has been so much fun to work on—especially the donut testing/eating part. And I’ve been putting together these posts every morning with a cup of coffee, which sounds nice. But the donuts no longer exist in real life, so it’s actually been torture. So I’m thinking I’m going to need to make a batch of these funfetti donuts again ASAP, just for fun this time.

Tomorrow I’ll be posting about the pink and green donut that’s making a little cameo in the photo below. It’s flavored with rose, cardamom, and lemon, and topped with rose petals and pistachios. You might just be able to guess what it’s gonna be. And don’t miss part 1 of the series: the lemon poppy donuts that I posted yesterday.

  • a funfetti old fashioned donut photographed from above
  • a funfetti old fashioned donut photographed from the side
Print

funfetti cake donuts

a funfetti old fashioned donut photographed from above
Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the donuts:

  • Neutral high smoke point oil, for deep frying (e.g., canola)
  • 250g all purpose flour (2 cups), plus more for dusting
  • 20g (2 tablespoons) sprinkles
  • 4g salt (¾ teaspoon)
  • 9g baking powder (2 teaspoons)
  • 45g melted butter (3 tablespoons), cooled slightly
  • 100g sugar (½ cup)
  • 50g egg (1 large) at room temperature
  • 120g plain unstrained yogurt (½ cup) at room temperature
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract

For the icing:

  • 220g (1¾ cup) powdered sugar
  • 60g (¼ cup) heavy cream
  • More sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

For the donuts:

  1. Set up a safe fry station on your stove or a dedicated deep-fryer. Make sure it cannot be knocked over. Set over medium-low heat so it can heat gradually while you prep the donuts, and set up a deep fry thermometer. Keep a close eye on it, and aim for it to reach 350°F [180°C] by the time you’re ready to fry. If it heats too quickly, reduce the heat to low or turn off for a few moments until you’re ready.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sprinkles, salt, and baking powder. Whisk or sift together until completely lump free.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, egg, yogurt, and vanilla. Whisk together until completely smooth.
  4. Scrape the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then mix together just until combined (do not overmix).
  5. Dust a clean counter with more flour, then scrape the dough onto the dusted counter. Sprinkle on a little more flour, then gently pat it into an oval.* Take care to make sure it’s well dusted both underneath and on top. Roll it out to ½-inch thick, redusting above and below to keep it from sticking as you work.
  6. Stamp out as many donuts as you can using a donut stamp or set of pastry rings. Collect the scraps**, re-roll, and stamp out more donuts.
  7. Once the oil has heated, fry the donuts. They should take about 2 minutes per side at 350°F [180°C], and should be deeply brown (but not burnt) and cooked through. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate or cooling-rack-lined sheet pan to cool.

For the icing:

  1. Stir together cream and powdered sugar until it forms a thick icing.
  2. Spread the icing on each donut, then top immediately with more sprinkles

Notes

* Do not knead the dough or incorporate the flour into it, or it will turn out dry—just pat it into shape.

** To get a really good re-roll out of the scraps, try not to let any flour touch the freshly stamped edges, and compress them together so the bare edges mush together with other bare edges. Try not to introduce a lot of new flour. Feel free to fry the donut holes, or re-roll them with the scraps (if you fry them, they will take about 30 seconds less per side).

find us on instagram and let us know what you made!

Filed Under: breakfast, every recipe, sweets Tagged With: donuts, icing, sprinkles, vanilla, yogurt

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Go to page 4
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 32
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Welcome! I’m Kathryn Pauline, recipe developer and photographer here at Cardamom and Tea, where I hope you’ll find something delicious to make.

Every couple weeks I share a brand new recipe inspired by seasonal produce, community, and the Middle Eastern food I grew up with.

Browse my recipe archives, where you’ll find hundreds of delicious and reliable recipes.

I’m currently working on my first cookbook, A Dish for All Seasons, with Chronicle Books, available in 2022.

Footer

read our privacy policy

© 2017 - 2021 Kathryn Pauline