22 August 2009

Frying will occur here today.

Okay, so the other day I woke up with a mad craving for doughnuts. And not, like, Krispy Kreme or Daylight Donuts, but homeMADE doughnuts. So of course I started looking online for recipes and found this great looking Paula Deen recipe for sweet potato doughnuts with maple icing. (Am I alone when I say I LOVE her?) So I checked my cupboard and it's all systems go, except for one minor ingredient: the maple extract. I hoofed it to the shops to find it, and hit a wall at every turn. They've got vanilla, almond, rum, strawberry, rose water, orange blossom, linoleum, cardboard, etc., but NO MAPLE. Of course.

This happens every time I try to use an American recipe: I always come up one ingredient short. The other day I was craving fudge (the way they make it back home, not the toffees they sell here under the name), but you can't get semi-sweet chocolate chips. Dark, milk, and white, sure, but semi-sweet? Uh huh. Barkin' up the wrong crazy tree, lady. So there went that. Then there was the afternoon I was craving panir-stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon. I was willing to substitute cream cheese for panir, no problem. As for the bacon, well...there is no other place that can outdo this country for its bacon selection. But then...no jalapenos. ANYWHERE.* So again I was forced to abandon ship. But this time? This time is different. This need, this command by a higher power, for me to make sweet potato doughnuts will not be so casually tossed aside.

So I'm going to make them anyway! After all, it's only the ICING that will suffer, right? How integral can it be to the entire recipe?** In fact, I think not having any icing will make my doughnuts HEALTHY. Because there's nothing better for you than deep-fried sweet potato.

And if this whole thing doesn't work? I've got a PERFECT backup plan.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got weight to gain.


*I've since found some on the bottom shelf of a dusty Tesco aisle packed three into a bag, right next to the golden syrup. Awkward and suspicious, but I'll TAKE it.
**Famous last words.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Seriously, sweet potato donuts!?! Donuts should not be made with veggies!