Alpha

Three, two, one... aaaand published!!!

That above is me finally clicking on Publish and making this blog a reality. So easy, so simple, so (literally) 'a click away'. And now I have leaped.

This introductory post is dedicated to all those who have inspired me, and in particular my five year old sister Layla - an incessant source of joy and insanity in my life. She is a hilarious and fearless little individual, and will say and ask everything and anything that comes to her mind. Her innocence I hold precious; it is my constant reminder of all the little things in life that adulthood somehow makes us forget. 

The two of us are oceans apart, and to abridge the distance sometimes I cook with her in mind. It is one of the ways in which I feed my melancholy and keep my loved ones close(r) to my heart.

I made these tiny doughnuts as part of our Sunday morning breakfast - somewhat of a rarity here but a staple food in Layla's world. The recipe I found and adapted from one of our fellow bloggers (will put a tag as soon as I figure out how!). What a lazy Sunday it wasn't - I am preparing for a week long trip starting tomorrow, so instead of packing, I figured it best to finally publish what has been brewing in my mind for quite some time. Needless to say, my bags are still gaping open on my bedroom floor and my clothes are strewn everywhere!

 

I served the doughnuts with Nutella and spicy hot chocolate, even though, in my  humble opinion, they taste best on their own. The coolness of ricotta cheese is nicely complemented by orange zest - the citrus flavor comes as quite a surprise given the ''plain'' appearance of doughnuts.

For those that want to try, here is the recipe:

Ricotta Doughnuts

Makes about 20 (small size) doughnuts

3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
250 grams ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon or orange zest
Oil for frying
Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Nutella/preferred jelly or honey

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, ricotta, and salt. Sift together the dry ingredients and add them to the batter.

Heat about 8 cm of oil in a deep pot. Drop a tablespoon of batter into the oil and cook until golden brown on each side. Do not make the doughnuts very big and do not overcrowd the pot to ensure they are cooked through. Remove doughnuts from the pot and allow them to drain on paper towels.

Dust the doughnuts with powdered sugar and/or pipe Nutella into the center of each one. These doughnuts taste best when served warm so make them just before you are ready to serve them.

 

Thank you for stopping by my world... Enjoy and have a happy Monday everyone! It is Layla's second week of school - she will be bringing doughnuts for lunch ;)