Banana Fritters

I've been thinking about breakfast recipes a lot lately. So sick and tired of pancakes, waffles, and French toasts. Want something different.

Then I came across Bobby Flay's Banana Foster Beignets recipe in his brunch cookbook. Since I had 2 ready to bake bananas, I decided to make banana fritters for breakfast.

When I reread Bobby's recipe, I was wondering why he didn't add an egg. I mean beignets are usually yeast dough. But without eggs, I don't think they will turn out fluffy. Kinda strange.

So I modified his recipe by adding an egg. I ran out of large eggs or I went with extra large. I'll try large eggs next time and see if the texture makes a difference. I also added less sugar because I knew my kids would sprinkle a lot of powdered sugar until their fritters look like they are covered in snow.

When I think of beignets, I'd think of deep-fried yeast dough. You know the New Orleans beignets. I renamed this dish to a fritter because it has that doughnut taste to them. Well, whatever its name, my kids enjoyed them with cold glasses of goat milk. I had mine with morning coffee. Good life!!!

Banana Fritters
serve 3-4
adapted from Brunch at Bobby's Banana Foster Beignets

2 ripe bananas (7 oz.)
1/4 cup (3 oz.) granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons (1 oz.) coarse sugar
2 Tablespoons (1 oz.) coconut cream
1 extra large egg (2.1 oz.)
1 cup (4 oz.) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
cooking oil for deep frying
powdered sugar for serving

1. Place a cooling rack over a baking pan. Set aside.
2. Pour cooking oil (about 2 inches deep) into a heavy bottom pot.
3. Heat the oil until the candy thermometer registers at 350F.
4. In a large bowl, mix together bananas, sugars, coconut cream, and egg.
5. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
6. Whisk the flour ingredients into the banana ingredients until there are no lumps.
7. Using a small scoop, drop about 4-6 scoops into the oil.
8. Deep fried until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.
9. Take the fritters out of the oil and on to a cooling rack to let them drain.
10. Serve warm with a lot of powdered sugar. Enjoy!!!

Allergy Info: These banana fritters are free from dairy, egg, corn, legumes (peanuts and soy), nuts (not coconut) and fish. 

Sweet Fried Dough

For this month, I would like to post everything bread dough. Starting off with sweet fried dough.

There isn't much to talk about this particular post. I just happened to come across a cooking show, featuring Daddy's Fried Dough. He basically deep-fried pizza dough and served them with his chocolate sauce.

After watching it, I was inspired to deep-fry my own pizza dough. I tested this recipe over three years ago when I was in a make-everything-from-scratch diet. Drizzle with melted chocolate and ummm... so addicting.

When I plan to make pizza for dinner, I would take just enough pizza dough to make this dessert for our afternoon snack. Feel free to deep-fried the whole pizza dough recipe for a big crowd. Think of it this way, my sweet fried dough is an easy version of beignets. Powdered sugar is highly recommended.

Sweet Fried Dough
serve 3

10 oz. of my pizza dough recipe
safflower or sunflower oil for deep-frying
chocolate chips, melted
a lot of powdered sugar for serving

1. Make a pizza dough according my recipe instructions.
2. Place 2 inch of the oil in a heavy bottom pot.
3. Heat the oil until the deep-frying thermometer reaches 350F degree.
4. Place a wiring rack over a baking pan. Set aside.
5. Roll out the dough into 1/2 inch thick.
6. Cut the dough into desired shapes. TIPS: Sometimes I like to but the dough into short stripes. They are easier to dip into melted chocolate.
7. Deep-fry the pizza dough until puffy and golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. NOTE: Depending on how thick and the size of each piece of the pizza dough, the cooking time may varies.
8. Transfer the deep-fried pizza dough on to the prepared pan and allow the oil to drain.
9. Serve the fried dough with melted chocolate or powdered sugar. Enjoy them with a cup of hot cocoa (in the winter) or a lemonade (in the summer).

STORING: These sweet fried dough are best eating right away, but be careful as they are piping hot.

Allergy Info: These sweet fried dough are free from or can be make without dairy, egg, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, and fish.

S'more Chocolate Cake Doughnuts (dairy and egg free)

It was one of those days when I told my kids, "Let's make some doughnuts." And they came back with, "What kind?" Hmm... I had no idea.

So I used my Bao dough for yeast doughnuts. Then I decided to test a chocolate cake doughnuts without eggs, but they didn't turn out very sweet. The s'more flavor was an afterthought because I figured that the roasted marshmallow and melted chocolate would make this desert the sweet that it needed. I was right. Plus, it was super fun to have my kids roasted their own marshmallows over the stove top.

Alternatively, dipping cake doughnuts in a melted chocolate is pretty addicting. Either way, enjoy!!!

S'more Chocolate Cake Doughnuts (dairy and egg free)
makes 5 doughnuts, 8-10 doughnut holes

1 cup (4 oz.) all-purpose flour
1/8 cup (0.2 oz.) cocoa powder
1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon instant espresso (optional)
1/4 cup (2 oz.) coconut cream
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup (1.7 oz.) granulated sugar
1/2 Tablespoon sunflower oil, more for deep-frying
1/4 - 1/2 cup melted chocolate
1/4 - 1/2 cup graham crackers, crumbled
5 - 10 maple syrup marshmallows

1. Place a wiring rack on top of the baking pan. Set aside.
2. Add 1 1/2 to 2 inch oil to a heavy bottom pot with a candy thermometer.
3. Heat the oil to 350F degrees.
4. While the oil is heating up, shift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and espresso in a medium bowl
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut cream, vinegar, oil, and sugar.
6. Add the flour mixture to the cream mixture, until there is no lumps.
7. Place the dough on to a non stick matt.
8. Roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thick.
9. Using a doughnut cutter, cut out the doughnuts and the doughnut holes. TIP: Use a 2 inch diameter cookie cutter to cut out doughnut shapes. Use a large piping tip to make doughnut holes.
10. Deep-free the dough holes for 2 minutes total and the doughnuts for 4 minutes total.
11. Place the doughnuts and the doughnut holes on the prepared pan to drain the oil.
12. Once cool, set them on a serving plate.
13. Dip the doughnuts into the melted chocolate. Set aside. NOTE: Alternatively, drizzle melted chocolate on top of the marshmallows.
14. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs.
15. Roast the marshmallow over the stove top.
16. Place the roasted marshmallows on top of the doughnuts or doughnut holes. Enjoy!

STORING: This s'more chocolate cake doughnuts can be kept in an air tight container at a room temperature for up to 3 days.

 

Allergy Info: This s'more chocolate cake doughnuts are free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nut (not coconut), and fish. If you can have eggs, feel free to use vanilla marshmallows.

Sopapillas

What is not to like about deep-fried food. And deep-fried dough is even better.

Back when I was on Camden's strict allergy free diet, I saw a cooking show, featuring Daddy's Fried Dough. He deep-fried a pizza dough and drizzled it with a chocolate sauce. I luv the idea and tested it out using my own pizza dough. Very addicting.

The thing about this deep-fried dough dessert is that I have to have a yeast dough in order for it to work. I even learned how to make Beignets. Another winner for deep-fried dough. Again, waiting for the dough to rise is always very time consuming. When I plan my kids' afternoon snack, I usually don't plan ahead. I make them something sweeter that morning, usually after we eat our brunch. When they ask for deep-fried dough for their afternoon snack, I just cannot have yeast dough ready to deep fried that quickly.

I came across several sopapilla recipes and realized that I could have deep-fried dough in no time. I tested out several recipes and came up with my own. But seriously though. The dough is like flour tortilla dough with baking powder which is a must have ingredients. Without it, the dough won't puff up when deep-fried.

Three things I usually add to my sopapilla: powdered sugar, cinnamon-sugar, or melted chocolate. If I have time, pastry cream is a sweet creamy compliment to these sopapillas.

Sopapilla
serve 2-3

1 1/4 (5 oz.) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons sunflower oil, more for cooking
1/3 cup (3 oz.) hot water

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Mix in the oil.
3. Add the hot water and mix well until a dough is formed.
4. Roll the dough out into 1/2 inch thick. NOTE: If the dough is too thin, the dough won't puff up when it hits the hot oil. Keep them on the thick side.
5. Cut the dough into desired shapes, such as square, rectangle, or circle.
6. Place about 2 inch oil in a heavy bottom pot.
7. While the oil is heating up, place a wiring rack on top of a baking pan. Set aside.
8. Once the oil reaches 350F degree, drop the dough, about 5 at the time.
9. Deep-fried the dough until golden brown, about 1 minute per side.
10. Transfer the sopapilla to a prepared pan to drain the oil.
11. Choose your flavorings. TIPS: Coat the sopapilla with cinnamon-sugar. Leave them plain for powdered sugar, melted chocolate, or pastry cream. Enjoy!!!

Flavorings:
Cinnamon-sugar: mix together 3 tablespoons granulated sugar with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Powered sugar: place a lot of powder sugar in a sugar shaker
Melted chocolate: microwave 1/2 cup of chocolate chip until melted
Pastry cream: click for recipe

STORING: Since the sopapillas are deep-fried dessert, they taste best as soon as they are cool enough to devour.

Allergy Info: These sopapillas are free from dairy, egg, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, and fish.

Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Crisps

For me, anything with cinnamon and sugar is pretty addictive. I tested just one pan fried tortilla dough then sprinkled it with cinnamon sugar. Hello!!! Why didn't I think of this before.

These cinnamon sugar tortilla crisps serve a big crowd. I usually make about three, just enough for me and my kids. Since they are pan fried, they taste better eaten right away. But I confess that I ate them at a room temperature several time and... still additive.

These crisps are super fast and super easy. Plus, they are tasty with hot chocolate, hot or ice coffee, lemonade, smoothie... hmmm... you get the idea, right?

Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Crisps
serves 5-6

1/2 my flour tortilla recipe
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a lot of safflower oil

1. Make the tortilla dough as directed.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Heat an 8-inch frying pan on a medium low heat.
4. Add a tablespoon of oil.
5. Take about a small dough and roll it out thinly.
6. Gently place the dough on the heated oil.
7. Pan fry for about a minute per side.
8. Transfer the tortilla crisp on a plate.
9. Sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar on both side right away.
10. Pan fry the rest of the tortilla dough, adding the oil as needed.
11. Cut them into desired shapes. Enjoy!!!

TIPS: Keep the tortilla crisps warm in a 200F degree oven. When ready to serve, cut them into desired shapes.

STORING: Because these crisps are pan fried, it's best to enjoy them right away. Keep them in an air tight container at a room temperature for 2 days. They won't be crispy but still are pretty tasty.



Allergy Info: These cinnamon sugar tortilla crisps are free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, and fish.

Chocolate or Plain Sesame Seed Rice Balls

Happy Chinese New Year! This year, it falls on Friday, January 31st. And it's the year of a horse, when it is "time for all people to go forward confidently in the direction of their goals and dreams". What a great advice!

When I was living in the Bronx, my parents would go to Chinatown on a weekend before or after the Chinese New Year. They always came back with bags full of food: roasted ducks, lots of fruits, especially oranges, and some sweets that came in the red box. The candied lotus seeds were my favorite sweet, which I already add to my (future) candy making adventure.

My parents would honored my late grandparents (my dad's parents) with these food. They would light the incense, wishing my grandparents a happy new year. After the incense burnt out, it was time for everyone to share the foods that were offered to my grandparents. I also received a red envelop with lucky money from my parents. The amount usually depended on my age. As I got older, I would get more cash. Lucky me!

 

I told my friend this story, and she said that it reminded her of Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). I found it very interesting that even though we are from different cultures, the traditions of honoring our love ones are very similar.

I started to celebrate the Chinese New Year a little earlier this year. I baked egg custard yesterday for my kids afternoon snack. Turned out to be overly sweet for me, but my kids devoured the little tarts. Today, I decided to venture into something deep fried, sesame seed rice balls.

I made these sesame rice balls many moons ago as part of my learning to cook dim sum. They didn't turn out well. I wasn't sure why, but it might have something to do with not fully understanding the recipe's instruction. This year, I researched different recipes and decided to come up with my own version.

With that said, the sesame seed rice balls turned out much better this time. They tasted lighter and crunchier, though they weren't golden brown. The techniques and ingredients are pretty simple. Plus, no eggs, no gluten, and no dairy. It's pretty friendly allergy free sweets.

These rice balls are usually filled with red bean paste. Since Camden cannot have legumes, I made the filling using chocolate chips and black sesame seeds. Afterward, he told me that he would like it plain. So I made another batch without the fillings, which was a done in a lightning speed. Taking it to the next level, I made palm sugar caramel and drizzled on top of the rice balls. Camden was right! Yummilicious!

Glutinous rice flour or sticky rice flour can be found at any Asian markets. Feel free to double or triple this recipe. I made enough just for my kids and me because (you know) fried food taste better when eaten right away. 

Chocolate Sesame Seed Rice Balls
makes 8 rice balls

1/2 cup (2 oz) glutinous rice flour
3 teaspoons powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons (1.5 oz) cold water
1 Tablespoon chocolate chips
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon white sesame seeds
Vegetable oil for deep frying

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar.
2. Add the cold water.
3. Knead the dough inside the bowl. NOTE: If the dough is too dry, add half of tablespoon of cold water. If the dough is too wet, add half tablespoon of flour.
4. Once the dough comes together, knead it on the non stick mat.
5. Roll the dough into a log and cut them into 8 equal parts. Set aside.
6. In another bowl, mix together the chocolate chips and black sesame seeds. Set aside.
7. Place white sesame seeds on a plate.
8. Place a cooling rack over a sheet tray. Set aside.
9. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pot. Bring the oil temperature to 350°F degrees.
10. While the oil is heating up, take a dough ball and flat it with your fingers into a disk.
11. Add the filling in the middle of the dough disk. Remember, a little bit of the filling goes a long way with this bite size dessert.
12. Pinch the sides to seal. NOTE: If the filling pops out, add slightly less filling next time. You may need to reshape the dough. 
13. Squeeze the dough then roll it inside your palm to form a ball.
14. Continue with this method until all 8 rice balls are formed.
15. Roll the rice balls in the white sesame seeds. Press the seeds into the dough, so they will stick to the rice balls.
16. Drop the rice balls into the hot oil.
17. Deep fried them for 3 minutes. Stand back as the rice balls may puff up causing the oil to splatter.
18. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sesame seed rice balls on to a prepared cooling rack, allowing the oil to drain.
19. Allow the sesame seed rice balls to cool a bit, about five minute, before serving. Remember the chocolate filling may be piping hot.

Plain Sesame Seed Rice Balls
make 10 small bit rice balls

1/2 cup (2 oz) glutinous rice flour
3 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
3 Tablespoons (1.5 oz) cold water
1 Tablespoon white sesame seeds
2 Tablespoons palm sugar
1/2 to 1 Tablespoon water

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pot. Bring the oil temperature to 350°F degrees.
2. Place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and spices.
4. Add the cold water.
5. Knead the dough inside the bowl.
6. Once the dough comes together, knead it on the non stick mat.
7. Roll the dough into a log, about an inch in diameter and five inches in length.
8. Sprinkle the white sesame seeds on to a non stick mat.
9. Roll the dough log on to the sesame seeds, making sure that the log stays the same size.
10. Cut the log into ten equal pieces. There is no need to shape them into balls. These are bite size shapes.
11. Drop the dough into a hot oil and deep fry them for 3 minutes.
12. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sesame seed rice balls on to a prepared cooling rack, allowing the oil to drain.
13. In another pot, heat the palm sugar and water until the mixture is bubbling.
14. Drizzle the palm sugar caramel onto the sesame rice balls. Enjoy!!!

Allergy Info: These sesame seed rice balls are free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, wheat, and fish. If you don't have legume allergy, you can fill the rice balls with red bean paste, which are sold at any Asian markets. You can also make your own by grinding cooked red beans with sugar into paste.

Banana and Apple Fritters

A few days ago, I was thinking what to bake for the afternoon snack. Nothing. I didn't want to bake anything. I've been making doughnuts, so there was a pot of cooking oil that I really needed to use up. I spotted one large banana and remembered how I luv my dad's deep fried bananas.

When my dad made the batter for the fritters, he didn't measure the ingredients. He would make the batter and made adjustments to the batter as he deep fried the bananas. He did tell me once that using rice flour will make the fritters crispier and using coconut milk will make them aromatic. My dad also deep fried sweet potatoes and taro roots, cutting them into 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch thick .

I decided to use William Sonoma's banana fritters recipe as a guide. I also tested the batter with apple slices. I added ground cinnamon and a pitch of nutmeg into my batter, but these two spices can be omitted. If seltzer water is not available, just substitute it with coconut milk. I also fried up some avocado slices, and they tasted really creamy. Since I sprinkled sea salt on them, I'd consider serving them up as appetizer. The fritters turned out to be a very satisfying deep fried dessert.

Banana and Apple Fritters
serves 4-6
adapted from William Sonoma's Banana Fritters

vegetable oil for frying
1/4 cup (1.25 oz) all-purpose flour (King Arthur)
1/4 cup (1 oz) rice flour (Erawan - 3 elephants)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder (Feather's Weight)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon grounded cinnamon
pitch of grounded nutmeg
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 Tablespoon palm sugar
1/2 cup (4 oz) coconut cream (Aroy-D)
1/4 cup (2 oz) seltzer water
1 large banana
Half of 1 large granny smith apple
confectioner's (or powdered) sugar for dusting

1. Pour vegetable oil (about 2 inches deep) into a wok or a pot.
2. Heat the oil until the thermometer register between 350°F to 360°F degrees.
3. While the oil is heating, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar in a large bowl.
4. Without shaking a can of coconut milk, open the can then scoop out the top layer (the coconut cream) into the flour mixture. Whisk until the batter is thick.
5. Add seltzer water and whisk until just combine.
6. Peel a banana and slice it diagonally to 1/2 inch thick. Set aside.
7. Peel, core, and half an apple. Then slice the it to 1/4 thickness. Set aside.
8. Once the oil is ready, coat each banana or apple slice with the batter.
9. Drop it into the hot oil and fry 1 minute per side. Note: Only fry 4 to 6 slices at a time. Keep checking the thermometer, making sure the oil is between 350°F to 360°F degrees.
10. Take the fritters out of the oil and on to a cooling tray to let them drain.
11. After the oil registers between 350°F to 360°F degrees, repeat step 8 to 10. Note: If there is still leftover batter, drop it randomly into the oil to make crispy batter. Seriously yummilicious!!!
12. Dust the fritters with powdered sugar and enjoy them with a glass of lemonade or ice cold water.

Allergy Info: My fritters are free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nuts (not coconut), and fish. Keep in mind that if the apples are waxed and the bananas are gassed, then they are most likely not corn free. What I learned from people who have severe corn allergy is that it is best to buy fruits from the local farmers who might not wax or gas their produce.

Palm Sugar Puffed Rice

Every time I had leftover rice, I never really knew what to do with them. For steamed rice (or sometimes called Jasmin rice), I usually stir-fried them with ham or eggs. But with sticky rice(sometimes called sweet rice), I just threw them out.

My mom recently retired and moved in with me and my family. One day I saw her playing with the leftover sticky rice. She broke them into little clusters then set them out to dry in the sun. She told me to deep fried them. I did. Oh boy, they were delicious.

Then I remember this simple and delicious snack I had when I was a little girl. They were crispy rice with something sweet on top. My mom mentioned coconut milk with something, something, and it darned on me that I had palm sugar in the pantry. I decided to make a thick simple syrup to drizzle over the puffed rice. Wow, what a combo! They tasted great and very addicting. Definitely a movie snack. And a big approval from my mom.

If you don't have any dried cooked rice, try drizzle the syrup over the puffed cereal like Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice. They don't form into small clusters and may not have that fried crispy texture, but they are still pretty delicious. Click here for instruction on how to make puffed rice.

Remember to make only the amount you want to eat as these puffed rice stay crispy for only two to three days.

Palm Sugar Puffed Rice
inspired by my mom's recipe
make 1 cup

24 oz safflower or vegetable oil
1/2 cup dried cooked rice
1/2 cup (4 oz) palm sugar
2 Tablespoons water

1. In a fry pan or saucepan, heat the oil to 350°F.
2. Drop a handful of dried cooked rice and deep fried until they puff up, about 1 to 2 minutes, depending on the clusters.
3. Transfer them onto a dish towel to drain. Then transfer them to a plate.
4. In a small saucepan, melt together palm sugar and water until it has the consistency of a thick syrup. Note: For every 1/4 cup of palm sugar, add 1 tablespoon of water. Double or triple this recipe as needed.
5. Drizzle the syrup over the puffed rice.
6. Enjoy them right away or store the leftover in the air tight container.

Allergy Info: These palm sugar puffed rice is free from dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, wheat, and fish.

Here's a story about rice. They can be enriched and you betcha if they do, they probably have something corn in it. I buy a big 25 pound bag of rice at the Asian markets. Look for a bag with just a type of rice written on the bag such as Jasmine Rice or Sweet Rice. It should not have the word "enriched" on the bag. If you do buy rice from the American groceries stores like Walmart, be sure to call the company and ask how their rice are processed. Companies are not required to list how they process their products. If you are super sensitive to corn or soy, ask about their packaging as well.