The Donut Mysteries Cookbook

By Jessica Beck

The Donut Mysteries Cookbook by New York Times Bestselling Author Jessica Beck!

Gathered in one place for the first time, the Donut Mysteries Cookbook offers many of the recipes featured in the pages of the New York Times Bestselling Donut Mystery Series by Jessica Beck.  Here you will find enough treats to send you into absolute sugar shock, with a few recipes for more standard fare peppered in, if you're so inclined.  The author makes no claims to be a professional baker or cook but has enjoyed making goodies for the family for many years, and has had very few complaints from those consuming the treats included here.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cozy Publishing
• Release date: Apr 5, 2019
• ISBN: 9781540145840

Jessica Beck

Jessica Beck loves donuts, and has the figure to prove it. It's amazing what people can convince themselves is all in the name of research! For each recipe featured in the donut shop mysteries, a dozen more are tried and tested. Jessica Beck is the penname of an author who has been nominated for the Agatha Award and named an Independent Mystery Booksellers Association national bestseller nearly a dozen times. When not concocting delicious treats, Beck enjoys the rare snowfalls near her home in the foothills of North Carolina.

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A Donut That’s a Great Place to Start

This is the first donut recipe I ever tried to make myself a thousand years ago, or so it feels sometimes to me.  It’s simple and easy, though I’d never say foolproof, because I’ve managed to botch more than my fair share of treats over the years, as you’ll see as you read on.  With some practice, you’ll soon have this mastered and will be churning out donuts like a pro.  Just be careful about who you share them with, though.  Sooner or later, everyone will be expecting you to make them!

Ingredients

4–5 cups bread flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg

1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 dashes of salt

1 egg, beaten

1⁄2 cup sour cream

1 cup buttermilk

Directions

Heat enough canola oil in a large pot to cover donuts to 375°F.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and sift it into another bowl.

Add the beaten egg to the dry mix, then add the sour cream and the buttermilk to the mixture and stir it all in lightly.

Knead this mix lightly, then roll it out to about 1⁄4 of an inch.

Take your donut hole cutter and press out donut shapes.

Cook for 2 minutes on one side.

Remove to a cooling rack

Eat plain or dust with confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, or the topping of your choice.

Makes approximately 1 dozen donuts

My Very Favorite Pumpkin Donut (at least so far)

Pumpkin is too good to use in just the holiday season, a point Suzanne and I disagree on.  I will admit they taste a bit better when there’s a nip in the air, or better yet, snow on the ground.  You can up the pumpkin flavor with one teaspoon of pumpkin spice if you are so inclined, but for a more subtle flavor, stick with the recipe as it is written below.

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 can pumpkin puree (16 oz.)

2⁄3 cup buttermilk

4–5 cups bread flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger

Optional

1 teaspoon pumpkin spice

Directions

Beat eggs, then add the sugar, mixing until incorporated.

Add the oil, pumpkin, and buttermilk, and mix.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (reserve 1 cup flour), remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground ginger.  Pumpkin spice may be added at this time if desired.

Sift dry ingredients and add slowly to the egg mix.

Chill the dough for about an hour.

Once dough is chilled, roll out on a floured surface until 1⁄4 inch thick.

Cut out donuts or desired shapes.

While the donuts are resting, heat canola oil to 375°F.

Add donuts a few at a time, turning them once after 2 minutes.

Remove from oil and allow to drain them on a rack.

Makes approximately 1 dozen donuts

My Best Basic Waffles

Let me take a moment to admit a dirty little secret of mine.  Sometimes when I make waffles for the family, I grab the nearest box mix, mostly because it’s convenient.  Were you expecting something a little more lurid?  Sorry, that’s about as dark and dangerous as I get.  When I have the time for a lazy weekend breakfast, I go with the recipe below.  I love to serve these waffles with some baked apples, and a chilled glass of milk.  The butter melts into these like magic, and the syrup adds another layer of flavor that is hard to resist.  I try to limit myself to one of these but seldom succeed, they are so good!

Ingredients

1 1⁄4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Dash of salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 eggs, separated

1 1⁄4 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat waffle iron as directed.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar and set it aside.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, moist peaks form.

In a third bowl, beat the yolks lightly, stir in the buttermilk and oil, then blend together.

Pour liquid at one time into the dry ingredients, then beat this mixture until it’s smooth.

Fold beaten egg whites into the mix, and follow directions for waffle iron baking.

Modifications

Blueberries, mashed bananas, bacon, or chopped nuts can be added to the batter as well.

Makes 8–10 square waffles

As Simple as Could Be Fried Apple Pies

Okay, even I’m not always up to throwing together a complicated recipe when everyone’s clamoring for dessert.  When I’m tired at the end of the day, which seems to be any day that ends in y lately, these are a go-to treat for me.  An added bonus is that they are absolutely delicious, and no one needs to know how easy they are to make.

Ingredients

Precooked apples, 8 oz., from the can

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 ready-made pie crust

Directions

Preheat canola oil for frying to 375°F.

Warm apples on stovetop over low heat.  Add sugar and cinnamon, then remove from heat. Unroll pie crust, and flour rim of a glass and cut circles out of the crust.

Place teaspoon of apple in center of each circle, then wet the edges of the dough and fold in half.

Pinch edges together, sealing in filling.

Drop pies into oil.  Allow 3 minutes on each side before turning.

Once finished to desired doneness, dust with powdered sugar.

Makes 4 pies

Freshly Baked Apple and Cinnamon Donuts

Cinnamon and apple seem to be a classic combination for a very good reason.  In my opinion, the combination of the two enhances each ingredient’s core flavors, and that’s certainly true in the recipe listed below.  These treats are baked, something my daughter prefers, thus automatically making it onto our list of staple donuts.  This is a classic baked donut recipe using an oven instead of a fryer, so if you need a reason to feel pleased about eating healthier while still enjoying something decadent, this one’s for you.  After all, that’s why I created this recipe in the first place.

Ingredients

2 packets dry yeast

1⁄2 cup warm water

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar

1 1⁄2 cups applesauce

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

5 1⁄2 to 6 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour

Topping

1⁄2 cup butter, melted

1⁄2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions

Dissolve yeast in warm water for 5 minutes.

Add sugar, applesauce, melted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, beaten eggs, and 3 cups of flour. Beat it at low speed until mixture is moistened, then beat at medium speed for another full minute.

Stir in 2 1⁄2 cups flour, 1⁄2 cup at a time, until soft dough is formed.

Knead dough for 5 minutes on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.

Place dough in bowl coated with cooking spray, then lightly spray top.

Cover with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place for approximately 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Punch the dough down, and then turn out onto a lightly floured surface.

Roll dough to 1⁄4-inch thickness, then cut desired shapes.

Place donut rounds and holes on greased baking sheets, then brush tops of donuts with melted butter.

Let dough rise, uncovered, in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Bake donuts at 425°F for 10 minutes or until golden.

Immediately brush melted butter over baked donuts and then dip them into the sugar-cinnamon mix.

Makes 12 to 16 donuts

Good Old-Fashioned Southern Peach Cobbler

I’ve been a fan of peach cobbler for as long as I can remember.  The great thing about this recipe is that it can be made year-round with canned peaches, but I prefer fresh if I have a choice, so I always make at least a few batches when the peaches are in season.  Another plus for this one is that it’s quick and easy to make, so if you’re in the mood for a taste of the South, give this a try!

Ingredients

1 stick butter (1⁄2 cup)

1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄2 cup milk (2% or whole)

1 can (29 oz.) sliced peaches in heavy syrup, drained, keeping 3⁄4 cup of the syrup

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt butter, then pour into the bottom of a 9-by-13 casserole dish.

Set aside 1⁄2 cup sugar and all of the cinnamon.

Separate peaches from syrup, keeping syrup in another container for later use.

Mix remaining 1 cup sugar and other dry ingredients, then stir in milk and the heavy syrup from the peaches.

Put peaches in the bottom of the dish on top of the melted butter.

Pour batter over the top of peaches.

Mix cinnamon and the remaining 1⁄2 cup of sugar and sprinkle over the top of mixture.

Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until top crust is golden brown and has pulled away slightly from the sides of the dish.

Serves 6–8

Gingerbread Bits and Pieces Donuts

I’m a sucker for gingerbread , and not just in the holiday season.  Not only are these tasty, but you can be creative with the shapes, since I never make these in the standard donut dimensions.  The kids will love rolling the dough into balls, logs, or some combination of the two, so let them get their hands in the flour as well.  After all, most little ones love to help out in the kitchen, so why not indoctrinate them into the baking way of life early?

Ingredients

1 egg, beaten

1⁄2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1⁄2 cup molasses

1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 teaspoons ginger

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 cup sour cream

2 1⁄2 to 3 cups flour

Directions

Preheat canola oil to 375°F.

Beat egg, then add brown sugar and mix well.

Stir in remaining ingredients, with the exception of the flour, mixing well again.

Add enough flour to make it into a soft dough.

Pull off 4 pieces of walnut-sized dough.

Roll two into short logs and the other half into balls.

Drop into oil and continue turning until brown on both sides.

Drain and serve plain or dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Makes approximately 12 bits and pieces

Spiced Buttermilk Donuts

Iused to think that buttermilk was an acquired taste, but when I started to use it in my donuts, wow, did I realize just how wrong I was.  You can use fresh or the powdered variety.  I’ve used both and haven’t been able to tell a great deal of difference, and honestly, I don’t have fresh buttermilk in my fridge all that often, but the powdered variety is always there whenever I need it.  I love these either plain or with a light powdering of confectioners’ sugar.

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup granulated sugar

1⁄2 stick butter (1⁄4 cup)

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup buttermilk

Directions

Beat eggs, then add sugar until mixed.

Add butter, incorporate, and set aside.

In a different bowl, combine dry ingredients and sift together.

Alternate adding dry ingredients to mix with buttermilk, making sure to mix thoroughly.

Chill the dough for 1 hour, then turn out onto a floured surface.

Preheat enough canola oil to cover donuts to 375°F.

Knead it into a large ball, then roll dough out to 1⁄4-inch thickness.

Create desired shapes, then fry for 2 minutes on each side.

Drain on paper towels and then enjoy.

Makes 1 dozen donuts, plus holes

A Delightful Non-Recipe for the Non-Baking Baker

Here’s the simplest and easiest donut recipe you’ll ever use in your life.  It has one ingredient, if you don’t count the oil you use to fry it in.  I absolutely love these things, and I never admit just how easy they are to make to anyone, so help keep my secret, okay?

Ingredients

1 can biscuit dough (I like the sourdough recipe)

Directions

Preheat canola oil to 375°F.

Remove biscuit dough from container, then cut into desired shapes.

Add to oil, turning once after 2 minutes.

Drain on paper towels, then eat plain or with confectioners’ sugar or powdered chocolate.

Makes 4 to 8 donuts

Suzanne’s Momma’s Cheddar and Mozzarella Chicken

Okay, as much as I hate to admit it, we can’t eat donuts and other sweet treats all of the time.  When I’m in the mood for something special, I turn to the recipe that Momma uses to wow.  As a shortcut, these days you can also get chicken that’s already been pounded out for you!  Who would have ever believed that would be on the shelves when I started making this dish so many years ago?

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts; skinned, deboned, and pounded thin

4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, cut into long rectangles

4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into long rectangles

Coating

4 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated and divided in half

4 oz. Italian bread crumbs

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

And

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Cooking spray

Directions

Take thin-sliced chicken breast cutlets and sprinkle Italian seasoning over each breast.

Combine 1⁄2 oz. of Parmesan mixed with 1⁄2 oz.