the $5 donut

Last week a friend of mine posted this video on Facebook and two days later, I was making these in my kitchen. Inspiration (and hunger) is everywhere!

My sister, Aubrey, came over to help me taste-test these fried bits o' heaven (no convincing needed) and we decided that if these were sold in a bakery, they'd charge at least $5. Here's why: 1. They're labor-intensive (start to finish was pushing 5 hours!) 2. The ingredients ain't cheap, and you need a lot of them and 3. Um, have you seen these? Each donut is comprised of 4 layers, resulting in a mouthwatering decadence unlike any donut you've ever had before. So yes, even though I realize that $5 is more than the price of an entire box of samoa cookies, one of these donuts is sooooo worth it.

As I was making these, I thought to myself, the Girl Scouts have been doing it wrong all these years. Who wants a dry, crispy cookie when you can have a soft, fresh donut that's loaded with some of the best flavor combinations ever to exist? I hope you're with me on this one. 

While I loved the concept of this donut, I did have a major issue with it. The coconut caramel mixture is thick and dries hard, plus it's thickly applied so you're forced to open your mouth wide. So, if you have TMJ (uh, present!) then your jaw will feel like it will crack from all that opening and chewing. Not good at all.

Since I loved all the elements to this donut I plan on making it again, just in a different way. Each recipe is wonderful on it's own- I really loved this raised donut recipe and will definitely use it again to make different donut variations. And the chocolate ganache was perfection, as was the toasted coconut and caramel.

no holds bar

I know there are so many gift-giving baking idea's floating around on other blogs, Pinterest, the Food Network... but these Chunky Raspberry Bars have to be one of the easiest to put together. There's no intricate decorating of cookies or cupcakes, instead you're just basically smashing the dough into a pan and going for that "rustic" look. It works here, trust me.

The dough is really more of a shortbread packed with oats, coconut and almonds... oh and some raspberry jam to give it a festive flair. But of course you could swap out the raspberry jam for your favorite flavor, say peach or strawberry. Once the bars are cooled, they're dense and hold up wonderfully in a (gift) box. 

pump it up

Now that we're in October, I've decided to focus my baking on two fall staples: pumpkin and apple. I've got a lot of great recipes in store for this month (and none of them are pumpkin or apple pie!) so stay tuned and hopefully you'll enjoy what I'm dishin' out.

I'm so excited to share these beauties. I love pumpkin muffins with cream cheese, and when I came across this recipe over 8 years ago, I fell in love a little more because there was an amazing topping. 

Cinnamon, sugar, pecans and coconut all on top of an already delicious muffin?! Yes, these truly are worth making. 

that cake has a hole in it...

My lovely Father-in-law, Mark, had his birthday the day after Father's Day and I know he loves coconut, so I thought it was a good time to try out this recipe. 

Remember when I talked about getting this cookbook and was anxious to try something from it? Well I followed the recipe exactly and it is one of the most moist, soft cakes I've ever had. That's saying a lot, especially since it came out of a Bundt pan, because those cakes tend to be a bit firmer. 

Almond Joy's got nuts...

Ok, for all the label-lovers here they are: all-natural, preservative-free, heart-healthy, energy boosting, low-fat, blah, blah, blah. Honestly, it's more important that food tastes amazing before I consider the labels (I know I’m not alone in this, hence the reason people eat French fries) but these are really good even if they are good for you.

                            

It may sound decadent having a granola bar named after a candy bar; instead, these are all those same flavors you love (chocolate, almonds, coconut) just put in a healthier vehicle. These make for a perfect snack or even better crumbled into yogurt. Enjoy! (recipe after the jump)