doughnuts, two ways

Patriot's Day and the Boston Marathon go hand in hand around here, and what's a better way to honor this holiday than with a very patriotic, very Boston cream doughnut? I mean, if you're running 26.2 miles, you deserve this doughnut (and a whole lot of other accolades). Maybe you're standing on the sidelines and clapping and waving the runners on, like an NFL cheerleader, than you too deserve this doughnut.

Oh really, do you even need an event or excuse to eat this doughnut? Ugh, no.

Flour is a Boston-based bakery that has been met with much success around here. Partly because their Sticky Buns were featured on a Food Network Show, but mostly because locals just love their baked goods. My sister gave me the Flour cookbook a few years ago and I've been wanting to make their Vanilla Cream-filled Doughnuts for some time now. I've also been wanting to make Boston Cream Doughnuts (because those are my doughnut achilles heel) so when I came across the Vanilla Cream recipe I decided to make half the batch the way Flour does, and the other half topped with chocolate ganache to make Boston Cream. Best. Idea. Ever. 

The filling in the doughnuts is what makes them out of this world. It's a vanilla pastry cream mixed with whipped cream, so it's lighter and creamier than just a pastry cream alone. It's a toss up on which doughnut I preferred. I liked the sugary crunch on the Vanilla Cream filled ones, but then I also loved the chocolate ganache on the Boston Cream. I guess you'll have to make them and let me know what you like better!

a marriage of chocolate and vanilla

BBQ season is in full-swing (I've already used our barbecue three times this week) and with Memorial Day around the corner, the char-grilled invites may be poring in. Or maybe you're the one hosting the outdoor extravaganza. Regardless, you never want to show up empty-handed to a party and here's a classic cake that will keep getting you invited.

A Boston Cream Pie (although it's really a cake, so I don't know why they call it a "pie". Do you?) is the perfect merging of my two favorite flavors: chocolate and vanilla. The cake is technically a sponge (which is not my favorite) but this recipe isn't spongey at all- it's just fluffy, tender and really light. I used a vanilla pastry cream filling that is a divine pairing with that glossy, dark chocolate ganache enveloping the entire cake.