My Family was as diverse in it's traditions as it was in its heritage.My Mother, Dutch-Italian-Irish from the north , My Father, Southern-Scotch -Irish-English. My sister and I were adopted so into that mix you add, Irish - Native American and some German and ... Wham! you have a traditional American melting pot filled with a variety of ingredients, which all blended together to teach us to honor the uniqueness in the ones we love and the strangers who are friends we simply haven't met yet.
South U.S. tradition: Eat the traditional southern hog jowls and black-eyed peas for good luck in the coming year. Ok, in our house, when I was growing up, my Mom always made my Dad a big pot of "Ham"-(wink) and black-eyed peas with cornbread on New Years Day . The words "Hog Jowls" seams to have disappeared from this traditions name some time after my sister and I discovered where on the body the jowls came from... kids are very imaginative , or at least I was as a child; and well , lets just say I am not to sure the imagery that popped in my head at that moment of discovery didn't in some way "scared me for life". I did manage to muddle through the shock by apparently putting it into my head that Ham - pork and Hog - Pig are not the same thing. (Yes,logic tells my intelligence other wise.) But how ever it works I am thankful, because I like Ham-pork. I know I shouldn't, but I do!( Yes , one of many tradition vs faith vs self conflicts in my life. But lets not go there today.) That said, lets move on to the other family tradition,
Donuts!
My Dad always got up early on New Years Eve and bought enough donuts to last for Both days. mmhum...if he could get us kids to stay out of them long enough to last till then, that is... (sorry , i am enjoying a warm fuzzy memory...ok.. and thanks for waiting.). That was something He always did for my Mom. If we couldn't afford them because he was on strike, then we made them from biscuits dough, bread dough or corn bread mix and fried in the cast iron full of lard ... (YIKES!). Dutch Tradition: a Donuts ( with the holes) shape is said to bring good luck and to represent the completion of one cycle and the beginning of another. it's funny how those home made donuts are the ones I like the most . They aren't spectacular cuisine, but they do taste goof and are allot of fun with the whole family . so weather you buy them made or find some fancy donut recipe on the net or do them from biscuit
Remember most of all,
they don't have to be perfect!, they just have to be fun to make and taste good for the magick to work , remember these are for good luck and what could brings good luck one's way the best than a tasty treat empowered with the intentions of Love and Laughter.
Little Mom's New Years Day Donuts For Good Luck
your best pizza crust (traditional raised /rolled or tossed dough),or can be store bought roll-able dough.rolling pin
well floured dough rolling surface
dried fruits of your choice, and nuts (optional, chopped fine. (Currents,golden raisins, apricots,dates and figs, hazelnuts, pecans, peanuts etc..)
Fresh grated lemon or orange peal
large and small cookie cutters or actual donut cutter or biscuit cutter and bottle cap
a deep fryer or (safe!) deep frying method
prep what ever donut toppings and fillings you can ;
Ganaches should wait as should melted chocolates, fudge frosting or almond barks that cool and set up quickly, but frostings, sugars and fillings, decorator candies and nuts should all be made ready and waiting .
Once toppings are ready , roll out the dough and cut the donuts .next gather up your scrap dough from your first cuts and fold in small bits of dried fruit , fresh grated citrus peal and a sprinkling of sugar and spice. Roll this out and cut into triangles, or thick strips you can fold over.
Next heat the oil to about 210 to 220 degrees F. DON'T Look away , they burn really quickly!!
put 2 in the hot oil at a time and use chop sticks or the ends of wooden spoons to flip them over as soon as they "pop" to the top of the oil and let them fry another minute more or less . They should be a nice golden brown , drain them off over/on a paper bag. if rolling in sugar they should be rolled while still hot so the sugars will stick .
Here are some yummy topping ideas .
Link to best donut glaze I have ever used or tasted (Thank you to Alton Brown and food network for publishing it .) http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/doughnut-glaze-recipe/index.html
Simple Chocolate Ganache
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
Powdered sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup vanilla flavored sugar
Powdered sugar-n- cinnamon
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup vanilla flavored sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
to fill :
Don't cut holes in the donuts if you want to fill them , but you can mark symbols in the top by pressing lightly on small cookie cutters, just don't cut all the way through the dough.
Then wen they are cooked and drained , use a cup cake filling tip and pastry bag with one of the fallowing to fill the donuts before topping them.
instant pudding/pie fillings made using pie filling directions.
any flavored jelly you would like ( jams and preserves tend to jam up and clog the the filling tip) and give it a good stir before adding to pastry bag. You can stir in extracts , spiced or flavored sugars or just spices to enhance the flavor to your taste.
Oh , Just a side not about today;
1st of each month is : “A Day of Intentions”
To stir the pot wishing and dreaming of happiness, hope, joy or ill thought...intention , not you, stirs that pot. you could do best to spend the day on learning and stirring the inspirational thought. ~Lady Feoneafey's, Grandma's Wisdoms
Happy new year
Ma Fey
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