Sunday, March 22, 2015

Spring is Springing

There is Spring in the air!
Long sunny, cold, and crisp days
are such a welcome after the deep freezes of January and February!

The maple trees are tapped and the sap is running,
Maple Syrup production is in full swing in these parts!


Next Saturday, March 28th, is the annual famous
What a "sweet" day that is .....

It's that time of year when my mother always
made her delicious "Fetkucha" to dip into that golden syrup.
I made a half batch because I was so hungry for this treat
(even though it is NOT on my plan to eat leaner - ugh!)
But I did make a half batch after-all .....

This is a very old recipe that was handed down to my mom
from her aunt Maria.
My sister, Evelyn, has adapted/perfected the recipe
and I followed her instructions.

Mom’s Doughnuts (Fetkucha)

This recipe makes approx. 3 doz. medium sized "donuts".
2 eggs – beaten in large bowl
¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup sour cream - (Evelyn uses 1 Cup Whipping Cream mixed with 1 Tbsp. vinegar)
1 cup butter milk - (Evelyn uses 1 Cup Milk mixed with 1 Tbsp. vinegar) - I actually had some buttermilk so I used that instead.
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder - heaping
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
4 – 5 Cups flour (enough to make a soft dough - not too stiff).






Dump dough onto floured counter and pat down/roll to about  ¼“  thick (do not overwork dough).
Tip: Chill before rolling out (Evelyn never chills it).







Cut into approx. 3” X 2” rectangles or diamonds with a slit in the middle.  Mom used a fluted pastry cutter wheel to cut these shapes.




Deep fry in ½ - 3/4" of oil/fat until browned, turning once.  Evelyn used her electric fry pan and so did I.  Drain on a cooling rack placed on a cookie sheet.





Mom used her big deep cast iron pan and made sure no “little ones” were running around because of the danger of the hot fat splattering or being spilled.











By the way, my sister Evelyn is a fantastic cook
and her married name is Cook - how about that!
I have 3 sisters and they are all amazing cooks. 
We learned so much from our dear mom - if only I had paid more attention
to some of the details - but that's another story.

These "maple syrup donuts" are delicious dunked into that
sweet syrup and when they have large bubble holes - even better
because you can spoon the syrup right into the holes before taking a bite.

A delicious, once a year, sweet treat!!



Maple syrup is a favourite for pancakes, served on ice-cream,
baked on salmon, sweetener in baking, and so much more.

A true sign that Spring is Springing!



Till next time ........... I hope that Spring has Sprung where you are?






11 comments:

  1. Our neghbors have finished their production. We are going to make itnext year...excited! Looks yummy

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  2. John is drooling as we speak, Rosella. Making a half batch was a super decision as I doubt anyone with a pulse would have the will power to resist these amazing donuts. ;-) FWIW, we found Canadian Maple Syrup for sale in a large grocery store here in Montpellier, France and the 250 gram bottle cost less than we would pay at home. 20 Years From Now Blog

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  3. Perfect treat to dip in that fresh taped syrup. Yum. These longer days are so nice. Happy first week of Spring to you!

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  4. Oh my! Those look wonderful.

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  5. We had yummy fried scones this week and I can only imagine how tasty your donuts were dripping in maple syrup.

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  6. I'd have to make a half batch, too, so I didn't gobble these all down---or else make sure the boys were around to help! Love this family recipe, Rosella!

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  7. Oh yes, you have me drooling here this morning, Rosella! (I can imagine the need to make only half a batch of those luscious looking things. Dangerous!)

    Spring is springing here too! It was a long wait! :)

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  8. Yum! I can almost smell them from here. I wish I lived close enough to come check out the Elmira maple syrup festival. (And sample one of those maple syrup donuts...of course!)

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  9. Oh My! I can just imagine how good those would be with the maple syrup!

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  10. They look delicious, Rosella! They remind me of a Danish recipe I have made with a special little rolling wheel to make the cuts in the strips. Making me hungry!

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  11. Drooling, here, Rosella! They look so good, but I wish I could taste them with that awesome syrup!

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