Doughnuts and Dip

How's my week been you might ask?
Here's a quick recap:

Monday: Snow Cancellation
Tuesday: Snow Cancellation
Wednesday: Snow Cancellation
Thursday: Snow Cancellation
Friday: Snow Cancellation

Yeah. It's been rough and strenuous. But it's left plenty of time for baking and such things. That does leave me with a lot of goodies sitting around to stare at... Ahhh temptation!

I also made a stop at Pittsburgh's best breakfast place in town. Hands down. De Luca's Restaurant is my favorite pancake place ever. They have a fantastic menu with some of the best seafood options for a diner since they're lucky enough to be located right next to Pittsburgh best seafood markets. And they have a million other good eats with an extensive breakfast and sandwich menu. But they're pancakes are the best best best I've ever had. I got the cinnamon bun pancakes with a warm gooey apple cinnamon topping! My mom got the supreme banana split sundae pancakes. They have a mound of ice cream, whipped topping, strawberries, bananas, blueberries, cherries, candied pecans and all on buttermilk pancakes! Of course I tried some=)

Here's a few little things I've cooked up:

Doughnuts (I only made 1/4 of this recipe, so 2 mini doughnuts haha)
from Culinary in the Desert

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vanilla sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg, olive oil and vanilla.

Pour into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Evenly divide the mixture between the wells of a 12-hole miniature doughnut pan. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove and carefully turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

In a small bowl, stir together sugar and enough lemon juice to make a thick, but fluid icing. Dip top half of doughnut into the icing.


So I didn't take any pictures of this=( But this is my most favorite version of buffalo chicken dip EVER. I enjoy steaming hot, warm, and even straight from the fridge cold! Serve it with some blue corn chips and I'm a happy camper.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 lb shredded chicken breast
1/2-3/4 cup hot sauce
1 cup ranch dressing
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese
2 generous cups of cheddar cheese

Get out a 9 X 13 baking dish. Quickly grill chicken on your George Foreman, 3-5 mins. Shred your chicken well.

Saute the shredded chicken with your hot sauce until juices are absorbed and the chicken is heated through. Add cream cheese and ranch dressing. Once the cream cheese is pretty well melted in, pour contents in the 9 X13 dish. Even dump the cheddar cheese over top.

Cook for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbling, so probably less would be okay. Allow to cool for 10 mins. It WILL be hot!