Of donuts and design
Friends of mine recently bought a brownstone down the road from ours. And like ours it needed a whole lot of TLC — an almost complete gut renovation. They closed at the beginning of the year (after the most protracted and painful mortgage application process ever, with complications so outrageous and unnecessary they could be the subject of their own tragi-comedic blog). Construction work started about a week later – the same contractor who did our place is on the job: and he is the best! Its a four story with two floor through apartments upstairs and a duplex for them on the garden and parlor floors and its coming along beautifully. The upstairs apartments are nearing completion (if you want a great apartment to rent in Brooklyn in a month you know where to turn!) and the duplex is not far behind. I will try to take photos when its done to post so you can all wish it were yours!
Anyway, when I scheduled to go by on Saturday I decided my site visit would make a good excuse to bake some donuts since the previous week the contractor had picked up a dozen from dunkin’ which got my baking gene all revved up. It was the first time I’d made donuts so I spent some time looking for a recipe and decided on this one from The Pioneer Woman. I followed it pretty exactly and the donuts turned out well. Don’t they look really gorgeous? They tasted good too: but not great. The donuts from The Doughnut Plant are better — but then they were just named one of the top ten places in the country to get donuts, and I’ve never made the little things before so I don’t think its unreasonable if I haven’t achieved perfection. Yet. I’m going to keep trying! Meantime if you are in Manhattan… I seriously recommend you try one of theirs.
By the way – that gorgeous cake stand did not come with me to the dusty, dirty construction site: but I did want to give it a moment in the spotlight – and Noerah made it look like a supermodel! I bought it recently: I’d been eyeing them for ages and then they went on sale! Its made with a piece of corian screwed into an upcycled old brass candlestick thats been refinished in black.
–By Talia
Oh YUM! They look amazing and so professional. Sorry, you didn’t love the recipe, but hopefully you’ll find one that you do.
I’m sure some practice making them won’t hurt either! If I perfect it I will let you know!
I found a recipe recently on Tastespotting that I think I’ll have to try soon… and gloriously I think they were baked! I should get my act together and do a post of all the recipe links in my bookmarker, but that could be a terrible idea. I could be busy until the end of the year! They do look great…like staged dancers in that light on that very cool new “stage”.
You should totally do a post of your links: I’d love to see that! I have a list of things to make in my little black book. I was thinking about publishing the top 100 when I get there. Its both fun and exhausting to contemplate!
meantime, I will look on tastespotting for a baked recipe too… sounds like a wise idea!
Your doughnuts do look like a work of art. I was thinking about trying out that very recipe. Maybe i won’t now… I’ve seen a bunch of other doughnut recipes on the blogosphere; I’m sure you’ll find the perfect one soon.
It might well be me and not the recipe: either way I’d love to know which recipe you try and how it turns out!!
Hi! I found you through foodgawker. I hope you don’t mind if I ask where you got that cake stand from. I am looking for one and I think yours is the most beautiful cake stand I have ever seen! Thank you.
Of course I don’t mind: unfortunately the store I got them from closed down (that was why they were having a sale). You can buy them on the designer’s website though: http://www.iacolimcallister.bigcartel.com/
I saw a way to upcycle plates into stands by using epoxy: http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/05/diy-project-kates-recycled-cakestands.html
I did a temporary version when I made cupcakes for a friend’s wedding, by using strong tape and my square dinner platters…but now I want to go thrifting and make some epoxy-ied ones!
Thank you both for your responses. DYI cake stands, what a lovely idea! I will definitely try that out. A good excuse for a couple thrift store visits!
Would love to see what you come up with if you do go the DIY route: pleae send us a photo!!
I was thinking about trying to make one too: I could get someone to laser cut a flat piece of corian or something for the top. Its the connection I wasn’t so sure of. The tutorial looks helpful: though i’d like to make it sturdier than it sounds like that is!
Necessity is the mother of invention. These donuts looks mouth watering good.
Thank you!
you make it all look oh so STYLISH TALIA!!! love
Thanks Gali: that means a lot coming from your most stylish self. Hope to see you soon. Xx