I have never used flour and sugar storage bins. I know, crazy confession from a food blogger! I have always kept my brown sugar in a tupperware so that I can store it with a piece of bread to keep the sugar soft, but I haven’t ever put regular sugar and flour into storage containers. I’m basically too lazy and just keep the flour and sugar in whatever paper bags they happen to come in!

Well, now that I’m cooking with the kids more regularly, I find it’s really hard for them to measure out flour and sugar when it’s in the bags. We were at the Crate and Barrel outlet last weekend (we found a $1600 dresser in perfect condition for $500 – score of the century!). I happened to spot these adorable bins and decided to take the plunge into organized flour and sugar storage.

I’m glad I did! My baking drawer looks a lot tidier now and I like that the container closes all the way, you know, to keep out the bugs. (I found weevil in the flour when I was a kid and may never get over that experience. TRAUMA.) So far so good and it’s definitely easier to measure from these containers. Also, the containers I bought are so cute, I’m tempted to keep them on the countertop. I probably won’t, but I’m thinking about it.

So, do you store your flour and sugar in special containers? Or do you just keep them in the original packaging? I’m curious about what you all do and if more of you are like the Old Jane or the New Jane. If you do use storage containers, please share your favorites!

Right now we are at my in-law’s home in New Hampshire. My mother-in-law Pat is the best mother-in-law on the planet. No joke. Yesterday as my sister-in-law and I slept in, she played with all the kids and even sewed THREE skirts. She’s Super Grandma.

This morning she made Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnut Drops with my nephew Colby. He was complete engaged the entire time they were cooking, it was adorable. And the doughnut drops were DELICIOUS. Because they’re fried, as doughnuts should be! (Sidenote: A baked doughnut is NOT a doughnut. It’s a muffin posing as a doughnut. You need OIL to make a doughnut a doughnut! Okay, ranting done.)

We also renamed these doughnut drops “Turkey Leg Donuts,” because a large quantity of them looked like, you guessed it, turkey legs! Sadly, I didn’t photograph any of the turkey leg donuts. What was I thinking?!

Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnut Drops (a.k.a. Turkey Leg Donuts)

 

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From a magazine but I can’t tell which one from the cutout Pat has in her recipe box

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

• 1½ cups all purpose flour
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons oil
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• Oil for frying
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. In a medium to large heavy saucepan, heat 2 to 3 inches oil to 375. (Pat note: make sure you heat it to the right temperature!)
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in milk, oil, vanilla and egg with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls into hot oil. (Pat note: make sure it really is just by TEASPOONful.) You can cook 5 to 6 at a time. Fry doughnut drops 60-90 seconds on each side until deep golden brown. Drain on paper towel.
4. Mix ½ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together and roll hot doughnuts in the sugar mixture.
5. The recipe says this makes 30-36 doughnut drops. I suppose it’s right, but I can’t believe how FAST we ate them, it seemed like about 10!

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Today we have the last yummy recipe for biscotti week!

Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti. I must admit, when I walked into our little biscotti class last week and saw all the various biscotti flavors at hand, the cinnamon sugar variety was the one I was least attracted to. I don’t know, I just wasn’t expecting much.

Well, low expectations served me well this time around because HOLY MOLY this biscotti was good. At first bite I was stunned at how much I loved it, and then proceeded to eat not one, not two, maybe not even three of these delectable goodies. Seriously, I’m not sure how many I ate. Best not to dwell on such things.

I don’t really have much to add to this recipe. It’s from Joy the Baker (again) and she got it from Epicurious. And it’s fabulous. Enjoy!

{Biscotti Week} Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti

 

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From Joy the Baker (originally from Epicurious)

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• For Topping:
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 beaten egg (for brushing biscotti before baking)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and arrange two baking racks in the upper portion of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or silpat) and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Also whisk together the cinnamon and sugar for the topping and set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the egg followed by the egg yolk. Beat in the vanilla extract.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter all at once. With the mixer or just with a spatula, bring all of the ingredients together until a somewhat stiff dough is formed.
6. Divide the dough in two on the two baking sheets. Shape each half of dough into a 9-inch long and 1½-inch wide log. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle very generously with cinnamon sugar. Bake the two sheets on two different racks in the oven for 20 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheets for even baking and bake for 20-25 more minutes until golden and firm to the touch.
7. Remove from the oven but keep the oven on. Let biscotti cool until able to handle. Using a serrated knife, cut logs into ½-inch wide diagonal slices. (Click here to see a diagram for how to cut biscotti.) Place biscotti cut side down on baking sheet and sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar. Bake again until pale golden, about 10-15 minutes.
8. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

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