Mexican Chocolate Glazed Doughnuts With Red Chile Peanuts Food

ANCHO CHILE-MEXICAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, chile powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown and granulated sugar and beat until slightly fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
• Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, add half the flour mixture, and beat until just combined, then add the remaining flour mixture and beat until the mixture just comes together, 1 to 2 minutes, being careful not to overmix. Add the chocolate chunks and pepitas and beat on low until just combined.
• Use a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, making about 14 cookies total and leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie.
• Bake until the edges of the cookies are crisp but the centers are still tender, about 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking time. Remove from the oven, set the baking sheets on wire racks, and let the cookies cool completely on the pans. They should keep up to 5 days in an airtight container.

PEANUT BUTTER WITH JELLY GLAZED DOUGHNUTS TOPPED WITH CHOPPED SALTED PEANUTS

Steps:

• For the dough: Put the warm water in a medium bowl and whisk in the yeast. Set aside to proof until you see bubbles on the surface, about 10 minutes. (If there is nothing at all, start again with fresher yeast.) Stir in the all-purpose flour, then cover with plastic and set aside in a warm place, at least 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cream together the butter and granulated sugar in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, 8 to 10 minutes. Do not skimp on or rush the creaming time. Add the eggs with the mixer on low speed, one by one, followed by the vanilla and salt. If the mixture seems to separate, increase the speed slightly and keep going; it will come back together. Add the bread flour and mix on low speed until fully incorporated. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Put the dough in an oiled bowl and proof again in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours.
• Lightly sprinkle a cool surface with an even layer of flour. Flour a baking sheet and set aside. Lightly flour a rolling pin and a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, being careful not to use too much. Turn out the dough onto the surface and use the rolling pin to first gently flatten the dough, then roll it out to 1/2- to 1-inch thick. Cut rounds of dough with the cookie cutter and turn them onto the floured baking sheet to rest in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes (see Cook's Note). (You cannot re-roll or use scraps unless you fry them "as is," so cut your doughnut rounds very close together to maximize yield.)
• For the pastry cream: Put 2 cups of the heavy cream, 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and the vanilla bean seeds and pod in a saucepan and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil over low heat. Meanwhile, combine the eggs and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in one bowl and the cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup heavy cream in a second bowl. Beat both with a whisk to a homogeneous mixture. Set aside.
• When the cream comes to a boil, whisk half of the cream into the egg-sugar mixture and then IMMEDIATELY whisk it back into the pan with the hot cream. (This is called tempering and will allow you to combine boiling the cream and eggs without making scrambled eggs.)
• Return the pan to medium heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch-milk mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. (It is necessary to bring this mixture to a boil to cook the starch; otherwise the pastry cream will feel starchy and gritty.) Cook until thickened to the consistency of vanilla pudding (YUM!), 3 to 5 minutes. Strain into a bowl and chill with plastic wrap pressed against its surface (chilling can be done really quickly over an ice bath) until firmed up, about 2 hours.
• Prepare the frying oil: Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot fitted with a deep-frying thermometer until it reaches 350 degrees F. Fit a cooling rack into a sheet pan for landing the finished doughnuts.
• Fry the doughnuts: When the oil reaches 350 degrees F, drop 2 to 3 doughnuts into the hot fat and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or fish spatula and set on the cooling rack. Continue with remaining doughnuts and set aside to cool.
• For the filling: Mix the peanut butter and heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat and warm until smooth. Remove from the heat and mix into the pastry cream. Chill over an ice bath and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the glaze and topping: Melt the raspberry preserves together with a splash of water in a small pot over medium heat until smooth. Sift in the powdered sugar and stir to combine. Adjust the thickness with water or more sugar as necessary.
• Fill the doughnuts: Fit a pastry bag with a pastry tip and fill with the peanut butter pastry cream. Poke the pastry tip into the side of each doughnut to inject the cream into the center of each.
• Dip the filled doughnuts in the jelly glaze, then drizzle with the melted chocolate and sprinkle with the roasted peanuts. Transfer to a rack and let set, 15 minutes.

RED CHILE-GLAZED MEATLOAF

Steps:

• For the red chile glaze: Put the chiles in a bowl, cover with 2 cups boiling water and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Transfer the chiles to a blender, add 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid (save the rest) and blend until smooth. Add the honey, vinegar and some salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. If the glaze is too thick to spread on the meatloaf, add a bit more of the soaking liquid.
• For the meatloaf: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick spray.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the poblanos and onions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cumin and cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly,
• Whisk the eggs with a splash of water in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add in the ground chuck and ground pork, the cooled onion mixture and the chips and cilantro; mix until just combined.
• Transfer the meat to the prepared baking sheet and form into an oval loaf about 6 by 12 inches. Bake for 45 minutes, then begin to brush with a good amount of the red chile glaze. Bake, glazing occasionally, until the meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, about 15 minutes longer.

ROASTED CIDER-GLAZED CHICKEN WITH APPLE AND RED CHILE MOLE

Steps:

• For the apple and red chile mole: Heat the oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the ancho powder, allspice, chiles de arbol, cloves, apples and cinnamon sticks and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Stir in the chipotle puree, then the almonds, tortilla chips and raisins. Add the chicken stock, 1 cup of the apple cider, the tomatoes and cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in the brown sugar, honey and maple syrup and cook, stirring, another 10 minutes. Stir in the chocolate to melt. Remove the cinnamon sticks and discard. If the mixture seems too thick to blend easily, add a little extra cider. Transfer the mixture to a blender and, starting on very low speed, blend until smooth. Again, if the sauce seems too thick, thin it with a bit more cider. Return the sauce to the pot and cook very gently for another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Cover to keep warm while you cook the chicken.
• For the roasted cider-glazed chicken: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, add the chicken skin-side down and cook until the fat renders and the skin begins to turn golden brown. Turn, cook for a few minutes to start browning the second side, and then transfer to the oven.
• While the chicken cooks, whisk together the cider, honey and thyme in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and then remove from the heat.
• After the chicken has cooked for about 10 minutes, brush with the glaze. Continue to cook, brushing with glaze occasionally, until the chicken reaches 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes total for the breasts, 20 to 25 minutes for the thighs and drumsticks.
• Ladle some of the mole onto a platter and top with the chicken pieces. Spoon some more mole over the top, sprinkle with scallions and serve.