Reading And Baking: The Doughnut Fix

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reviewing the realistic middlegrade fiction finalists for the Cybils Awards. This is the last book from the shortlist! It’s not my favorite finalist, but The Doughnut Fix gets its own special review because there are recipes in the back of the book. I love food! Of course I had to attempt a recipe.

In honor of The Doughnut Fix, we’re making . . . chocolate chip cookies! You’re probably saying, “Aj, why aren’t we making doughnuts?” Fair question. There is a recipe for doughnuts in the book, but I didn’t have the ingredients, and I couldn’t muster up the motivation to put on pants and go get them, so we’re making cookies.

The Doughnut Fix by Jessie Janowitz

Series: The Doughnut Fix #1

Pages: 298

Publication date: April 2018
Content warning: None. The inside is as fluffy as the cover.

Tristan isn't Gifted or Talented like his sister Jeanine, and he's always been okay with that because he can make a perfect chocolate chip cookie and he lives in the greatest city in the world. But his life takes a turn for the worse when his parents decide to move to middle-of-nowhere Petersville―a town with one street and no restaurants. It's like suddenly they're supposed to be this other family, one that can survive without bagels and movie theaters.

His suspicions about his new town are confirmed when he's tricked into believing the local general store has life-changing chocolate cream doughnuts, when in fact the owner hasn't made them in years. And so begins the only thing that could make life in Petersville worth living: getting the recipe, making the doughnuts, and bringing them back to the town through his very own doughnut stand. But Tristan will soon discover that when starting a business, it helps to be both Gifted and Talented, and it's possible he's bitten off more than he can chew . . . .

I’m not going to post the cookie recipe from the book because I’m unsure of the copyright stuff involved, but it’s a pretty basic cookie recipe (butter, eggs, sugar, flour, chocolate chunks, etc.). The biggest difference is that this recipe has shredded coconut and walnuts in it. It’s helpful if you own a stand mixer (or can abduct one from your mother, like I did). The recipe mostly involves dumping stuff in a bowl and mixing it up. A middlegrade-aged kid could easily make these cookies.

Mix, mix, mix, etc.
Also, you know things are going well when the butter gloms to the mixer and WILL NOT COME OFF.

The Doughnut Fix stars a boy named Tristan who’s passionate about cooking and who is really determined to get a doughnut. Unfortunately, his family just moved from New York City to the middle of nowhere, and there aren’t any doughnuts in the middle of nowhere! If he wants one, he’ll have to make it himself.

I enjoyed this book. I laughed several times while reading it. It’s different from the depressing stuff I’m normally drawn to. I appreciate that it’s not an “issue novel” because some kids don’t want to read about children in miserable situations. Tristan faces challenges, but they’re not sad challenges. Mostly, he wants a doughnut. His family and community are supportive of his idea to start a doughnut stand. The adult characters encourage him to set realistic goals and not give up when he suffers unexpected setbacks. This is an upbeat novel about determination and adapting to change.

The author does a pretty good job of teaching readers about operating a business without beating them over the heads with boring information. This is undeniably an educational story, but Tristan’s passion for doughnuts is entertaining enough to make it readable.

Dump in shredded coconut.
Mix, mix, mix, etc.

I have a few issues with the book. The humor occasionally becomes too slapstick for my tastes. I got annoyed with it. Kids might find it funny, though, and this is a kids’ book, so my opinion on the humor probably doesn’t count. Also, there are a few plot events that I don’t believe. For example, I don’t think wholesalers would negotiate with children because contracts with minors aren’t enforceable.

There are a few dropped/underdeveloped plot threads. First, did Tristan’s parents ever catch the raccoon on the cover? It was sneaking into their house at night. I can assure you that you don’t want a raccoon chilling in your walls. They can do a lot more damage than just pooping on your rug.

Second, I wondered about Tristan’s friend, Charlie. After Tristan leaves New York City, they become long-distance friends. Tristan eventually stops responding to Charlie’s messages. Does Charlie care that his best friend suddenly vanishes? I have no idea. That plotline ends abruptly. Maybe it’ll start again in the sequel?

Like I said earlier, this isn’t my favorite Cybils finalist, but I’d recommend it if you enjoy baking or fun, fluffy stories.

Speaking of baking, my cookies turned out . . . unfortunate. They oozed across the whole baking sheet and flattened so much that I could see through them. I’m pretty sure I didn’t screw up the recipe. I double-checked everything. I swear!

They look . . . edible.

The recipe didn’t come with high altitude modifications, so it’s possible that the cookie malfunction is the result of me baking a mile above sea level. At high elevations, food failures are common because the air pressure is lower, liquids evaporate faster, and gases expand faster. I’ve made some real messes in the kitchen.

So, my cookies look like an elephant sat on them, but how do they taste? Pretty good, actually. They taste like chocolate and coconut. And, they’re really soft! I won’t make them again, but I had fun eating them.

Have you ever tried a recipe you found in a novel?