Happy Mother’s Day! Is there any better way to celebrate than with fresh, homemade doughnuts?!? They are crispy, creamy, fluffy and very hot! I wouldn’t have it any other way. Since Justin and I just purchased patio furniture and a barbecue last week (we moved in to our house eight months ago, at the end of summer), we decided that it was our turn to host the family for a Mother’s Day BBQ. While I knew everyone would be excited for loads of barbecued burgers, hot dogs, sausages, steak, and chicken, I wanted to serve something special and a little bit different. Doughnuts was the answer!
Doughnut Ingredients
2 (.25 oz) envelopes of active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 cups lukewarm soy milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup shortening
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
Toppings
Glaze
1/3 cup margarine
2 cups confectioner sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 Tbsp hot water, as needed
Cinnamon-Sugar
1/2 cup unsalted margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
I sprinkled the yeast over the lukewarm water and let it stand for 5 minutes, until foamy.
On a low speed, I mixed together the yeast mixture, soy milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of flour. After a few minutes, I beat in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer stuck to the bowl. My dough was still sticky after I added all 5 cups of flour, so I added more, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough was ready. I then kneaded the dough for five minutes, until smooth and elastic.
I placed the dough in a large bowl, which I sprayed with cooking spray so it wouldn’t stick, covered the bowl with a towel, and placed the bowl in a warm place to rise until double the size. For me, that warm place is the microwave. You might have a different spot in your kitchen, or maybe even in another room in the house. I left the dough for one hour to rise.
1 hour later, I turned the dough on to my floured counter and gently rolled it to 1/2 inch thickness.
I cut the dough in to circles using a glass drinking cup. All of the doughnut recipes I read said to use a doughnut cutter but I certainly did not have one of those just lying around, so the cup did just fine. I also decided not to put holes in my doughnuts, for no other reason than my laziness.
I placed the doughnuts on parchment paper, covered loosely with a cloth, and let them rise for another 45 minutes.
While waiting for the dough to rise for the second time, I made the toppings. First, I made the glaze: I melted the margarine in a saucepan over medium heat.
I stirred in the confectioner sugar and vanilla until smooth. I removed the mixture from the heat and stirred in the hot water, one tablespoon at a time, until the icing was somewhat thin but not too watery. I set the glaze aside.
Next came the cinnamon sugar. Not much to it. I melted the margarine in the microwave. Separately, I mixed together the sugar and cinnamon. I set the two bowls aside.
When the doughnuts were almost ready to fry, I placed the oil in a deep pot and heated it to 350 degrees using a thermometer. I started by adding one doughnut to the hot oil to test out the process. I also set up two wire racks for the fried doughnuts and placed cookie sheets underneath to catch the oil and toppings.
After practicing with the one doughnut, I was ready to fry. I carefully placed 4-5 doughnuts at a time in the hot oil, letting the bottom cook until golden brown.
Then, using two spoons, I flipped the doughnuts and let them brown on the other side.
Using a wide spatula, I took the doughnuts out of the oil and placed them on the wire racks. I let them sit for about a minute to cool and dipped them in either the glaze or the melted margarine then cinnamon sugar mixture. I placed them back on the wire racks to cool.
Of course, I had to try one while it was hot…okay, maybe two! The cinnamon sugar was delicious but the glazed doughnut took it over the top for me! It’s not often that I eat fresh doughnuts and it was such a treat. In fact, I fried the doughnuts while my family was still eating dinner, so everyone got to eat them fresh and warm. That’s one lucky group of people!
