Homemade Doughnuts - A Family Gathering

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    Our family doesn't really eat doughnuts anymore, since we are eating with a low-carb lifestyle plan right now...but my girls had never made homemade doughnuts at home with me a couple of years ago, and they wanted to give it a try!

     I always enjoyed watching my mom make homemade doughnuts when I was a child.  I don't remember helping make them, but several times each year, she would whip up some yeast dough, let it rise, cut out the doughnuts or maple bars, and then fry them in hot oil. 

    Here's my daughter, Brittany, rolling a doughnut hole in powdered sugar.  She was excited!

     We didn't eat fried foods hardly at all when I was growing up.  We only ate out at restaurants a couple of times each year, and we didn't buy processed foods from the grocery store very often.  First, there just weren't as many processed foods back then in the 1970s and early 80s, and second, they were a lot more expensive than preparing foods at home. 

     I would say that we probably only ate fried foods (including cod or halibut fillets) about once every 2-3 months.  I don't think that is overdoing it, especially when you compare that to the rate that the average American eats fried foods these days.

     One thing I do remember being afraid of a bit, when we made fried foods, was trying to keep the temperature of the oil just right:  not too hot and not too cool.  Too cool, and the food would absorb too much oil and be very greasy and unhealthy.  Too hot, and we would risk a house fire!

     Yesterday, when Kelsi called me on my cell phone while I was at the grocery store, and asked me if she could start making raised doughnuts, I said yes...but I wandered over into the food appliances aisle of Fred Meyer and took a look at the Fry Daddy Plus that they had in stock.

 

     I read through the instruction booklet, and I was impressed that I wouldn't have to regulate the heat of the oil AT ALL. 

     Not one bit! 

     That appealed to me.  No real danger, when used properly, of a house fire or flares, unless we added wet foods that contained too much water. 

     I also liked the fact that it only uses four cups of oil for whatever is being fried. 

     Kelsi made the dough while I was working in the schoolroom on some other things.  I can say that at age 12, she is really a capable baker now! 

     She let the dough rise in the warm oven for an hour.  It was such a warm day that it didn't require the normal two hours of rising time.  Then, she began to cut out doughnuts and maple bars while the oil heated in the Fry Daddy.

     We set the shaped dough into a baking pan on the counter by the Fry Daddy.  We weren't necessarily going for the beautiful look...just shaping them quickly so they could be fried.

     My husband, Elmer, began frying doughnuts and maple bars in the Fry Daddy.  We usually did only 1-2 doughnuts at a time so that the temperature of the oil wouldn't cool down and so the doughnuts would fry evenly. 

     It only took from 2-4 minutes for the doughnuts to evenly brown.

     Kelsi mixed up a half batch of two types of frosting/glaze:  chocolate, and maple.  Even this ended up being too much.

     Brittany filled a small bowl with powdered sugar to roll some doughnut holes into it.

     The girls wanted to add some sprinkles to a few of the doughnuts.  We let them!

     The doughnuts were so delicious when they had cooled down and were glazed.  The recipe I used was from my mom from years back, and it isn't overly sweet.  It contains mashed potatoes, which helps make the doughnuts fluffy and substantial at the same time.

     If you are looking for a very sweet doughnut, you may want to find a different recipe.  The thin glaze provides just enough sweetness for our family without being sickeningly sweet. 

Maple Bars and Doughnuts:

• 2 cups scalded milk (heat almost until boiling)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening or coconut oil (in solid form)
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• 2 Tbsp. or 1 package dry yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
• 7-9 cups of flour
• 2 eggs

    Mix together scalded milk, sugar, and shortening or solid coconut oil.  Let cool to 115 degrees.  Add salt, eggs, mashed potatoes (instant, fresh, or leftover), and yeast dissolved in liquid.  Mix well.  Begin adding flour, one cup at a time, adding just enough so that the dough can be handled without being overly sticky. 

    Knead dough for several minutes until smooth and elastic.  Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and turn greased side of dough facing up.  Cover.  Let rise in warm place until doubled, about two hours.  (I turn my oven to "warm" for a couple of minutes and then turn off the heat.  That seems to work well even in the winter.)

    Roll out doubled dough to about 1/2" thick on a floured surface.  Cut out maple bar and doughnut shapes.  Heat cooking oil several inches deep in deep pan on stovetop until oil reaches 375 degrees.  (Or, heat FryDaddy, etc. for 10-15 minutes.  See instruction booklet for more information.) 

    Fry bars or doughnuts for several minutes on each side until golden brown.  Carefully remove doughnuts from hot oil.  Drain on paper towels on plates or cookie sheet.  (I used a section of the newspaper on the bottom and then covered it with one layer of paper towels to be more frugal.)

    Serve plain, sugared, or frosted.

Maple Frosting:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup soft butter
• 1/2 tsp. maple flavoring or 3 Tbsp. real maple syrup
• 2-3 Tbsp. milk (reduce if using real maple syrup)

Beat all ingredients until fluffy.  Brush onto warm doughnuts.

Chocolate Frosting:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup soft butter
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa or 2 squares melted baking chocolate
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2-3 Tbsp. milk

Beat all ingredients until fluffy.  Brush onto warm doughnuts. 

Basic Glaze:

• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Blend boiling water and powdered sugar.  Dip warm doughnuts quickly into warm glaze.

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