Today is the start of a new segment called "Friday Friendzy". I've received questions via e-mail about certain recipes and also suggested recipes I should try and share. So I decided to turn the sharing part into a segment for Fridays. My friend Jarae of probably 20 years sent me an e-mail asking if I have a good doughnut recipe. And indeed I do! Doughnuts are one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. As unfriendly they are to the waistline, they sure are tasty every once and awhile. And they're so fun to make with your family.This recipe comes from allrecipes.com, and my friend Ashlee shared it on her family blog a year or so ago. Great find, Ash!
What You'll Need:
- 2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
- 1/4 c. warm water
- 1 1/2 c. lukewarm milk
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 c. shortening
- 5 c. flour
- 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
- 1/3 c. butter
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 4 Tbsp hot water
What to Do:
- Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy.
- In a large bowl or KitchenAid bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix for a few minutes on low speed with your KitchenAid or electric hand mixer, or you can mix with a wooden spoon. Mix in remaining flour a 1/2 cup at a time until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place dough into a greased bowl and cover. Set in a warm place to rise until double in size. The dough is ready if you touch it and the indention stays there.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently roll out until 1/2 inch in thickness. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter. (If you don't have a doughnut cutter you can use a biscuit cutter to cut the doughnut then the lid of your vegetable oil bottle to make the hole.) Let the cut doughnuts sit out until they rise to double size. Cover loosely with a cloth.
- Now it's time to make the glaze. In a sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in hot water one tablespoon at a time until the icing is somewhat thin, but not watery. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a deep fryer or large skillet to 350 degrees. (Don't have a thermometer to test the temp? If the oil is steadily bubbling it is ready. Another trick is to put the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil and if the bubbles start to climb it your oil is ready.) Slide the doughnuts into the oil with a wide spatula. Turn doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry doughnuts on each side until golden brown. Remove from hot oil and drain on a wire rack. Dip the doughnuts into the glaze while still hot; set on wire rack to drain off the excess. Keep a cookie sheet or tray under the rack for easier clean up.
