Northwoods Woman

After finding said instructions I was all prepared to roll up my sleeves and pray to the baking gods that I could pull it off when I realized I didn’t have a doughnut cutter.

*facepalm*

Never fear, Amazon to the rescue!

Search… order… receive… READY!!

Here’s what you’re gonna need:

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup scalded milk
• 2/3 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
• 2 packets active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 5 cups sifted flour (approximately)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon cardomon
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon mace
• Vegetable shortening or cooking oil, for deep fat frying

Topping

1/2 cup superfine sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

STOP!!  Before we go any further, I gotta tell ya that I didn’t follow this recipe to the letter (shocking, I know).  First off, I didn’t sift my flour.  I’m a cooking rebel, remember?  Secondly, I didn’t have any cardomon or mace, and I wasn’t about to go out and buy any for one recipe.  Thirdly, I didn’t use the suggested topping because I found a glaze that I wanted to try instead.

I’m not doing so good with following directions, am I?

Who cares, let’s just get on with the recipe*, shall we?

Melt butter in milk and cool to lukewarm. Place water in a warm large mixing bowl, sprinkle in yeast, and stir until dissolved; add milk mixture and sugar. By hand, beat 2 1/2 cups flour in until smooth; mix in eggs, salt, and spices. Mix in remaining flour, adding a little extra, if needed, to form a soft but manageable dough. Knead lightly 1 minute on a floured pastry cloth; shape into a ball, place in a greased large bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down, roll 1/2-inch thick on pastry cloth**, using a floured, stockinette-covered*** rolling pin. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter and place 1 1/2-inches apart on un-greased baking sheets. Reroll and cut scraps. Cover with cloth and let double in bulk.

Meanwhile, begin heating fat in a deep fat fryer. When doughnuts have risen and fat has reached 375 degrees F, ease 4 doughnuts into fat, 1 at a time. Fry about 2 minutes until golden brown all over, using tongs to turn. Drain on paper toweling.

Note: Never fry more than 4 doughnuts at a time and keep fat as near to 375 degrees F as possible; if too hot, doughnuts will brown before they cook inside.

While doughnuts are warm, roll in topping.

The result?

Can you say NUMMERS!!!

I was actually accused by a friend on Facebook (Hi Dawn! ) that I bought some Krispy Kreme doughnuts and put them on a wire rack and took a picture.  I’m taking that as a compliment.

Oh and the recipe for the glaze is super simple:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk (warmed)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

I took a dozen of these bad boys up to Rick’s shop.  Apparently they disappeared quickly.

So, there you have it, my version of a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

Next time I’m gonna find a chocolate frosting recipe and use that instead of the glaze.  I’m dangerous like that.

**  Pastry cloth?  Yeah, right, like I have one of those.  I floured some parchment paper.  Worked like a charm.

***  Stockinette-covered rolling pin… bwahahahahaha!  Really, just flour your rolling pin, ‘k?