Aunt Mabel's Doughnuts

I have fond memories of making doughnuts as a child with my mom.  I remember it taking the whole day, and I am sure that she usually doubled or tripled the recipe because once we were done she would send us with bags of our freshly made doughnuts to the neighbors as offerings of these special treats.

Now that our son is old enough to be in charge of glazing, I decided it was time to try this family recipe out in for ourselves.   The results were fantastic, and we are sure to take on this endeavor from time to time from now on.

Aunt Mabel's doughnut recipe:

Ingredients

2 cups   Milk
2 Tbsp  Yeast
1 tsp      Sugar
1 Cup    Water - Lukewarm (110 degrees F / 45 degrees C)

4 eggs
1 tsp Salt
1/2 cup sugar

4 + cups White flour
1/2 Cup Oil   (I used sunflower oil)

For glaze:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 cup icing sugar
2 squares of unsweetened bakers chocolate (optional)
sprinkles (optional)

5 cups of frying oil (I used lard, but you can use vegetable shortening or peanut oil)

You will also need:
Digital meat thermometer or analog will also suffice
1 large bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
a liquid measuring cup (I use this to start my yeast in)
Beaters
mixing spoon
1 quart pot
3.5 quart pot
metal slotted spoon or metal tongs
Cookie sheets
cooling rack

Method:

Scald Milk in double boiler.  I actually did this directly on the stove but slowly.  Scalding will bring your milk to a temp of 180 degrees F or 82 degrees C.

Set aside to cool to 110 degrees.

Meanwhile dissolve 1 tsp sugar in 1 cup of lukewarm (110-115 degrees) water.  Sprinkle yeast into water to avoid clumping and set aside to activate.

Meanwhile beat together eggs, salt and sugar.

Once the milk has cooled and the yeast has activated, add the yeast mixture to the milk to combine, then pour into the egg mixture and combine.

Add 4 cups of flour and oil to the wet mixture and beat until smooth.  Continue to add more flour mixing with a spoon until it becomes a sticky dough and you can begin to handle it with your hands.

put about 1/2 cup of flour on a clean counter surface and dump your dough mixture onto the flour and begin to knead.  The dough will be very sticky.  Incorporate your flour from the surface while kneading and add more by the handful until it is a very soft tacky (not sticky) dough.  It should remain quite soft and pliable...add a little flour as you can to accomplish this.  Continue kneading for about 10 minutes in total.  You will notice that your dough consistency will change and become stretchy.  Oil a large bowl (big enough to handle about double the size of your dough).  Place your dough in the bowl and turn to cover in oil on all sides, and place in a warm place to rise.  You can cover lightly with plastic wrap to keep it moist but it is not required.

It should take about 90 minutes for your dough to rise sufficiently.  I usually place the bowl in my oven with the oven light on to keep it warm.

with about 30 minutes left to your rise, begin the glaze.  Put the butter, milk and white sugar in a pan or small pot and bring to a boil.  Let simmer for 1 minute and set aside. Just before you begin frying add the icing sugar and wisk until smooth.

I also did another pot of glaze but added 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate to the first 3 ingredients, adding the cup of icing sugar prior to the frying process.

thirdly I put about a cup of icing sugar in a bowl for an attempt at jelly filled doughnuts.

If you only plan on doing the basic glazed doughnuts I would double the glaze recipe.

Once it has risen take it out, flour your counter surface lightly, punch your dough down with your finger tips, and then turn it out onto your floured surface.  Let it rest for a few minutes while you turn on your frying oil.

You don't need a fryer, but if you have one by all means use it.  Use fresh oil though because otherwise your doughnuts will take on the flavor of the previous things you fried.

I simply used a 3.5 quart pot on my induction stovetop. You need to bring the oil to a temperature of 375 degrees F.  On my stove this is at about a temperature of 5 out of 9.  Use your temperature gauge to test it.

Roll out your dough with a rolling pin to about a 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick.  Now comes the fun part.  My mom used to have a doughnut cutter with the outer and inner circle cutter in one, but I just used 2 different circle cutters one large, one small to make my doughnuts and holes.  We also just did large ones without the holes for the jelly doughnuts, and braided a few with the left over scraps.

Cut out all your doughnuts.  you can recombine and roll out the scraps and cut out some more, or just roll out some more doughnut holes.

If you haven't added your icing sugar to your glaze...do it now.

Test your oil by putting one of your doughnut holes in the oil.  It should only take a minute or 2 to get golden brown on both sides.  You will have to turn it with your tongs or slotted metal spoon. Remove with tongs and set on cooling rack that is placed above a cookie sheet.

Let it cool and drip for a few minutes before you put it in the glaze mixture and return it to a second cooling rack to drip and cool further.

You can place 2 to 3 doughnuts in the oil at a time depending on the size of your pot.  Ensure you have enough frying oil for the doughnuts to be buoyant without touching the bottom of the pot.

These are the best doughnuts!  for the jelly filled we rolled them in sugar and once cooled poked a hole with a pointed steak knife then used a piping bag and nib to fill with jam.  Be creative and have fun.

And of course thank my great great aunt Mabel for her recipe!

Until next time
Sherri