Homemade Donuts

Similar to how we treat domesticated animals, we, as humans, like to reward ourselves with treats. Treat rewards are particularly relevant in managing children’s behavior and perhaps this is why I associate donuts with childhood.  Sit still for at least 50% of Mass on Sunday? Post-liturgy basement donut sale! Make it to morning swim practice over summer vacation without a meltdown? Dunkin Donuts is conveniently on the way home and has a drive through. No shoes, no shirts, no problems

The fall starting fourth grade was a donut heavy one as I managed to fracture my right arm and two fingers one after the other. My mother treated me to a coffee coolata and strawberry frosted (WITH sprinkles) post-orthopedist appointments that were aplenty that fall.  The subsequent sugar rush soothed my emotions as I was completely torn up having to miss out on all those Saturday afternoons in Umbros and a neon cotton t-shirt with some international team name emblazoned across the back (I think I would’ve been a member of the “China” squad that fall).

My  “adult” awareness of what constitutes a nutritional breakfast has decreased my donut consumption overall, as I walk by Dunkin Donuts on the reg without giving second thought to Barbie pink icing.  Food trends, however, have made donuts more prevalent than ever, as boutique donut purveyors beyond national chains churn out “gourmet” varieties that include exotic spices and booze infused fillings.  In Philadelphia we can enjoy Federal Donuts, the new Beiler’s Bakery stall in the Terminal, and an assortment of South Philly bakeries.  

I’ve always been hesitant to try making donuts because deep frying can really stink up a kitchen/apartment. I was sold on the idea, however, after reading a recent feature in Saveur magazine. The recipes were simple, the instructions clear. If I could get 2” of canola oil to 350 degrees in a 6-qt sauce pan, I could do it. I know places like Beiler’s will always hold a competitive advantage until I acquire bathtub size vats of glaze and an industrial deep-fryer and apparate them up the four steep flights of stairs to my apartment, but I was quite pleased with the results, and homemade donuts will be making a debut on the Mother’s Day menu this weekend!

I chose an Old-Fashioned Spiced Sour Cream recipe from the Saveur feature because I had all the ingredients on hand for the dough and the glaze.  Actually, I didn't have All Spice, but I did have ground Mace, so I used a few dashes of that instead.  Also, sour cream donuts are generally amazing, and I was not ready to take to the time to make a yeast-raised variety.   I cut the recipe by 2/3 and got 8 smallish (2 ½- 3”) donuts, more than enough for my purposes.

Pre-Glazing.

The spice really came through in the glaze, but I experimented with just powdered sugar, and that was really good, too. You could also use a plain vanilla glaze if you don’t have the spices (I have a lot of spices leftover from Lebkuchen baking at Christmas). I got a great crust on the batch I made, and they were not cloyingly sweet.  My apartment did sort of smell like McDonald’s after I was done, but nothing some open windows and scented candles couldn’t fix by the time I went to bed.

After the flip.

Getting Puffed and Golden.

I managed fine on my own, but this would be a fun thing to do in a group.  As with all deep frying, there is a lot to keep track of between managing the oil temperature, timing for flipping/rotating, actually forming and preparing whatever you are frying, so if you can divvy up the jobs, more power to the group. I was aided by the stopwatch on my iPhone and a small kitchen where nothing is ever really out sight or reach. 

The Finished Product!