Homemade Doughnuts Recipes

DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• In small sauce pan heat the 1/4 cup shortening until melted. Set aside to cool slightly but remain liquid.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and melted shortening together on medium speed, until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the milk and vanilla, continue beating until the mixture is light, about 2 minutes.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, mace, and salt into a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture on low speed until just combined. The texture of the dough will be soft and loose. Remove bowl from the mixer, scrape the dough off the paddle blade with a spatula. Transfer the dough to a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap it well. Refrigerate the dough for 4 hours or overnight.
• Roll the chilled dough out about 1/2 inch thick on a very lightly dusted workspace. Dip the edges of a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter in flour and cut the dough into doughnuts. Place the donuts and holes on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
• Spoon enough vegetable shortening into a tall heavy-bottomed pot so it fills the pan a third of the way. Heat the shortening over medium heat until a deep frying thermometer set in the oil registers 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• Working in batches, fry the doughnuts and holes, turning once, until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer the doughnuts from the fat with a slotted spoon or skimmer to the paper towels to drain and cool. Repeat until all the donuts and holes are fried. Make sure the oil comes back to the correct temperature before frying each batch.
• For sugared doughnuts, roll the doughnuts in sugar or cinnamon sugar while they are still warm. For confectioners' sugared covered doughnuts allow the doughnuts to cool completely before rolling in the confectioners' sugar.

SUPER EASY DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Stir the vinegar into the milk, and let stand for a few minutes until thick.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well blended. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the sugar mixture alternating with the vinegar and milk. Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/3 inch thickness. Cut into doughnuts using a donut cutter. Let stand for about 10 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a large deep skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Fry doughnuts in the hot oil until golden, turning over once. Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioners' sugar while they are still warm, and serve immediately.

BAKED DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet, or donut baking pan.
• In a medium bowl, mix sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and flour. Mix buttermilk, eggs, honey and butter in a separate medium bowl, and stir into the dry ingredients. Spoon the mixture onto the prepared pan in doughnut shapes.
• Bake 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.

DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Heat the milk until it is warm but not hot, about 90 degrees. In a large bowl, combine it with the yeast. Stir lightly, and let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, beat the eggs, butter, sugar and salt into the yeast mixture. Add half of the flour (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons), and mix until combined, then mix in the rest of the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time, if the dough is too wet. If you're using an electric mixer, the dough will probably become too thick to beat; when it does, transfer it to a floured surface, and gently knead it until smooth. Grease a large bowl with a little oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, and cover. Let rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and roll it to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out the doughnuts with a doughnut cutter, concentric cookie cutters or a drinking glass and a shot glass (the larger one should be about 3 inches in diameter), flouring the cutters as you go. Reserve the doughnut holes. If you're making filled doughnuts, don't cut out the middle. Knead any scraps together, being careful not to overwork, and let rest for a few minutes before repeating the process.
• Put the doughnuts on two floured baking sheets so that there is plenty of room between each one. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until they are slightly puffed up and delicate, about 45 minutes. If your kitchen isn't warm, heat the oven to 200 at the beginning of this step, then turn off the heat, put the baking sheets in the oven and leave the door ajar.
• About 15 minutes before the doughnuts are done rising, put the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and heat it to 375. Meanwhile, line cooling racks, baking sheets or plates with paper towels.
• Carefully add the doughnuts to the oil, a few at a time. If they're too delicate to pick up with your fingers (they may be this way only if you rose them in the oven), use a metal spatula to pick them up and slide them into the oil. It's O.K. if they deflate a bit; they'll puff back up as they fry. When the bottoms are deep golden, after 45 seconds to a minute, use a slotted spoon to flip; cook until they're deep golden all over. Doughnut holes cook faster. Transfer the doughnuts to the prepared plates or racks, and repeat with the rest of the dough, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil at 375. Glaze or fill as follows, and serve as soon as possible.

APPLE CIDER DOUGHNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Generously spray 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, apple cider, 1/2 cup melted butter, the eggs, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and the nutmeg with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in apples. Pour into pan.
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Let stand 20 minutes; run metal spatula around outer and inside edges of pan to loosen cake. Remove from pan to cooling rack; place cooling rack over waxed paper.
• Brush top and sides of cake with 3 tablespoons melted butter. In small bowl, mix sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon until blended. Press 2 tablespoons cinnamon mixture up side and top of cake with hand. Let stand 20 minutes. Repeat with remaining cinnamon mixture. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Store loosely covered at room temperature.