December 26, 2014

Homemade Doughnuts


When I was a little girl my grandmother often made doughnuts. There was absolutely nothing like them in the world. With no little ones to wake us up early on Christmas morning we had a more leisurely breakfast and I made fresh, hot doughnuts. What a treat!

Homemade Doughnuts
  • 3.5 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1.5 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk (or 2 tbsp yogurt or kefir with remaining 3/4 cup sweet milk)
  • fat or oil (your choice) for frying, enough to fill cast iron kettle at least 2 inches

Heat fat or oil to about 375°. While it's heating, combine about a cup and a half of the flour with the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Stir in remaining flour to make a soft dough. Roll out to about 3/8 inch thick and cut with a doughnut cutter. Check the oil temperature by frying a doughnut hole first. It should fry in 2 to 3 minutes. Brown on each side and gently remove. Drain on brown paper. Eat fresh, and coat the remaining doughnuts in powdered sugar.


16 comments:

Quinn said...

Funny coincidence: about a week ago I happened to have - for the very first time - a doughnut just like yours, still warm! Now I know what doughnuts are supposed to taste like! That impossibly thin crust covered with sugar and spice, and a warm light fried cake...oh my. I broke my sugar moratorium that day, and no regrets!

Unknown said...

Now that sounds like a wonderful breakfast. Lucky Dan. Merry Christmas Leigh. Do you animals get special treats?

Mama Mess said...

Yummy yummy! Homemade donut holes are the best and there is the top of of a soda bottle in my drawer that is specifically for cutting them!

DFW said...

Leigh, Those sound & look delicious!

Sarah said...

Leigh- these sound delicious! I'm thinking a New Years day treat!!! When we were traveling to FL somewhere in KY or TN we kept seeing signs for Lodge cast iron store. My mom and I wanted to stop but my dad said we had too much luggage as is. I think our next trip down there will see some more cast iron coming home. Isn't it the best stuff ever?!!?

Su Ba said...

When I was a child, Christmas morning always saw fresh homemade donuts on the table. It was the only time my mother made them, so they were incredibly special. Your post brought back strong memories of those donuts and a keen longing. Donuts.....oooooooo!

Frugal in Derbyshire said...

I've always made doughnuts with a yeast mixture, which entails proving, rising etc. This recipe looks much easier, much less of a faff! I will have to give this one a go.
Gill

Florida Farm Girl said...

Oh, what a sweet memory!! Mama and I used to make donuts occasionally but there were dozens of them. With two teenaged boys, myself and my parents (and whoever dropped by), they didn't last long.

Leigh said...

Quinn, when they're warm and fresh you can't stop eating them! Good thing I only make them about once a year. :)

Lynda, thank you and merry Christmas to you too! No special treats for the animals, although we certainly would have if the grandkids had been here. :)

the Goodwife, love those holes! How neat about the soda bottle top.

Deb, they were!

Sarah, they'd make a wonderful New Year's day treat! Have to agree about cast iron. It's my favorite for cooking and frying.

Su Ba, what a special Christmas memory! Foods really can be the best holiday traditions.

Gill, this is a cake doughnut recipe and very simple. More cake-like than bread-like, but we honestly prefer these to yeast doughnuts. Let me know what you think!

Sue, no they never last long, LOL

Sandy Livesay said...

Leigh,

OMG.....these doughnuts look delicious. I wonder if you could bake them?

Farmer Barb said...

My mother cooked for subsistence. I had to learn my cookin' on the road. When I was a college girl in Austin, Texas and could stay up all night studying, we would hit the wall at about 4:00am. Suspiciously, that was about the end of the time Mrs. J's Doughnuts was cranking up the line to supply the fresh doughnuts to stores in the area. We could watch the dough go from the conveyor belt, to the fat, to the draining run and then plop into the powdered sugar or whatever joyful covering they would have. If you have never had a hot doughnut, then you are missing out. I could say that about most foods, though. Fresh and home made is BEST!

Leigh said...

Sandy, I don't know why they couldn't be baked. That's worth an experiment!

Barb, your comment reminds me of when I was a kid and Dunkin' Donuts moved into the area. It used to be that they made them fresh on site. There was a big window where the customer could watch and fresh doughnuts were available regularly around the clock. Now everything is made elsewhere and trucked in. No more fresh doughnuts. I think they've changed ingredients too, because they certainly don't taste as good as they used to.

Chris said...

Please, stop it - my belly is aching from too much gingerbread and custard! But boy, those donuts must've tasted good. *drools*

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Yummy! Sure makes me want one!! Nancy

Anonymous said...

Leigh, My wife and I have been following your blog for a while. One of the things we enjoy is the recipes. And I am sure, having 4 small children at home who are doughnut connoisseurs, we will be trying this one. Thanks for sharing.
Matt H.

Leigh said...

Chris, gingerbread and custard sounds awfully good too!

Nancy, homemade are the best!

Matt, every kid loves doughnuts!