Makes 12 donuts and 12 donut holes

My poor kids. They really want donuts. I don’t buy donuts. I’ve never been that person who gets excited about donuts. They taste ok, like sweet, dense cakes I guess. But I always hated the strange waxy coating that seemed to linger in my mouth after a bite. I think it has something to do with them being mass produced in oil that, let’s be honest, probably gets used for far too many batches of donuts before being replaced. So I don’t buy them. Then one day my youngest son was in the cart at the grocery store begging me for a “chocolate bagel” while we were in the bakery section. I couldn’t find the chocolate bagel he was begging for until I realized he was pointing past the bagels toward the donut case with eyes that reflected the shimmery gloss of rows and rows of tempting, adorable, donuts. I mean they’re adorable. Let’s be clear on that. Donuts are cute!

I really thought donuts would be too difficult to make at home but seriously… this is SIMPLE!! They are fluffy cake with a thin sweet glaze that doesn’t take over. No yucky after film!! This is a recipe for a classic style donut with glaze and an alternative option for a chocolate glaze.

INGREDIENTS:

For donuts

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (2% milkfat)

• 1 tsp active dry yeast

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 3 1/2 cup pastry flour

• 1 Tbsp baking powder

• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1 tsp coarse kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 5 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

• canola or vegetable oil for frying

For glaze

• 1/4 cup buttermilk

• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 2 cups confectioner sugar

• cocoa powder (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda, set aside

2. In a small saucepan warm the yogurt on low. Whisk continuously until warmed through. Do not make it hot, just warm to the touch! Turn off burner. Add the yeast and whisk until dissolved. Remove from burner and set aside.

3. Beat eggs and granulated sugar for a few minutes, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, until thick and fluffy.

4. Add melted butter and vanilla to the eggs and mix until well incorporated.

5. With mixer running alternate adding dry ingredient and warm yogurt until everything is mixed together.

6. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

After dough has rested, it won’t really rise, remove it from the fridge. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set near your work area. Lightly flour a clean, flat work surface to roll out the dough. Using a floured rolling pin roll out dough between 1/2 to 3/4 inch thickness. Use a donut or biscuit cutter to cut out donuts and place on the parchment. If you don’t have a donut cutter you can use any round shapes you can find in the house!! I used a canning jar ring and my cherry pitter the first time!! Try to get a cutter that’s about 2 1/2 to 3 inches across and a small cutter to make the donut hole about 3/4 to 1 inch wide..

Gather up the leftover dough into a ball and roll out again. Cut more donuts and holes. Only roll out the dough twice or it will get too firm and make tough donuts.

Create a double boiler: Get a pot of water boiling and reduce to a simmer. Place a glass bowl over the top of the pot and warm the buttermilk. Add the vanilla extract and whisk in the confectioner sugar until dissolved and smooth. Set aside the glaze keeping it on top of the warm water to keep it from hardening while you fry your donuts.

Get a deep pan and fill it with about 3 inches of oil. Heat the oil to about 350 degrees. Please make sure all children and animals are safely outside the kitchen working space during this time.

While the oil is heating line a cooling rack with a brown paper bag and a double layer of paper towels.

Once the oil is ready… I test by placing a donut hole in the oil and see if it starts sizzling, puffing up and browning. That little sacrificial donut hole can tell you a lot about your oil. If it browns too quickly, turn down the heat. The holes only take about a minute and a half to cook. If it doesn’t start sizzling and browning the oil isn’t hot enough yet. Once you get the oil right you can start making the donuts. USING a slotted spoon make donuts two at a time, turning the donuts over after about a minute. You’ll get the hang of how you want your donuts to look with a little practice. They get browner than you think… don’t stress, they’re probably not burning. What you want to look for is the “puff”. The side in the oil puffs up, then you turn it over and puff that side. It’s great when you can get them brown and puffed equally on both sides. But they taste great even if they don’t look perfect. The donuts take about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes total. Using the slotted spoon drain oil off donuts and lay them on the towel covered cooling rack. After all the donuts are done go ahead and fry the donut holes in two batches. Turn off burner and let oil cool before moving that pan off the stove top.

Stir the glaze and make sure it’s still warm enough to be liquid, if too thick rewarm. Starting with the coolest donut dip each donut top into the glaze giving it a nice coating and place on the parchment lined sheet from earlier, glazed side up. After all the donuts are glazed, toss the donut holes around in the glaze with the slotted spoon and transfer to the sheet with the donuts. Discard the oil soaked paper and towels from the cooling rack and transfer the baking sheet to the cooling rack so the glaze can harden on the donuts.

Serve when cool enough to handle. Warm donuts are delicious but these are still excellent as day olds!!

OPTIONS:

• If you want a thicker glaze, let the glaze cool and thicken a touch before dipping donuts.

• If you want chocolate glaze, whisk in cocoa powder after the confectioners sugar. Just add a spoonful at a time until you get to the flavor you want.

Hope your family enjoys these homemade “bagels”.

Enjoy!