cakengineer: Donuts!

This weekend, I attempted my first set of donuts, (or doughnuts if you prefer) They really weren't that hard to make, and I think I will be trying them again! The best part about donuts is the variety of toppings! Yum!!!

The recipe I used I found here. They even provide an instruction video which is pretty helpful. The recipe is as follows:

- Oil for the frying pan (enough so that your donuts float in the pan, if they sit on the bottom of the pan they will burn)

- 2 Cups Flour

- 1/4 Cup Sugar

- 1/2 tsp Salt

- 5 tsp yeast

- 1 cup warm milk.

and the secret ingredient is.... drumroll please............

A potato!! Crazy! I had no idea.

Okay first begin to heat your oil.

Meanwhile, bake the potato in the microwave until soft (approximately 5 minutes), then remove the potato skin and mash up the potato with a fork.

Then warm up a cup of milk also in the microwave (approx. 45 seconds). When the milk is warm, (but not hot!) add the 5 tsp yeast, a pinch of sugar and stir to combine. Let this milk mixture sit for about 5 minutes.

While your waiting, mix together the dry ingredients and the mashed potato. I used a fork to combine everything together mashing the potato into the other ingredients. Now add your milk mixture, stirring to combine and it will being to form a dough ball. (If your dough is to runny, add some flour, if its to dry add some milk)

Kneed the dough until it is a roll-out-able consistency and form it into a ball. On a well floured surface, roll out the dough to about a 1/2" thickness.

Now the fun begins! cut out your donuts (I used a glass for the approx size I wanted, and a large piping tip to cut the holes. There are proper donut cutters but this works just as well!)

When cutting out your donuts don't forget to save the 'holes' because those are great to!

Now... test your oil... it should be about 375 degrees F. (I used a candy thermometer) start by putting in the dough scraps, the oil should be hot enough to cook the doughnut thru and give it a nice golden brown colour. I had my oil to hot at first, my first scrap came out damn near black and was raw in the middle. It took a little adjusting but I got there in the end. Next time I think i'm going to make this in my electric fondue pot. It controls the temperature for you!

Carefully add your donuts to the oil, allowing them to cook. When one side is a nice golden brown flip them over and 'brown' the other side.

Yum, things fried in oil just taste so damn good! Remove the donuts from the oil and place on a plate covered in a paper towel (to remove the excess oil)

Now the real fun begins... decorating! I made 2 'glazes' a really thin vanilla glaze to make it honey diped, and a thicker chocolate glaze.. yum yum! (The glaze I used is just runny buttercream icing!)
I also melted some butter in a bowl and had a cinnamon and sugar mixture (similar to the snickerdoodles) on hand for the donut holes!

Select your sprinkles if desired...

(Who wouldn't desire sprinkles? Come on people... cakewrecks style 'I want sprinkles')

Then once the donuts have been glazed. Put them on a sheet of wax paper to dry.

To dip the donuts simply hold the bottom and dunk the top half in. Slowly remove the donut from the glaze and gently tap off any excess (or keep it on if you like a lot of glaze!)

Once they are all done, It was tricky not eating them before their photo shoot! (I am also on a low sugar diet, this is going to end badly...)

And here is the finished product!