Friday, June 5, 2009

Donuts for National Donut Day and Foodie Friday




From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite - Homer Simpson had the first and last words on donuts..."Is there anything they can't do?" Today is National Donut Day and I can't let the day pass without sharing my favorite recipe for cake donuts with you. It first appeared in Gourmet magazine. The donuts are simple and inexpensive to make. They have the added advantage of being "make your socks go up and down" delicious. For as often as I make these, I still don't own a donut cutter. I, instead, follow the advice of Kitty Bartholomew, a designer from the early days of the Home and Garden Network who urged people to "make do with what you do have" rather than bemoan what you don't. So, my donuts are shaped using the rim of a 3-inch glass and an apple corer. It's the price I pay for a dislike of clutter and the accumulation of rarely used gadgets. The finished donuts can be dredged in confectioners' sugar, cinnamon sugar or dipped and iced in a frosting of your choice. These are not a figure friendly creation. To keep my appetite in check I find it helpful to remember an old German adage, "Fear makes the wolf seem bigger than he is." Scott Roenen has a response that keeps me on the straight and narrow. He says, 'The tub of glazed donuts doesn't help either." Enjoy in moderation.

Cake Donuts...From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
12 cups vegetable oil
To finish:
Confectioners' sugar
Cinnamon sugar
Melted chocolate

Directions:

1) Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk together 1 cup sugar, buttermilk, butter, and eggs in another bowl, then add to flour and stir until a dough forms (dough will be sticky).
2) Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and knead gently 8 times. Flour dough and a rolling pin, then roll out dough into a 12-inch round (about 1/3 inch thick). Cut out as many doughnuts as possible with floured 3-inch doughnut cutter and transfer to lightly floured baking sheets. Gather scraps, reroll, and cut more doughnuts in same manner.
3) Heat oil in a 5-quart heavy pot until thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Working in batches of 3, slide doughnuts into oil and fry. Once each doughnut floats to surface, turn over and fry 50 seconds, then turn again and fry 50 seconds more. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Cool slightly and dredge in confectioners' sugar, cinnamon sugar or dip and ice with melteded chocolate. Yield: 18 donuts.

I'm sending this recipe to Michael at Designs By Gollum for Foodie Friday, the blogging event she sponsors.

51 comments :

NKP said...

Wow! You made your own donuts! That is so very cool. Can I have one? :)

Pam said...

Oh Mary, they look absolutely perfect. I could eat way too many of these.

theUngourmet said...

I am one of the few people in the world that does not like Krispy Kreme donuts.

Homemade donuts are a billion times better! These look especially delicious!

Selba said...

Seriously there's a national day for donut? Wow!

Mariana said...

Well I declare I have never heard of a national donut day. Sounds like a good reason to splurge, as you say, in moderation. Yours look better than the ones you buy Mary, because they have that homemade appeal about them. Yum.

Katy ~ said...

Mary, those donuts look as if they belong in a bakery store window. Oh my stars do they ever look GOOD! I've been wanting to make donuts, but didn't want to do the raised kind, so these are just what I was hoping to make. I have all the ingredients on hand....

What's moderation LOL!!

Ning said...

These are perfect with a hot cup of coffee!! :)

Donna-FFW said...

Mary- these look beyond wonderful. Way beyond. I would like a seat at the table please. I'll bring the java.

Jamie said...

Fabulous! Who doesn't absolutely love donuts? Yours look so incredible. I really must make them, I love donuts. It is the first thing I buy when I get to the US.

Casey said...

I have made doughnuts with my daughter before, but always the batter which requires a 1-2 hour waiting period. I love that this recipe offers immediate gratification and can't wait to try it tomorrow! (Too late a start this morning...:) )

P.S. I found you through TasteSpotting and just wanted to let you know that if you have any photos that didn't make it...I'd love to publish them. Thanks, Casey

Martha said...

When daughter was small and had friends over I used to make biscuit donuts which wowed the kids -- I've never made "real" donuts, however and these look delicious. I am afraid that I would be attempting fate by making these --

Ginger said...

Mary,

No more Dunkin Donuts for me!! I am just coming to your house from now on when the donuts urge hits me. If anybody can pull homemade donuts off, it has to be you. They look perfect! Have a great weekend.

Christina Kim said...

These donuts look beautiful, and I can't believe they are homemade. You are so right about just using what you have, rather than complaining about what you don't. I am guilty of complaining, admittedly, but I certainly have gotten by just fine without certain items!

Joy Tilton said...

Thank you Mary! Today's our anniversary and cake donuts are my husband's all time favorite! Tomorrow morning I'll surprise him with these!
joy c. at grannymountain

Hootin Anni said...

I would LOVE to say "I'll pass these up"....but when there's chocolate involved...oh man. Yummy.

But...but, they're so 'lethal' for the blood levels. Why oh why are the good yummy things so bad for you?

I know, I know....eat everything in moderation. But here again, you just can't eat ONE! Right?

Heather S-G said...

These are so beautiful. I can't believe you made them...well, I guess I can, but you know...

chocolatecup said...

oh my! i have leftover buttermilk! yays! and i so had nooo idea there is a doughnut day! not complaining though:P
think i am going to make balls or roll in into a long snake-like thing and form doughnut rings or balls? i dont have like a cutter:)
yours loook fantastic:) thanks for posting:)

Netts Nook said...

I haven't ever had a donut I didn't like. They look like you bought them at the store.

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

This brings back such wonderful memories for me. My grandmother made doughnuts very similar to these. Don't let my husband see this picture or all of the doughnuts will disappear before you know it.
Sam

Culinary Wannabe said...

Thank-you for drawing my attention to this very important day! I had no idea, and this gives me the perfect excuse to indulge. :) So my only problem is what to do with all of the leftover oil when you're done frying? I'm always caught in a pickle on that one.

Allie said...

They look so perfect! Homemade is sooo much better I can't wait to try these, I get lazy and just use biscuts.

Boo-Bah AKA Iris said...

These look so good. Moderation? I'm not sure if I can handle that.
I just bought my first biscuit cutter at walmart after 53 years of cooking. Something I don't really need, as a rim of a glass works just fine. just a splurge I guess.

Iris

Rattlebridge Farm said...

Doughnuts make my heart beat faster, but HOMEMADE doughnuts make my hands reach for the whole platter! This is a wonderful post!

Unknown said...

I think this recipe is getting cut and pasted... what a fun recipe to do with my niece when she comes for the summer! She is 8 and loves to cook. she also wants me to teach her to make lasagna!
Thanks for the donuts with my coffee this morning...
Have a great week end!
~Realy Rainey~

xinex said...

Wow! Homemade donuts! Yummy! I have never made my own.....Christine

Shellbelle said...

Moderation? What's moderation mean Mary?

The two hardest things for me to pass up are donuts and a good chocolate cake.

Joyce said...

I allow myself 4 donuts a year. One for each season and that is it for me. I have been doing this for years. Now if I made these myself I would have to sit in the closet and eat them all by myself and cheat:) Now I should only practice this seasonal thing with Pizza and cookies and cake etc:) No such luck!
Joyce

~ ~ Ahrisha ~ ~ said...

Oh, Yummy! I remember coming home as a little girl and the kitchen filled with yeast raised donuts my Mom had made while we were not there to bug her. Every available space had donuts on it.
Thanks for the memories.
~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

Chandy said...

Mary, I snagged this recipe right away! Love to make cake donuts just not found the recipe from kit good enough, so I'll try yours! Thanks!

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Oooo... never have I made my own donuts. These look delish, but dangerously so! :)

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Ummmmm! Now that is inspiring. I have never made my own!

Poppedijne said...

Hi from Belgium. Thanks for your comment on my blog.I got to know a lot of good food blogs thanks to you.I have already seen a couple of recepies in your blog that interest me too.I will for sure be visiting again.

honeysuckle said...

Yuummm. They are so good. I want some right now, but I will resist until the urge comes again. Oh, wait, here it comes!!!

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

These are impressive -- I think maybe I'm glad I don't know how to make donuts -- it could be dangerous -- but yours are so pretty and I'll bet they're heavenly!

Lyndas recipe box said...

These lovely donuts look so addictive; but I would so love one right now with my cup of coffee! Homemade donuts are one of lifes great pleasures!

Karen said...

Everytime I visit, your blog makes me so hungry!! :o) I have only made donuts one time--I will have to do it again. Thanks for the recipe. Have a nice weekend.
Karen

Cindy said...

Boy do those ever look yummy! Sounds like a great way to celebrate "Donut Day" or any other day for that matter! Hugs, ~cindy s~

Anonymous said...

What beautiful donuts you made.
I have a donut maker that bakes the donuts, other wise mine would be all lopsided.

You really did a nice job on these.

Unknown said...

Wow national donut day - my sweetie and I will have to celebrate tomorrow with a dozen donuts!! Happy weekend, Esther

Laura said...

At the risk of sounding rather naive :) I had no idea one cut donuts out. I guess I thought they were formed. I've only made donut holes...

These look great. I would eat waaaay too many if I made them.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Laura, they are cut. Years ago there was a contraption that you filled with dough. It had a plunger and you'd push the dough through this thing into hot oil.

Melody said...

Gotta love the world according to Homer Simpson! Love it! Your donuts look amazing and I'm sure I could get 5-6 perfect bites there.

Nancy Jane said...

I didn't realize that today was National Donut Day, so I will have to celebrate tomorrow! I'm sure whatever doughnuts I find won't hold a candle to you homemade batch. I can almost smell them frying...Nancy

noble pig said...

These are easy to make, wow. My kids would love me if I whipped these up.

Penny said...

These are very impressive. You can share if you have too many. My hand is up.

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

I'm saving your recipe for when I have grandbabies! They look soooo good :)

~Susan

Puna said...

It's a good thing I didn't know that it was National Doughnut Day yesterday. I would have had a couple to celebrate. Thanks for this but I can't make homemade doughnuts when there are so many yummy pre-made ones in the store - unless you tell me that they are worth the work.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Puna, homemade donuts are worth the fun you have making them. They are better than all but the very best of a good bakery's donuts. They are much better than the ones found in stores.

Susan @ A Southern Daydreamer said...

I have never made donuts before... but I may have to try to! I hope you had a happy Foodie Friday and are having a great weekend ~ Susan

Tom said...

Those look much better than any store bought donuts. It has been a very long time since I have attempted home made donuts but we will have to give your recipe a shot.

Lori said...

I like your tool idea for these donuts. Very clever. My kids would jump up and down, socks and all, if I made homemade donuts. The only kind I have ever made is the baked kind.

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