Being a teacher, I have to admit that having a Spring Break when most of the other adults in our country are working...feels quite nice! After a short trip to Arkansas to visit some of my relatives, My "Two Hot Buns" cohort came into town for some Spring Break fun...and of course we had to do some baking. Not only that, but the other musketeer to our two, the photographer, showed up at my house too!!
Anywho, while in AR, my Aunt Missy let me rummage around through some of my grandma's old church cookbooks. Here's an adaptation of a recipe I found there.
Potato Doughnuts
1/2 Tbs butter
1 C sugar
1 C mashed potatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 C milk
2 1/2 C flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
Oil
Okay, first I should tell you that I halved the original recipe, so what you just read is HALF the original...I'd say it makes about a dozen donuts and some holes.
First, cream the butter and sugar together.
Next, add the salt, egg, and mashed potatoes. Mix well. (Side note...I cheated. I really wanted to try this recipe along with several others that night...so we made mashed potatoes using potato flakes and the stove. These worked like a charm, but you could surely mash your own boiled potatoes and use those...because I'm sure you have the time....note the sarcasm.)
After you've mixed that in, alternate the milk/baking powder mixture along with the flour until you have a sticky batter/dough. The original recipe wasn't specific about the texture of the finished product...but mine was really sticky. Flour a hard surface (and your hands) and roll that sucker out to about 1/4 inch thick. I just patted mine out and it worked. Also, I just have to say that this dough is SOOO soft...and it's really going to help make a crispy, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth work of art.
Now, use that handy dandy doughnut cutter you bought about a year ago. Oh, wait, you don't have one?? Well, just get one from Ace Mart, your neighborhood restaurant supply store open to the public! But really, if you don't want to go to all that trouble...you could use some cookie cutters or a cup or just roll them all into doughnut holes.
Now, if you're on a strict diet you might not be able to do this next step...well, let's be honest. If you're on a strict diet...you're probably not going to find this recipe useful at all. Unless, of course, you are looking for a recipe to sabotage your diet. Then, you may have come to right place!
Hey! Everything in moderation right??? Right??
Okay, heat about a bottle of oil in a deep pan. I used vegetable oil. You could use the same. Or lard. Or whatever fat you want. The recipe specifically said, "Deep fat"...mmmm! 390 degrees but I didn't really pay attention to the temperature. If it cooks too fast, just turn your heat down.
When you've tested the oil (by throwing in a little piece of dough to see if it sizzles) put in your first doughnut VERY carefully. We don't want any grease burns! We tried putting it in with chopsticks and then a metal spatula. I thought the spatula worked better.
Make sure you turn it once after it's browned on the one side. I had to flip mine several times and even put them back in the pot b/c some were a little doughy inside still. They need to be BROWN! Then, just gently pick them up with chop sticks or a metal spatula and transfer them to a cooking rack.
It helps if you've got Two Hot Buns working together!
We also made a cinnamon sugar mixture to dip some in. You know me and my cinnamon!!
And there you have it. Crispy, light, fluffy rounds of yumminess! Thanks Grandma!
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