All you need is love...
And doughnuts!
If you've read The Truth About Love, you already know me. If not, I make doughnuts (pretty popular ones, if I say so myself!).
Have you ever passed by a Krispy Kreme store when the HOT DOUGHNUTS sign was lit? Oh, man! I used to beg my mom to stop. Sometimes, she did. But that was actually the reason I started making my own, courtesy of my grandma. And now my son Blake can't live without them.
People are always asking What's My Secret??? But of course, that's an ancient family recipe I can't share!
What I will share are the basics, and you can tweak however you want to create your own special signature—then you'll have your own secret recipe!
So here ya go, and I hope you love them as much as my little college town of Grandview does! I make these by heart, so please excuse my delivery if it seems a little loose!
First, sprinkle 2 PACKAGES OF YEAST into a HALF CUP OF WARM WATER. Pretty much the normal way it's done. Toss in a BIT OF SUGAR (I don't measure, but a teaspoon's worth wil do the trick).
Scald 3/4 CUPS OF MILK and melt in 1/3 CUP OF CRISCO. I like the buttery flavored, but you do you. Cool it a bit till it's warm. You don't want it to stay hot.
Mix 1/4 CUP OF SUGAR and 1 TEASPOON OF SALT, and pour the milk over it and stir till it's all dissolved.
Add 1 CUP OF ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, 2 EGGS, and throw in the yeast mishmash, till it's nice and smooth.
Add 3 MORE CUPS OF FLOUR and make a decent-looking dough.
Plop it onto a floured surface and knead that puppy good. Don't you love it when something says KNEAD BUT DON'T OVERKNEAD? or MIX BUT DON'T OVERMIX? Just do it, you'll get the hang.
Let me just say here, you may hate kneading stuff. I do, too! Don't go using some biscuit dough and call it a doughnut. Just knead. I promise it'll be worth it!
So put that in a greased bowl and cover it with a towel and walk away for maybe 2 hours.
You thought you hated kneading? Now you're gonna ROLL, baby! Use a rolling pin to pull it to maybe a half-inch. You might have a doughnut mold or something, but I use a glass to make the hole. Nothing fancy, just an old drinking glass with butterflies on it I've had forever. Then I do the center with a cute little shot glass my friend Martie brought me from some cruise she went on a few years ago. Martie's getting married in December, you may know from the book.
So put those centers aside to make the little Munchkin thingys later. But let the doughnut dough rise again for about an hour.
Heat some cooking oil till it's about 325 or so. Don't let it get hotter than 350. Place the doughnuts in carefully(!) with a tongs. Turn them as soon as they golden-up. The whole thing should take a minute or two.
Lay out some paper towels and drain them as you take them out. Now you can glaze them or whatever. Cinnamon/sugar. Confectioner's sugar. Blake's favorite is a chocolate glaze. Sprinkles aren't mandatory, but suggested!
So that's it! Easy-peasy, and everyone will be begging you for more.
There's a controversy over frying vs. baking. I have nothing against baking, but the frying will get you that nice soft center with the little bit o' crispy edge.
We're not making health food here, folks. It's a treat! Live a little!
P.S. If you haven't visited Grandview and met my motley crew of friends and me, you can dip your toe in right here with Book 1 of the Fruit of the Spirit series! Happy reading!
