February 7, 2008

Fry It, You'll Like It

For many years during my youth, I remember my dad getting up early on Sunday mornings before anyone else was awake. He would go out and pick up a box of doughnuts and a newspaper. By the time he returned home with the goodies, my brothers and I were usually awake and anxiously waiting for dad's return. Mom would start the coffee and the house would instantly smell like a Sunday (if that's even possible). We would spend the next hour or two reading the paper and savoring our weekly doughnuts. In reality, us kids would fight over who could read the comics first and scarf down as many doughnuts as mom and dad would allow. While such a simple memory, it is one I will never forget. Because for those few moments on a quiet Sunday morning, we not only savored our pastries, but we also spent time together as a family.



Now that I'm an adult, doughnuts aren't really working with the metabolism, if you know what I mean. Consequently, they rarely make it into the meal rotation. However, when the lovelyPeabody and Tartelette recently announced that they were hosting a Time to Make the Doughnuts event, I was hooked. All the memories of the simpler days of my childhood came rushing back. As I have changed over the years, so has my taste. Whereas in my youth I would have chosen a creme-filled chocolate bar, I opted to now make doughnuts that one might consider requiring a more discriminating palate. Spiced Potato Doughnuts. Don't let the name fool you. These are plenty sweet, but also offer plenty of spice as its name implies.

Spiced Potato Doughnuts
from Gourmet

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups mashed cooked baking potatoes, like russets, (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest, if desired
1 teaspoon vanilla
Vegetable oil, for frying

For the coating:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or, to taste


  1. Into a bowl sift the flour, the baking powder, the salt, the cinnamon, and the nutmeg. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, the butter, the sugar, the potatoes, the milk, the zest, and the vanilla until the mixture is combined well, add the potato mixture to the flour mixture, and stir the dough until it is just combined.

  2. Chill the dough, covered, for 1 hour, or until it is cold and can be handled easily. Roll out half the dough 1/2-inch thick on a well-floured surface and with a 3 to 3 1/2-inch doughnut cutter cut out doughnuts, reserving the center pieces. With the other half of the dough either cut out round doughnuts in the same manner or shape the dough into crullers.

  3. For the crullers, roll the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle about 14 by 5-inches and cut into 5 by 1/2-inch strips. To form each cruller, twist 2 strips of dough together, and pinch the ends to secure them. Fry the round doughnuts, the reserved doughnut centers, and the crullers in batches in 2 inches of 375 degrees F. oil, or until they are golden, transferring them as they are fried to paper towels to drain.

  4. Make the coating: In a shallow bowl stir together the sugar and the cinnamon.

  5. While the doughnuts are still warm, roll them, 1 at a time, in the sugar mixture, coating them well. The doughnuts keep, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 1 day.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow these look good. They look prefessional even! I could dig into that cup of doughnut holes right now! Mmm...
btw - your plates are gorgeous! Are those w-s queen anne by chance?

Brilynn said...

What a nice tradition to have!

Those donuts look amazing!

Sweet and Savory Eats said...

Katie, I am so flattered you think these look professional. This is my first time making doughnuts and they were way easier than I thought. I think the key is to get the oil hovering right at 375 (I uesed a candy thermometer) and the rest is easy. The plates are Mikasa French Countryside.

Brilynn, it is definitely a time I look back on with fond memories.

Jaime said...

mmmmm, these look great! i am still trying to see if i have time before the deadline to participate...

Anonymous said...

Fabulous! Dunkin Donuts move over! :)

BMK said...

Those look soo yummy. All you need now is some hot chocolate!

P.S. You've been tagged! Reservationsnotrequired@blogspot.com

Deborah said...

I'm going to have to try these!! I was just reminiscing about the potato donuts from my youth...

eatme_delicious said...

Ooo there's potato in them! How cool. I've never had a doughnut (that I know of) that was made with potato. They look delicious.

Anonymous said...

Potato doughnuts! What a terrific idea! And your results are gorgeous!

Peabody said...

That is the way to eat a potato!
Thanks for participating.

Cakelaw said...

I've never seen potato donurts before, but I think it's a great idea. I would definitely add the orange zest if I made these for the zing.

Gretchen Noelle said...

Great way to use potatoes! Love the idea!!!

Helene said...

As a potato lover I could kiss you for these!! Great job! Thanks for being part of this event!

Rosa said...

Found you through Rosa's Yummy Yums, I think. Your entire site makes me hungry for some really good homemade food. Not being much a baker (but at the top of my list of things to achieve in 2008) I can appreciate all your delish dishes. But donuts, oh my. Wish I could reach in and just grab a couple of those holes! Just a few, that's all. Nice meeting ya!

Shelby said...

That is my kind of doughnut. Reading your post brought back my own memories of mom making what we called fry cakes. We would dip them in either powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar while they were still hot and scarf them down (the little holes were what mom would allow us to eat as she was frying!). We also would dip them in REAL maple syrup (light amber). Thanks for bringing back the memories! I now may have to make the doughnuts too!