I’ve shared a few donut recipes before, and they are good, but…they are baked.
Let’s do this donut thing right. And by that I mean FRIED.
The first time I fried something, I felt like the most domestic girl in the world. I couldn’t believe this skill was in my arsenal. I decided it must be genetic, since my grandmother made the best fried chicken ever.
Ok, so the first time I fried something, it actually didn’t go so well. I caught the cooking bug during college in Waco. After watching the Food Network, I would search every grocery store in that little town looking for the exotic ingredients Giada called for in her recipes. Sorry, Giada, but in the South, we don’t do no prosciutto or Parmesan (or, as you say, Par-MEE-john-o). I’m American. I eat bacon and Velveeta. You should try it sometime.
I put on a low-cut shirt (isn’t this step 1 for all of her recipes?) and tried to sashe around the kitchen as effortlessly as Giada. I was waiting for my olive oil to smoke in my pan so I could sauté some garlic. I saw a wisp of smoke, so I dropped in the garlic. It hit the pan, instantly turned black and bounced around the skillet. I grabbed the pan from the heat, threw it in the sink and turned the faucet on it. Smart, right? Oil and water. The garlic took flight and almost burned my roommate’s boyfriend’s face. If this is Italian, I don’t want to cook like an Italian anymore. Italian food hurts people. (Just kidding, Paula, I love you more than bacon dipped in Velveeta.)
The next time I fried something, it went very well. It was canned biscuits to make donuts. Now here’s where the genes kick in.
I didn't want you to be dependent on canned biscuits, so I made a homemade version for you to fry. I bet you have all of these ingredients in your pantry already.
I used a 3" biscuit cutter for donuts, then I used the back of a piping tip to cut out the hole. Neat, huh?
Half-Dozen Fried Donuts
A classic fried donut recipe with vanilla glaze.
Ingredients
- 3 cups of oil for frying (I use canola)
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
For the glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla (or rum)
Instructions
- In a large skillet with sides, heat 1" of clean oil to 370.
- Meanwhile, sift together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, sugar, melted butter and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold together until no streaks of flour remain, but try not to over-mix too.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface with a rolling pin to about ¼" thickness. Use a 3" biscuit cutter to cut out 6 circles. Use a smaller cutter (I use a piping tip) to cut out the middles. Once the oil is hot, carefully slide 3 donuts into the oil. Fry for 15-20 seconds on each side, then flip. Fry the other side for 15 seconds (or until golden brown) and then remove from the oil. Let rest on a paper-towel lined cooling rack so the excess oil drips away. Repeat with the remaining donuts and donut holes.
- While cooling, whisk together all the glaze ingredients. Dip donuts in glaze, then serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 434Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 34gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 262mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 17gProtein: 1g
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Michelle says
Yay!! I was obsessing over the cinnamon caramel donut recipe earlier and asked for a fried donut recipe. Here it is! Yippee!! And this blog post is freaking HILARIOUS!!
Mary says
Wow! Thanks so much..... Love the way you steps the instructions out.... I wish to be a great beaker......
Ila says
Looks great! I have seen other donut recipes that add an instruction to "score" the donut dough prior to frying in order to create a more classic old-fashioned look with a crispier surface. Can that be done with your recipe? Love the idea of small batch donuts just for self-control!
Lizzie says
Can I bake these instead of frying?
Christina Lane says
I haven't tried that, I'm sorry!
Megan says
I just made these with my 3yr old son and was super excited, until I tasted them.... They taste like pure baking soda, I followed the recipe to a t and then fried them in avocado oil. I then rolled them in both powdered sugar and granulated sugar and as soon as I took a bite it tasted like salty baking soda. I wanted it to work out perhaps I'll try agaim
Joely says
This recipe is the bomb! Perfect amount, super fast, fun to prepare with my daughter. We enjoyed it very much.
We used some heart and star shape cutters for added fun :)
Ellen Visenio says
I just tried this recipe and it was a failure. It turned out too sticky and when fried the inside didn’t get cooked. Has anyone ever tried this recipe at all?
Jo says
The not cooking inside probably means your oil wasn't the right temperature. You need 350 - 365. Too cool and they'll cook too slowly and be oily, too hot and the outside will burn before inside is done.