Almost daily, I find myself writing down recipe ideas in a little notebook I keep tucked away in my purse. Most of them are savory, family-style meals because that's what I'm drawn to the most but every once in a while, a recipe for something sweet and decadent sneaks in. Doughnuts seem to pop up quite often. The old fashioned variety, with cinnnamon-sugar sprinkled on top, were my grandmother's favorite.
I'm pretty good at providing my little family with healthy, no- fuss dinners but as far as my culinary exploration goes, I rarely venture out of my comfort zone (which is to say, make complicated pastries.) Items requiring fancy piping techniques and biscuits filled with oozing custard or croissants that require elaborate folding and twisting. I've always believed my tolerance just wasn't built for intricate recipes. This stems from my inability to adhere to strict measuring which, by all accounts, is a requirement for baking. I try to resist the urge to add just a touch more sugar/lemon/vanilla/honey/maple syrup and remember that those cups of flour should be sifted and leveled and not just added haphazardly without regard for accuracy.
If you've ever felt intimidated by the idea of making homemade doughnuts, don't be. For most people, ones who are used to making bread for example, this recipe will seem simple and straightforward. It took me a while to get the dough just right and I found them a bit finicky when it came time for frying. Leaving them in the hot oil for even a few seconds longer than they should, yielded donuts that were too dark for my liking. The recipe I used was adapted from one of my mom's old Woman's Day magazines (listed online here.)
Oh, Happy ( early) Valentines Day! We're not big V-Day people but we do enjoy a nice dinner and wine and this year, if there's any left, homemade doughnuts.
xoxo
