Kat Martin Winner & Doughnuts!!

KAT MARTIN WINNER:

CHERYL PIERSON

Please email me with your snail mail addy! thelovestrucknovice@gmail.com

DOUGHNUTS!!! DOUGHNUTS!! DOUGHNUTS!!

This weekend I noticed the cover of the Better Homes and Gardens Sept 2010 magazine had my favorite yummy bits of heaven on display. That, of course, meant I HAD to make them!!

They were so good I wanted to share the recipe. (Now, the mag featured them because of they were highlighting homemade goodies, so if cooking is "Your bag, baby," then you'd better go snag a copy.)

DOUGHNUTS: A Mama Writer's way of Sucking UP To The Family for always being strapped to a PC!

Prep: 30mins (if that!) Cook time: 2min Chill: 2hrs

3 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg (I OMITTED)
1/3 cup milk (used 2%)
1/2 cup (1stick) butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup sugar
Vegetable oil for frying
Powdered sugar or cinnamon-sugar mix for dusting

(I made a glaze, because I'm all about making things fatter!)
1/2 cup Powdered sugar
2 tsp. milk
dash Vanilla
*I tripled this, but added more of each until I liked the consistency.

DIRECTIONS for DOUGHNUTS:

1) In a bowl combine dry ingredients (except sugar); set aside.
In another bowl combine milk and melted butter (be sure butter isn't scorching hot). In a large mixing bowl, add eggs and the sugar; beat for 5mins or until thick. (will be white, frothy, and creamy looking). To the egg/sugar mixture, stir with wooden spoon to combine. Add flour mixture and stir with wooden spoon until smooth. Cover and chill dough for 2 hours (dough will remain slightly sticky)

2)Turn chilled dough out onto lightly floured surface (I had to use a little more than "lightly". Roll dough to 1/2" thickness. Cut dough with floured 2 1/2" cutter. Use 1 1/4" cutter for doughnut hole. You can also use the standard doughnut cutter.

3)Fry 2-3 doughnuts at a time in deep hot oil (375*) for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until brown, turning halfway. (Hubs found it easier to flip them using a bamboo skewer.) Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining doughnuts and doughnut holes.

4)Shake warm doughnuts in a bag with powdered sugar or cinnamon-sugar mix. Serve warm. (I glazed some of them with the powdered sugar/milk/vanilla mixture. It's a moist glaze, but gives the doughnut a caramel-like flavoring.)

Family's RATING: 5 stars- for both Taste AND Ease!!

Enjoy! :)