no-fry-zone no more

March 25 2010 by Kristin at The Kitchen Sink in Uncategorized » 31 comments

Lately, I’ve been flipping through the pages of The Craft of Baking before bed. This exercise is every bit as dangerous as it sounds: dinner has been eaten, the dishes have been washed, and there I am, in the glow of the nightstand lamp, hungry. As I turn the pages, I mention the most enticing recipes to Kevin, who typically murmurs his approval without looking up from his (much more suitable) bedtime reading. But when I mentioned a recipe for doughnuts the other night, he all but threw off the covers and sprinted into the kitchen. He was all in for the doughnuts.

This is the story of how those doughnuts came to be, told by both of us.

NO TURNING BACK.

Kevin:

I have a long and lively history with the fried dough. And why wouldn’t I? Or anyone for that matter? It’s basically a perfect food (though some varieties are not for me, most notably anything involving fruit or involving cream spelled “creme” or, even worse, “kreme”). On top of that I’ve really only had one bad experience ever with fried dough. At the age of 8 (or was it 11?) I was at Epcot Center and had just been rewarded with a huge plate of fried dough (a funnel cake) by my parents. I was all set to gallivant around the globe, from Norway to Japan, with my fried dough when the avian carnivore predator known as the seagull swooped down, knocked me in the head and took off with a large piece of my fried dough. Even the man-eating seagull wanted some of the good stuff.

Anyway, we’ve all been waiting for Kristin to step up, dump a vat of oil into a pot and get going on doughnuts. Our home has been a strict “no-fry” zone, and, to be honest, I’m not even sure what prompted Kristin to break the rules. Maybe I just wore her down (strategy noted, btw).

Kristin:

Truth be told, as soon as I mentioned the doughnut recipe, I wanted to take it back, to press rewind, realize that the recipe entailed frying—deep frying—and keep my damn mouth shut. Because as soon as Kevin’s eyes lit up, I knew I was done for. I would have no choice but to face my fear of hot, hissing, spitting, popping oil head-on. At least there would be doughnuts at the end.

THE GORY DETAILS.

Kristin:

So, several days later, on a quiet Sunday morning, I mixed up the dough, rolled it into a broad sheet, and stamped out tiny rounds. In the center of each tiny round I stamped out an even tinier round. Voila, doughnuts. Well, raw doughnuts, actually, which meant the time had come. It was time to deep fry.

I turned to my trusty Dutch oven, which seemed like the safest vessel in my kitchen for my maiden deep fry: sturdy, plenty deep, well-worn. I set it over a burner and upended an entire bottle of peanut oil into it. Doing so barely coated the surface of the pot with oil; turns out, two inches of oil is a LOT of oil. Hmmm. I’d have to switch to a sauce pan with a smaller volume. Things were not off to a good start.

Next, I plunged a candy thermometer into the oil, securing it to the pot’s edge. For good measure, I added a second thermometer. I harbor a deep distrust of candy thermometers, stemming from caramel endeavors, and figure that you never can be too safe. Then, I flicked on the flame, setting it to a medium roar. As the flame flickered beneath the thermometer-bedecked pot, Kevin and I stared.

Before long, the oil became audible, glurping and sputtering, slowly at first and then picking up speed. “It’s alive,” we agreed.

Armed with a slotted spoon, I slid the first little rings into the oil, where they sunk briefly, before bobbing back to the surface, dancing in the bubbling oil, puffing and turning almost instantly golden. The rest was a blur of paper-towel lined plates, hot doughnuts dredged through a bowl of cinnamon-laced sugar, and shouts of “Quick, take a photo!” [me] and “Whoa, these are good!” [Kevin]. Before we knew it, we had a plate piled high with piping hot doughnuts, the thick stench of frying oil hanging heavy in the air.

Kevin:

Making the doughnuts (at least my part) was surprisingly fun and easy. Once the circles of happy were done frying Kristin dumped them onto a plate where I doused them in cinnamon-sugar. And really that was it.

THE AFTERMATH.

Kristin:

As we sampled our success, licking the cinnamon sugar off our fingers, I realized that I had actually enjoyed myself in the process. I might acutally like this deep frying business. Not enough to quit my day job to join the circus as the mini-donut (wo)man, but enough to start thinking about fried chicken and wontons and empanadas. These doughnuts, I think, are akin to a gateway drug. And it’s entirely Kevin’s fault.

Kevin:

Oh, and of course, fried dough is always the best eaten warm. So there were dozens of these beauties lying around for the taking. I ate my fair share, and they were excellent. They’ve also held up well as I’ve made my way through the leftovers this week. And now that we have abolished the “no-fry” zone we can really start experimenting with fried dough; big doughnuts, funnel cake, churros. Thanks in advance Kris!

Cinnamon-Sugar Mini-Doughnuts
Adapted from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox, via original recipe at Serious Eats

Yield: About 35 mini-doughnuts

3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
3 3/4 cups cake flour, plus extra for dusting
2 cup granulated sugar, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Nonstick cooking spray
Peanut oil for frying

In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, egg yolks and grapeseed oil. Sift 2 cups of flour into another bowl and set it aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the remaining 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon zest. Mix on low speed just to combine. Add the buttermilk mixture and continue mixing just until the dough comes together. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and using a spatula, gently fold in the reserved flour. The dough will be very sticky.

Transfer the dough to a 12 x 14-inch sheet of waxed paper. Place a second sheet of waxed paper on top, and roll out the dough between the paper to an 8 x 10-inch oval, about 3/4 inch thick. Set the dough, still between the sheets of waxed paper, on a baking sheet and freeze until it is firm enough to cut, about 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the freezer and remove the waxed paper. Dust the dough with flour and replace the waxed paper. Flip the dough over; remove an discard the bottom sheet of waxed paper. Now the dough is loosened from the waxed paper and is easy to cut.

Lightly coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Using a floured 2-inch round cutter, cut out doughnuts. Punch out the centers with a floured 1/2-inch round cutter or pastry tip. Reserve the stamped-out middles. Transfer the doughnuts and holes to the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll the scraps and repeat. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day (if making the dough ahead, bring it to room temperature just before frying.)

Just before frying the doughnuts and holes, prepare the cinnamon-sugar topping; in a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.

In a large high-sided skillet or a wide pot, heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F. Working in batches of 3 or 4, fry the doughnuts, carefully turning them with a wire skimmer or slotted spoon halfway though, until golden brown, 45 seconds to 1 minute per side. Transfer the doughnuts to paper towels to drain, and then immediately dredge the doughnut in the cinnamon-sugar, tapping off any excess sugar. Transfer to a serving plate.

Fry the doughnut holes for 20 to 30 seconds per batch. Drain, dip in sugar, and transfer to the serving plate.

Serve the doughnuts warm or at room temperature on the day they are fried.

31 comments so far. »
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Aysegul - nysdelight says on March 25 2010 at 12:29 pm:

These look like heaven! Wow + Great Shots. If you are ever in NY – I HIGHLY recommend you stop by the Doughnut Plant!
Jessica @ How Sweet says on March 25 2010 at 12:33 pm:

This is like a pure sin…I want one right now!
Shannalee says on March 25 2010 at 12:47 pm:

Victory! I love that you did it together. Best way to cook.
Kelly says on March 25 2010 at 12:50 pm:

These look amazing. Can’t wait to try them!
Chris says on March 25 2010 at 1:21 pm:

I love your joint posts! So entertaining!!
Half Assed Kitchen says on March 25 2010 at 1:32 pm:

I think making doughnuts is mildly enjoyable, but I never know what to do with all that darn oil afterward.

Love the he said/she said.
Tracey says on March 25 2010 at 1:42 pm:

Well, you already know I love your mini doughnuts – they look amazing! Funny, I just borrowed this book from the library, but haven’t had a chance to flip through it yet. Soon, hopefully! I’ve gotten over the hot, sputtering oil part of frying too, but the lingering smell and dealing with the leftover oil are enough to deter me from doing it too often
Whitney says on March 25 2010 at 2:25 pm:

You two are too cute. Adorable donuts too!
katie says on March 25 2010 at 3:30 pm:

something i’ve always wondered (in my fry-phobia) – what do you do with all that oil once you’re done?
suzy says on March 25 2010 at 3:56 pm:

oh, i’m looking forward to the churros post!
Allison of "a for aubergine" says on March 25 2010 at 4:26 pm:

i love these i love these!!!
Maddie says on March 25 2010 at 4:41 pm:

Wow, I can almost taste the cinnamon-sugar crust on those babies!

Back in the day, my brother and I bought my dad a doughnut pan for his birthday breakfast. Too young to fry, we baked the little rounds and slathered them in glaze…it’s a nice no-fry cop-out, but I’m sure they pale in comparison to the real deal.
Julie says on March 25 2010 at 5:12 pm:

Very sweet duo post. I just made some doughnuts (yesterday in fact) and the recipe called for vegetable oil so I grabbed grape seed oil. Now I’m thinking peanut would have been better. Does it impart any noticeable flavor? Love the photos, as always.
ovenhaven says on March 25 2010 at 6:53 pm:

Love this post! And the photos, of course The doughnuts look so tempting and cute. Looking forward to more fried delights!
Judy says on March 25 2010 at 8:50 pm:

Heavenly yummy! Can the grapeseed oil be optional, though?
kate says on March 26 2010 at 4:06 am:

I would be banned for life from my kitchen if I fried anything. The Spouse is completely opposed, so I foster a somewhat deep jealousy not only of Kevin’s enthusiasm, but his willful participation. But I did take my vow seriously, and no deep frying will ever occur in this lifetime. Thankfully, I did manage to make a decent donut a year ago that baked in the oven. Spouse ate them, and declared them wonderful, as did my donut loving Teen. For everything else, I’ll just come here and wistfully gaze at these photos. *sigh* They sure look amazing.
art and lemons says on March 26 2010 at 6:00 am:

Really, I thought I was over my doughnut cravings after making a batch of Chai Spiced Doughnuts (from Healty Bread in Five Minutes a Day), until I read this…thanks for sharing both sides!
leslie land says on March 26 2010 at 6:37 am:

Fun to read the back and forth – and enjoy the domestic harmony. Not sure whether Kate’s vow was a promise to never fry anything or something more all-encompassing, but either way she sure reminded me I have a wonderful husband.

Also a wonderful stove hood, a restaurant-quality heavy duty odor-sucker that nearly bankrupted me when we were installing the kitchen but for which I am grateful every time I use it. Smoke from high-temperature meat searing – or burned toast – highly aromatic curries and of course the fast-food perfume of frying all go up the flue instead of up the stairs.

As for the used oil, there isn’t really anything you can do with it – trying to purify and reuse is penny wise and pound foolish, in my experience. I just pour it out in a gravel area behind the back garden where I pretend it discourages weeds.
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on March 26 2010 at 8:30 am:

Ayesegul: Thanks! And I’ve heard good things about the Doughnut Plant …

Jessica: Me too. : )

Shannalee: Agree!

Kelly: Thank you. I hope you do give them a shot.

Chris: Thanks (from Kevin, too!).

Angie: I had the same question! In the end, we let the oil cool and poured it into an empty pickle jar and threw it away. I have absolutely no authority on this issue, though!

Tracey: Perhaps it’s not a bad thing we’re deterred from doing this too often, eh?

Whitney: Thanks!

katie: See above, in my answer to Angie.

Suzy: You and Kevin both. : )

Allison: Me too! Me too!

Maddie: I made a baked version for Kevin’s birthday a year or two ago and they were great. The recipe was from 101 Cookbooks.

Julie: Thanks for your kind words. No, no noticeable peanut oil taste. The recipe specified peanut oil, which is not something I normally use, but I liked that it was a pure nut oil. I assume the choice has something to do with the heat and the neutral taste of the oil. Since the recipe specifies grapeseed oil for one purpose (the dough) and peanut for the other (the frying), I figured it was intentional.

ovenhaven: Thank you!

Judy: I wouldn’t leave it out altogether, but I think you’d be fine swapping in another neutral oil (like canola).

kate: Now *that* is love. : )

art and lemons: Ooooh, those sound wonderful! I need to check that book out.

leslie land: Thank you! And good frying tips (and a reminder how weak my oven hood is, sigh).
mollie bryan says on March 26 2010 at 8:57 am:

Lovely post and incredible photos. The doughnuts remind me of my father making fried dough in our cast iron skillet. He fried it in butter and coated it with cinnamon sugar. What a treat.
Betsy says on March 26 2010 at 2:30 pm:

Wow, those doughnuts look amazing! I am in the second trimester of pregnancy, and doughnuts have been my main craving, though I have yet to make my own – I’m afraid I would eat SO many!
Steph says on March 26 2010 at 10:56 pm:

These doughnuts look soooo good that I think I might have to overcome my fear of frying, too! (and my innate distrust of candy thermometers, as well.)
ingrid says on March 27 2010 at 8:42 am:

LOL, I don’t like frying either buI t try to not let it stop me from the good stuff like fried dough.
~ingrid
grandma says on March 27 2010 at 5:12 pm:

i copied the recipe They looked wonderful grandpa and i made doughnuts but ate them almost all while we were making them we had a thing that you turned and the dough came out Grandpa has been trying a bread recipe we plan another attack on monday you two are great together
Barbara says on March 28 2010 at 10:43 am:

Well Kristin, I loved both of you telling the story. Aren’t you lucky to have a foodie husband?
My grandmother used to make the BEST donuts! I am so sad I don’t have her recipe. She just made a confectioner’s sugar icing for them. Yummy. Now I have your recipe. I can’t decide if this is going to be a good thing or not!
Lara Pabst says on March 28 2010 at 7:56 pm:

Great post. Love that Kevin chimed in – hi, Kevin! I’m going to show this one to Ben. He will love it – for the mini doughnuts reference (a Minnesota state fair favorite) and b/c he just plain loves doughnuts.
kickpleat says on March 28 2010 at 10:46 pm:

I’m terrified of the deep fry but I’m glad to see that you’ve overcome! They look amazing.
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on March 29 2010 at 7:56 pm:

mollie: That sounds absolutely incredible.

Betsy: Ha! I could see that being dangerous, to have piping hot doughnut after piping hot doughnut on hand. (Also, congrats!)

Steph: Yes! Do it!

ingrid: You sound like someone I know (and live with). : )

grandma: Hello! Two posts in a row! I know you and grandpa to be most excellent in the deep frying department, so I have no doubt yours will be delicious. See you guys SOON. xo.

Barbara: Thanks so much (from Kevin, too!). This recipe originally calls for more of a glaze. Perhaps it’s close to the one your grandmother used?

Lara: Hello! So good to hear from you. (And YES, these definitely remind me of the great MN get-together—as do all things fried.) Tell Ben hi for me.

kickpleat: Thanks! (And I’m so glad to hear I’m not alone in my deep fry phobia.)
my little expat kitchen says on March 30 2010 at 4:14 am:

Love the post and love the recipe! Mini doughnuts…. with cinnamon… (sigh) I would love to taste one! They look so cute.
Magda
Alicia says on March 30 2010 at 1:53 pm:

I have had a similar experience with seagulls at disney word, but it was a pretzel, not a donut!
These look tasty….! Will have to try them for an early easter morning snack!
Andy says on December 27 2010 at 10:45 am:

Hate to be the wet blanket here, but I actually made these (and it doesn’t seem like most commenters here did) and, though I am certainly fallible, I found this recipe MUCH fussier than others, and in my opinion, not worth the extra work.

Most other donut recipes are much quicker from start to finish (not as much freezing and chilling required). And I’ve never encountered a dough so unbearably sticky–after many tries we gave up cutting and just did fried dough balls.

They’re tasty, but fussy.