Happy Friday, happy first day of June and happy national donut day!
All of these food holidays can be a little obnoxious, but I definitely think National Donut Day is a "holiday" worth participating in.
I love donuts. There are so many different ways to make them and different flavor combinations I have tried over the years. I love all donuts and do not discriminate. Yeasted, baked, cake donuts, donut holes, etc., I have respect for them all. Which is so weird, because as a kid I didn't really like donuts. I know!
My parents tried to limit the sweets we had when we were really little, so whenever I had a donut on a weekend morning I remember not being able to finish it and not liking it because it was way too sweet. Now that I'm an adult, and have gotten used to sweets, I love them! Especially with my coffee in the mornings.
Now I wish I still didn't like sweets that much like my healthier four year old self...
But here we are, and now I even make donuts at home (still not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing)! I've made yeast doughnuts, cream-filled doughnuts, and baked donuts at home before, but had never tried making a cake doughnut.
You will absolutely become obsessed with these because they are crispy on the outside, but still soft and cakey in the middle. They also do not require any rising time (no yeast!), and the ingredient list is most likely things you already have in your pantry.
A couple of notes: The recipe I adapted it from used buttermilk, which is something I don't have all the time in my refrigerator, so I made my own. You can do this too with just milk (preferably whole or 2%) and fresh lemon juice. It won't be quite as thick as buttermilk but it will work in a pinch so you don't have to run to the store. For the chamomile glaze, I steeped 1 tbsp of dried chamomile leaves (you can also use just a tea bag) with 8 oz boiling water, and then let it cool before whisking it into the rest of the glaze ingredients. To get the old fashioned donut look, I cut a triangle on the tops of the uncooked donuts. You can definitely skip this step. If you make this, tag or DM me on instagram so I can see!! Happy Donut Day!
Old Fashioned Donuts with Vanilla Chamomile Glaze
makes 10 - 12 donuts
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbs butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 tbl vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (or, whisk together 1/2 cup milk with 2 tsp lemon juice. Let sit for 5 - 10 minutes before using!)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
Canola or vegetable oil for frying
For the glaze
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbl milk
- 2 tbl chamomile tea (cooled)
- 2 tsp vanilla
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, nutmeg, baking powder and baking soda.
In a small bowl or cup, mix together the melted butter and vanilla.
Beat together the eggs, buttermilk, white sugar and brown sugar until just combined. Add in the flour mixture, and mix again until just combined. (You don’t want to overmix the dough because it can become tough.) Lastly, beat in the butter and vanilla mixture until everything is just incorporated. Dough will be wet and sticky.
Generously flour a clean surface and dump out the dough. Knead several times (adding more flour as necessary) until the dough comes together and forms a ball. Roll out to about 1/2-inch thick, and then punch out circles for the doughnuts. You can use anywhere from a 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 inch cookie cutter, and then a 1 or 2 inch cookie cutter for the center. Re-roll scrap dough and repeat to punch out more doughnuts.
Cut a triangle on the top of the doughnut, being careful not to slice all the way through.
Arrange donuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes - 2 hours.
Line a baking sheet or plate with paper towels. Heat a large dutch oven or similar deep pot with oil over medium high heat, or until 360°F.
While oil is heating, make the glaze. Whisk all glaze ingredients together until combined. Set aside until ready to use, stirring the glaze just before using.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully fry the donuts, 2 - 3 at a time, for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip over and cook on the other side, another 1 - 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towel lined plate, and let cool for 5 minutes before dipping in the glaze. These are best eaten soon after they are fried, or at least the day of!
recipe barely adapted from Williams-Sonoma