Oh Yeah – Donuts!

Today is the first Friday in June. That means it’s National Donut Day. Now I’ve got to ask the powers that be – whomever you are – why Friday? I bet folks after Sunday Service would appreciate a donut. Or Saturday, after our morning at the market.

Fridays I’m a home body. Rarely do we even go out to dinner on a Friday, but that has more to do with abstinence than anything else. When it comes to fish, I am very particular. And the last time we ate out, I ordered Cheese Enchiladas, but was served chicken by mistake. No, as selfish as it sounds, I’d rather have Donut Day on a day when I’m out and about. Oh well, we can’t have everything, now can we?

When I was a kid, my mother would take a can of biscuit dough and turn them into donuts. She used the open end of an empty soda bottle to cut the hole in the dough. Frying up canned biscuits and serving them as donuts became so popular that the cans sometimes came with a plastic whole cutter. It were as though we were expected to fry our biscuits.

Mom always dipped her biscuit-donuts in a blend of sugar and cinnamon. When I became a mom, I make this for my kids. Back then you could get four tins of biscuit dough for a dollar. Now you can’t even buy one tin of biscuits for that price. I can remember the first time I fried up biscuit dough for Hubby – he was amazed. I was amazed that he had never had this home-spun treat. I thought everyone knew about fried biscuits dipped in cinnamon-sugar.

Now I do make a great Southern Biscuit. It took a while to really perfect my biscuits to the point that I feel confidante serving them to my Dad – the king of Southern Biscuits. And that got me to thinking – if canned biscuits can be fried, what about scratch biscuits? It’s National Donut Day, so what do you say – shall we give it a whirl?

Lord, I know You’ve got better things to do, but if You could see Your way clean to make sure I don’t burn down the kitchen while frying up my dough, that surely would be appreciated.

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Southern Buttermilk Biscuit Donuts
Buttermilk
2/3 Whole Milk
2-1/2 teaspoons White Vinegar

Measure milk in a glass measuring cup. Stir in the vinegar, set aside for 10 minutes before using.

Biscuit Donuts
2 cups Flour
1 heaping tablespoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
6 tablespoons Shortening

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut in the shortening with fingertips. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk for the glaze, add remaining to the flour to create a soft dough.

Lightly flour a cutting board. Round up the soft dough, lightly knead in the flour for about 30 seconds or so. Roll out or pat dough into a quarter-inch thick disk. With a lightly floured donut cutter create the donuts. Regroup extra dough, roll again and repeat once more.

Finishing Touches
Reserved Buttermilk
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Maple Flavoring
Vegetable Oil for frying

Warm the reserved buttermilk in a small bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Sift powdered sugar into the milk. Add maple, whisk. Place bowl over a pan of simmering water to create a double boiler, keeping the milk mixture warm.

In a skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. Fry donuts a few at a time until golden, flip and continue to fry. Depending upon heat, it’s about a minute or so per side. Remove donuts to a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain.

Once drained, dip fried donuts one at a time in the glaze, then move to a second wire rack.

Repeat in batches until all the donuts have been fried and dipped. Next fry up the donut holes. Sprinkle holes with powdered sugar. Serve warm and enjoy.

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I keep Your precepts and Your decrees,
for all my ways are before You.