These sugar doughnuts are just so cute for Valentine’s week and this recipe was adapted from NYT Cooking. They are heart-shaped and have nutmeg, cloves and cardamom so they are far from bland. Doughnuts, also spelled donuts, are treats made from fried dough. It comes in various types ranging from filled donuts to glazed donuts. I opted for a simple sugar doughnut which is just a doughnut tossed in sugar. This recipe makes more than a dozen doughnuts so it is something two people can share all night.
The dough is left to rise or at least 1 hour and this is what gives the thick, chewy texture we know and love in most donuts. Then it is cut out with a heart shaped cookie cutter. Be sure to toss the cookie cutters into flour before using so it doesn’t stick to the dough. The cutter I used was approximately 3.5 inches in diameter so I made about 16 donuts. Fry them in very hot oil and they should float to the top. Doughnuts are fairly easy to make so don’t skimp out on this!
The doughnut coating is made of one ingredient-granulated sugar. Once the doughnuts are cooled, you press them into a bowl filled with the sugar and that’s it!. You can also add a bit of cinnamon to the sugar for an interesting flavor. These are best served on the day they are made. They also taste okay for 1-2 days in a Ziploc bag in the fridge. Check out these Ghanaian fried dough balls for a similar vibe.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup very warm milk
2 whisked large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 &1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling dough
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 tablespoons oil to grease dough
5 cups cooking oil to fry
1 extra cup granulated sugar to coat doughnuts
Instructions
- In a very large mixing bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Bubbles should have formed on the surface by then. If not , throw it away and start afresh.
- Using a hand whisk or mixer, whisk the melted butter and whisked eggs into the same bowl from the previous step.
- Add in half the flour into this same bowl and combine.
- At this stage, the doughnut dough might be too thick to use a hand whisk or mixer so simply use your hands to knead the dough until it is fairly smooth. Add the remaining flour. The dough should feel sticky not dry.
- Grease another very large mixing bowl with a few tablespoons of cooking oil and transfer the kneaded dough into it.
- Cover the top of the greased bowl with a kitchen towel and place in a warm place away from cold winds and moisture for at least 1 hour.
- Once the dough has risen, sprinkle extra flour over a dry surface.
- Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- Heat the oil in a steep frying pan or a pan that can contain that much oil until the internal temperature reaches 350°F/175°C. I used my 10-inch cast-iron skillet to fry this.
- Roll out the kneaded dough until it is 1/2 inch thick. Place the cookie cutter you're using in flour and then cut out the shapes in the dough.
- Gently transfer the cut out dough to the lined baking tray.
- Combine any scraps and re-roll them until the dough is 1/2 inch thick.
- Fry the dough in the heated oil form step 9 for 1-2 minutes on both sides on medium-high heat.
- Let the fried doughnuts cool on paper towels to blot out any excess oil.
- Place the 1 cup of granulated sugar in a dry bowl. Place a few of the cooled doughnuts at a time into this bowl and gently press the doughnuts into the sugar.
- These are best served fresh but you can store leftovers in a Ziploc bag for 1-2 days.