Feather Light Doughnuts Recipes

GRANDMA'S LIGHT-AS-A-FEATHER DOUGHNUT RECIPE

Steps:

• Place water into a glass measuring cup and warm until it reaches the temperature of a baby's bottle. Add yeast and allow it to activate until it doubles in size. (You can add a pinch of sugar to help "kick start" and speed-up the activation process if you'd like.)
• In a medium saucepan heat milk, sugar, salt and butter over low heat just until butter is dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
• Gently stir yeast into cooled milk mixture. Add slightly beaten egg.
• Add flour (one cup at a time); incorporate well.
• Sprinkle a light dusting of flour onto dry, flat work surface. Knead dough until it resembles a soft baby's bottom.
• Place ball of dough into a large, lightly buttered mixing bowl and add a light coating of butter to the top of the dough. Cover with a clean tea towel and set in a sunny warm spot in your home.
• When dough has doubled in size, gently punch it in the center with your fist; roll it onto your floured working surface.
• Using a rolling pin, roll dough out to 1/2" thickness. (You may need to add additional sprinkles of flour to prevent sticking.) Cut doughnut shapes out using a doughnut cutter or two different sized biscuit cutters (3-inch and a 1 1/2-inch).
• Place doughnut on baking sheets lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Cover again with tea towel and place back in sunny warm spot.
• When doughnuts have doubled in size, remove tea towel.
• Fry in oil that has been preheated to 375 degrees F. approximately 45 - 55 seconds per side, or until golden brown. Remove doughnuts from oil and immediately place them onto folded paper towels.
• Repeat the frying process for the doughnut holes but shortening the frying time to approx. 30 - 40 seconds.
• In a separarte mixing bowl, combine all glaze ingredients; mix well. Dip each doughnut into the glaze, coating as evenly as possible (dip one, or both sides). Run a long handled spoon through the center of each doughnut, hold it up and allow excess glaze to drip for a couple seconds. Place doughnuts onto cooling rack. (Now is the time to add candy sprinkle, chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, etc...)
• When the glaze has harden, the doughnuts are ready to serve.

GLAZED YEAST DONUTS

Steps:

• Lemon Confectioners'-Sugar Glaze: Whisk together confectioners' sugar and salt. Whisk in juice until mixture is smooth and thick, and has the texture of pourable honey. Glaze can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days; stir until smooth before using. (Makes 1 1/2 cups.)
• Donuts: Whisk together flours. Combine water and milk in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment, then sprinkle yeast over top. Stir in 1 cup flour mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm place until bubbling and doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Add egg and yolk, granulated sugar, salt, and remaining flour mixture. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Continue beating while adding butter, a few pieces at a time, beating to combine after each addition. When all butter has been added, keep beating until a shiny, sticky dough forms around hook, about 4 minutes more. Scrape down sides of bowl.
• Cover dough with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 24.
• Cut out 24 three-inch squares of parchment. Spray two baking sheets with oil; arrange parchment squares in a single layer on them. Spray parchment. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet; pat out 1/2 inch thick. Using a floured 2 1/2-inch donut cutter, cut out donuts (or use a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter to cut out rounds, then cut out holes with a 1-inch round cutter). Transfer to parchment squares. Drape with oil-sprayed plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot until slightly more than doubled in bulk and very soft, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, pour oil into a large, deep, heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, until it reaches 2 inches up side, leaving about 2 1/2 inches headroom. Clip a deep- fry thermometer to pot and heat oil over medium to 350 degrees to 360 degrees. Working in batches of 3 so as not to crowd pot, carefully use parchment to transfer donuts to hot oil and cook, flipping a few times, until puffed and golden brown all over, 2 to 3 minutes total for donuts (1 1/2 to 2 minutes for holes), maintaining oil temperature between 350 degrees and 360 degrees at all times. Transfer donuts to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet; let cool 10 minutes.
• While still slightly warm, dip top of each donut in glaze until halfway submerged, turning as needed to evenly coat one side, then place, glaze-side up, on rack. Let stand until glaze sets and donuts are cool, about 1 hour.

FEATHER LIGHT DONUTS

Steps:

• in a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk.
• add potatoes, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup oil, salt vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and eggs. mix well.
• add enough flour to form a soft dough.
• place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
• cover and let rise in a warm place about one hour til doubled.
• punch dough down and roll out into a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thickness.
• cut with 3 inch donut cutter.
• let rise another 45 minutes.
• combine cinnamon and remaning sugar.
• heat oil and fry til golden brown on each side.
• sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

RICE PAPER FEATHER DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Fit a baking sheet with a wire cooling rack.
• For the feathers: Cut out 18 leaf-shaped pieces from the rice paper of varying sizes, 1 1/2 to 2 inches long and 1/2- to 1-inch wide. Starting from the rounded bottom portion of the feather, cut a slit inward towards the center. Continue to create a fringe like design along the edge of the feather working up towards the point of the leaf. The slits should start out larger and slowly taper towards the top. Repeat on the other side, making sure not to cut all the way across (there should be an uncut piece running up the center of the feather).
• Place the feathers on a piece of parchment paper. Using a paintbrush and a small amount of the rose petal dust, lightly brush the fringed portion of some of the feathers, leaving some without any pink coloring. Then brush the petals all over with the silver luster dust.
• For the doughnuts: Put the confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Whisk in the milk until no lumps remain and the glaze is smooth. Dip the tops of the doughnuts in the glaze to thoroughly coat. Hold the doughnut upside down over the bowl for 30 seconds to allow any excess glaze to fall off. Place on the cooling rack frosted-side up.
• Top the doughnuts with sprinkles. Dip the ends of three feathers in the glaze and adhere in a cluster to one side of the doughnut.