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Thursday, October 25, 2012

Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts w/ Vanilla Icing

Remember when I said that I was for sure going to be getting my butt in gear and making-slash-sharing a holiday treat every week from now until the end of December?  Well, I didn't outright say it, but I implied it.  It's a good thing that I didn't pinky-swear, because I sailed right through the following week without doing so.  Typical.  I don't know about you, but my weeks go by way too fast.  And I refuse to acknowledge that the season of stress and commercialism is upon me.  So that said, my personality full of contradictions is shining through.  Brightly.

Speaking of contradictions, our weather forecast is full of them.  It was 77° yesterday.  And it's shaping up to be the same today.  In two days, it's supposed to snow during the nighttime hours.  That is absolutely unacceptable to me and I'd like to know who I can take it up with.  It looks like we're in for another backwards season.  I mean, who said it was okay to wear flip-flops, shorts, and a tank top while crunching through the red and brown leaves that line the sidewalk?  Although that part I'm actually okay with.  It's the matter of having to wear my padded coat, fuzzy mittens, sherpa hat, and boots 3 mornings later that gets my engine all revved up.
I think the situation calls for doughnuts.  Warm, cozy homemade doughnuts.  I mean, 'tis the season and all.  And the thing about doughnuts is, you can enjoy them all warm and sticky with a hot coffee on a cold day...or you can enjoy them at room temperature with a cold orange juice on a hot day.  Whatevs.  Equal opportunity fattening breakfast.

Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts

by Heather Schmitt-González
Prep Time: 15 minutes + up to overnight (unattended)
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes total
Keywords: fry breakfast dessert nut-free soy-free vegetarian sour cream Christmas Easter doughnut American

Ingredients (9-12 doughnuts + 15 holes)
    glaze
    • 350 g (~3½ c.) confectioners sugar, sifted
    • 1½ tsp. light corn syrup
    • ¼ tsp. fine salt
    • ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
    • ~75 ml (⅓ c.) + 1 Tbs. hot water
    doughnuts
    • 255 g (~2 1/4 c.) cake flour + more for work surface
    • 1½ tsp. baking powder
    • 1 tsp. fine salt
    • ~¾ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
    • 100 g (~½ c.) sugar
    • 2 Tbs. shortening
    • 2 large egg yolks
    • 165 ml (⅔ c.) sour cream
    • oil, for frying
    Instructions
    starting the doughnuts:
    Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

    Mix sugar and shortening on low speed until "sandy". Add egg yolks and mix for another minute on medium speed, scraping sides of bowl as needed, until mixture is thick and light in color.

    Add reserved dry ingredients to the bowl in three additions, alternating with the sour cream, until just combined. Dough should be sticky, sort of like cookie dough.

    Transfer to a clean bowl, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours (but at least 1 hour).

    prepare the glaze:
    Place confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, salt, vanilla, and hot water in a bowl and whisk until you have a glaze that is not too thick. If needed, thin out with a bit more hot water (add a teaspoon at a time).

    finishing the doughnuts:
    Pour oil (vegetable, canola, coconut) oil to a depth of at least 2-inches into a heavy pot or deep fryer. Clip a thermometer onto the pan and bring oil to 325° F.

    Roll out the chilled dough on a generously floured work surface to ½" thickness. Dip a 2¾" doughnut cutter (or round cutter w/ a smaller cutter for hole) into flour and cut out as many doughnuts and holes as possible, gently re-rolling dough, as needed.
    Shake off any excess flour and gently lower a few doughnuts at a time (don't crowd them) into the hot oil. Once the doughnuts float, fry for 15 seconds, and then carefully flip them over and fry for another 75-90 seconds, until golden and cracked. Flip back to the first side and fry for another 60-75 seconds, until golden. Transfer to a wire rack.
    Let sit a few seconds and dip one (or both) sides into the glaze while the doughnuts are still hot. Set back onto wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough.

    slightly adapted from Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts
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    Yeeccckkkk. Speaking of engines revving...going out in snow to warm up the car at 5:20 am?  Not looking forward to it.  I will need hot doughnuts and coffee.

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