Old-Fashioned Doughnuts

Another traditional New England food, the plain old-fashioned doughnuts. Dip them in coffee, toast them with some butter, or just eat them plain. To mix it up, roll these doughnuts in cinnamon and sugar.

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OLD-FASHIONED DOUGHNUT

Adapted from the McCall's Cookbook, 1963 edition

Makes ~24 rings / holes

3 Eggs

1 cup (~200 g) Sugar

2 tablespoons (~57 g) Butter, softened

3 3/4 cups (~450 g) All-Purpose Flour, sifted

2 teaspoons (~8 g) Baking Powder

1 teaspoon (~4 g) Baking Soda

1 teaspoon (~5.7 g) Salt

3/4 teaspoon (~1.7) Nutmeg

2/3 cup (166 ml) Buttermilk

Vegetable Oil (~1 liter)

Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg into a large bowl.

In a large a stand mixer, at a high speed, cream eggs, sugar, and butter. Scrape down sides.

On low, add the buttermilk to the egg mixture.

On low, gradually add the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. And beat on low until smooth. Dough should be soft.

Cover bowl with saran wrap and chill in refrigerator for about an hour.

Remove half the dough (place remaining dough back in the refrigerator) and turn out dough onto a floured board.

Roll out the dough until about 1/3 inch thick. Cut with floured 3 inch doughnut cutter. Dip cutter into flour between cuts. Place shaped doughnuts and holes onto a floured backing sheet. Cover and chill scrap dough.

Repeat with second half of chilled dough.

Combine all scrap dough together, re-roll, and cut - repeat until no more dough is left. .

Heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron dutch oven or other heavy bottom pot to 375F.

Add doughnuts a few at a time. Do not add too many at once or the oil's temperature will drop too quickly.

Once doughnuts rise to the surface, turn them with a slotted spoon.

Once doughnuts are golden brown on both sides, remove to a paper towel lined cooling rack.

Variation: If desired, roll hot doughnuts directly out of the oil in cinnamon and sugar mixture and return to cooling rack.