Super Simple and Super Scrumptious Doughnut Holes

I had a perfect weekend this past weekend.  I had a double date brunch with wonderful friends and good food.  Ran some errands, napped a lot, exercised, watched some TV, went to Mass, stayed in on a rainy afternoon with my man and made a brunch of doughnuts, bacon, and fresh orange juice, and just chill-axed.  Exactly what I needed!!!  Life has been crazy busy and it was so nice to have an uncommitted weekend...especially since I am going to busy for the next 100 weekends in the foreseeable future! : )

I was just talking to a friend of mine about how important it is to take a step back from your regular crazy routine of life every once in a while to rest, relax, and re-evaluate.  It is so easy to get caught up in the chaos of life that you don't even realize how tired you really are.  I honestly believe everyone should take one hard core relaxing week of vacation a year...and then one day of doing nothing once a month.  How nice it would be if we could all afford that luxury!  I am trying to get better at saying no to invitations and obligations when I know I just can't manage to squeeze it all in.  I have to do what I can with what I have been given, and I want to do what I can in the best possible way - and if I am spread to thin then all areas of my life suffer.  Oh the balanced life - how you taunt us so!



I suffer from this weird disease of wanting people to always have the best possible food at every moment.  I hate going to something knowing there will not be snacks and there should be.  I honestly believe that if people are hungry they will not have a good time, and they will not stay somewhere.  For this reason I lure my guests with too much food with the hopes of them having the time of their life and wanting to stay among friends as long as possible.  I guess I should call this disease "extreme Southernhospitalityitis".  I realize this is not a normal mindset to have, and am trying to overcome it by buying a bag of fake food every once in a while when I am in a time crunch...but really...it is painfully hard for me to do this.

If you decide to have people over last minute for brunch - this recipe is a fun and quick thing to serve.  Have you ever made doughnuts before?  If you haven't then you are missing out!  This doughnut recipe is so simple it is shocking!  We had fresh doughnuts on the table in less than 20 minutes!  The important thing to monitor is the correct oil temperature.  If the oil is too cold the dough will just absorb the oil like a sponge and you will have a super heavy and greasy nasty doughnut.  If the oil is too hot the outside will burn and the inside will be raw.  I made the mistake of having the perfect temperature for the first batch, then didn't check the temperature for the second batch - forgetting that once you put the cold dough into the hot oil the first time the oil temperature will drop...so you have to wait a few minutes and bring that temperature back up.  When you scoop the dough into the oil they will quickly form these pretty perfectly round little doughnut holes magically before your eyes...it really is fun to watch!

This was the first recipe that popped up when I google searched for "doughnut hole recipe"...Thanks to Girl vs. Dough for this winner!

Doughnut Holes

adapted slightly from the original 

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar or brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1  egg
• 1/2 cup milk (or almond milk-can probably use coconut and rice milks as well)
• 2 tbsp melted butter (can probably swap coconut oil here)
• vegetable oil

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Add in milk, egg, and melted butter, and mix until well combined.
• Fill a large skillet or medium pot with vegetable oil, about 2 inches deep. Using a fry thermometer, heat oil to about 375 degrees F. Make sure it stays around that temperature each time you fry the dough.
• Set out several stacked paper towels next to the stove for drying the doughnut holes, along with a cooling rack with parchment paper underneath.
• When oil is ready, place about 5-6 teaspoonfuls of dough at a time in the oil and fry on each side for about 1 minute (2 minutes total). I used a small ice cream scoop for this and it worked great!  Remove from the oil and place on paper towel to soak up excess oil. Then, using a fork, roll doughnut in glaze or powdered sugar. Then place on cooling rack to cool slightly before serving warm.
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• Glaze:
  8 oz powdered sugar
  3 TBS milk, water, or almond milk
  1/4 tsp vanilla
  
  
  Whisk together until smooth.
  
  
  
  
• We were all set to go see one of my favorite bands this week, Mumford and Sons, but one of the guys in the band got really sick...so the concert is postponed.  Say a prayer that he recovers and that they reschedule the concert for when I am in town! : ) 

                                     

Go on vacation, sleep in, listen to this song and make these doughnuts when you wake up and be sure to share them with someone!

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• Eat your heart out!
• Dagny