Baked Donuts

This past weekend I was looking through some of my great-grandmother's dishes that have been lying around unused for the longest time. Among them was a donut cutter, so of course I had to make donuts when I got home. Deep frying seemed like far more trouble than it was worth, so I modified this recipe to bake. Here are our ingredients:

Milk, apple cider vinegar, instant potato flakes, baking soda, baking powder, egg, salt, applesauce, vanilla. Also sugar and flour, not pictured because the canisters were too big to drag around the counter.

First, measure 1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar into a 1/2 cup measuring cup and fill the rest up with milk, then set it aside to curdle for a few minutes. You can use regular white vinegar; I just happen to like the other kind.

I had about 1/3 cup potato flakes, which I don't think was quite enough, but I mixed it with enough hot water and milk to make 3/4 cup mashed potatoes.

Cream 2 tbsp. butter with 3/4 cup sugar. I actually used margarine because I was too lazy to wait for butter to soften enough to cream.

Yum, buttery sugar. I totally never eat that by itself. Nope.

Add the milk, potatoes, egg, and 2 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce. You could leave out the egg and add another 1/4 cup applesauce if you want. Beat that together.

In another bowl, mix 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 2 tsp. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

Add the wet ingredients and 1 tsp. vanilla extract and mix until combined.

Now cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Turn out the cold dough onto a floured surface. Make sure you use lots of flour--the dough is sticky, and the first few donuts I attempted to cut stuck completely to the counter. Sprinkle the top with flour as well, then roll out about 1/2 inch thick.

There's the awesome donut cutter. If you don't have one, you could probably just cut out circles; they're small enough that the middle should bake through just fine.

Place the donuts on a lightly greased cookie sheet, trying not to stretch out the dough too much.

I baked the first pan at 375 for 12 minutes, which got them done, but they were very pale on the outside. For the second and third pans I raised the heat to 400 and baked them for 10 minutes, which turned out very well.

Then transfer them to a cooling rack and try to let them cool off for at least a few minutes before you try to eat them all.

You can dress them up while they're still warm. A few suggestions:

Spread some jam over the top. The heat of the donut will melt it. Mmm.

Sprinkle them with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

Okay, so they're not exactly like deep-fried donuts, but they're pretty darn good all the same. This recipe makes about two dozen donuts, which might be enough for three.

Recap:

- 2 tbsp. margarine or butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup mashed potatoes
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar, then beat in mashed potatoes, egg, applesauce, and milk. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add wet ingredients and vanilla and mix until combined. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Roll out dough 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface and cut out donuts. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 10 minutes.

(Originally posted to Cheap Cooking on July 7, 2008.)