donuts are made two different ways - with yeast or with baking powder. i did the yeast variety, as i think it's neat to watch it bubble and foam in the water.
if you haven't baked with yeast before, i highly recommend it. it's a really neat process to watch; try a basic bread recipe, they're very simple and essentially foolproof. it comes in little packets that you need to empty into a bowl of warm water to activate the yeast.i skipped photographing most of the ingredient process, as it was very messy and i didn't want to touch my camera. you'll be using a ton of flour (more specifically five cups), so make sure that you add it in batches. if it's all thrown in at the same time, you'll get flour everywhere and it'll be difficult to make sure that the ingredients are incorporated properly. once you've done this, you'll need to let the dough rise (until it's about doubled). once it's risen, you'll roll it out on a floured surface and start cutting out circles.
i didn't have a donut-cutter, so i improvised with a cocktail shaker. i used the cup part to cut out the larger circle, and the lid (which was smaller) to make the circles into rings. make sure that you press hard and twist a bit so the dough doesn't stick!
you'll be left with a ring and what will become the munchkin. do this until you've gone through all of the dough. i think i made about two dozen rings.
line everything up on baking sheets. the dough will need to rise again, so make sure the pans are greased and you leave room in between the donuts. my kitchen was very cold so i turned the oven on a very low heat, turned it off, and put the trays in. it helped rise the dough a considerable amount.while the dough is rising, you'll want to get started on the oil. i used regular old canola oil and a stainless steel pot. you could definitely use a deep-fryer, but we don't have one. fill the pot up a couple of inches and turn the heat on medium. the oil is going to have to reach 350 degrees, so grab a thermometer and just hang out for five minutes.
once the oil has reached 350, take your first donut and quickly (but gently!) place it in. have something handy in which to flip it with; i used a wooden spoon. the dough will rise to the top when it is ready to be flipped - it should be a dark golden brown color. turn it over, wait about a minute and then take it out.
be sure to shake the donut slightly so as much oil comes off as possible.
let the donuts drain on a paper towel to absorb even more oil and cool off. don't touch them for several minutes as they're very hot and you'll definitely burn yourself. i'm speaking from experience, they looked so tasty and i couldn't help myself.
you won't want to put more than two donuts in the pan at once; it drops the temperature of the oil too much and they won't cook, they'll just soak up oil and get all soggy. don't put more than six donut holes in at a time, and be sure to watch them carefully! they cook very quickly and don't need more than 30-45 seconds per side.stack all of your donuts up and get ready to glaze 'em.
i made a simple glaze out of confectioners sugar, water, maple flavoring (yeah, yeah i know.), vanilla, and burbon. i like to include my liquor cabinet in my cooking as frequently as possible. combine together to make the glaze and gently dunk the donut in. swirl it around a bit and shake off the excess - you might want to repeat the process if you don't think that you got enough on. let the glaze dry and you're ready to eat!
i adapted this recipe by adding cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. i didn't measure what i was adding, but you can probably just adjust this to suit your tastes. glaze recipes are very simple and you can find the exact method on how to make them very easily online.
