Donuts or Doughnuts. It's Whatever Name You Choose

"Hi, my name is Aaron John and I have a problem. I love donuts. There I said it. 'I LOVE DONUTS!'"

Phew, I'm glad I got that off my chest. Is there anything better than a Donut/Doughnut. BTW, is it a Donut or Doughnut? I've always wondered that...Either way, it's some delicious fried goodness. Glazed, chocolate, maple or sugar, just give me a donut and I'll be happy. Even the ones covered in glaze, chocolate, then dipped in sprinkles always find some way into my hands. Somehow, I feel sprinkles make doughnuts taste so much better than the plain jane donuts.

Donuts and I go way back and I remember it like it was yesterday. As my dad and I dropped off my older brother to kindergarten when I was a wee little child, we would always go to the 7-11 that was down the hill from our house so that he could buy me a donut. Chocolate or Maple, those were the only one's I would eat. No donuts filled with jam or cream for me. Just give me that fried bread with frosting and hold the filling, no questions asked.

When we drove back home, I stared at that donut as if that golden ring of bread was actually some sort of expensive jewelry. At the time, that donut was worth it's weight in gold to me. When we got home, my dad would go to sleep after working long night shifts and I would sit on the couch savoring every bite of that donut as I watched Nickelodeon cartoons. Now that's what I call memories.

Ever since then, donuts and I developed some sort of a relationship. When I need to get back to those memories, donuts will always be there. Call me a fat ass, donut junkie, unhealthy, diabetes bound, the man who's arteries are clogging with every bite, but sometimes, we have to live a little, right? For every pound I gain in donuts, that's a memory I was able to relive and I'm A-OK with that. Well...let's just keep it in moderation for now.

These donuts brought me right back to moments like that. These were light and fluffy, just the way I like them. Make sure you invest in a thermometer for your oil if you're making this recipe. It makes your life that much easier.

Donuts/Doughnuts

Recipe by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients
Doughnuts
1-1/8 cup Whole Milk, Warm
1/4 cup Sugar
2-1/4 teaspoons (one Package) Instant Or Active Dry Yeast
2 whole Large Eggs, Beaten
1-1/4 stick Unsalted Butter, melted
4 cups All-purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Shortening

Glaze
3 cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 cup Cold Water Or Milk

Cinnamon Sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions
To Make the Dough:
1. Make sure milk is nice and warm, but not overly hot.
2. Add sugar to milk. Stir to dissolve.
3. Add yeast into a small bowl.
4. Pour milk/sugar mixture over yeast. Stir gently, then let sit for 10 minutes.
5. Melt butter in separate bowl until butter is almost melted. Stir to finish melting so butter won't be overly hot.
6. Add beaten eggs to melted butter, stirring constantly to make sure the butter's not too hot for the eggs.
7. Add the egg/butter mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook.
8. With the mixer on 3 or medium-low speed, pour in the yeast mixture.
9. Allow the dough hook to stir this mixture for a couple of minutes, making sure it's thoroughly combined.
10. With the mixer still going, add helpings of the flour mixture in 1/4 to 1/2 cup increments until all the flour is gone.
11. Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl, then turn the mixer on the same speed for five whole minutes.
12. After five minutes, stop the mixer and scrape the bottom of the bowl.
13. Turn on the mixer for 30 seconds.
14. Turn off the mixer and allow the dough to sit in the bowl undisturbed for 10 minutes.
15. After 10 minutes, transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Toss the dough to coat, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place straight in the fridge.
16. Refrigerate dough for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

To Make the Doughnuts: 
1. Remove bowl from fridge and turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface.
2. Roll out to 1/4 to 1/3-inch thickness.
3. Using a 3-inch cutter, cut as many rounds as you can, then roll out remaining dough and cut as much as you can, etc.
4. Cut holes out of each round using a 1 1/2-inch cutter.
5. Place both doughnuts and holes on a floured baking sheet.
6. Cover with large tea towel and place in a warm place in your kitchen; my kitchen is very drafty, so I have to briefly warm the griddle, then turn it off and set the sheets on top to keep warm.
7. Allow doughnuts to rise undisturbed for at least 1 hour; 1 hour 15 minutes if necessary. Doughuts should be visibly puffier and appear to be airy.

To Fry the Donuts/Dougnuts 
1. Heat plenty of vegetable shortening in a large pot until the temperature reaches 375 to 380 degrees---do not let it get hotter than 380 degrees! 375 is ideal; keep the thermometer in the pan to continually monitor.
2. One to two at a time, gently grab doughnuts and ease them into the hot oil. Allow them to cook 1 minute on each side; they will brown very quickly.
3. Remove doughnuts from the oil with a slotted spoon, allowing all oil to drip off.
4. Place doughnut immediately on several layers of paper towels. Count to five, then flip it over onto a clean part of the paper towels. Count to five, then flip it over again; the purpose, obviously, is to drain as much grease as possible before it soaks into the doughnut. 5. Repeat with remaining doughnuts and holes. The holes will cook more quickly than the doughnuts; about 30 seconds per side. 6. Allow doughnuts to slightly cool.

To Glaze 
1. Mix all glaze ingredients in a bowl until completely smooth.
2. One by one, dip doughnuts into the glaze until halfway submerged. (Note: completely submerge doughnut holes, then remove with slotted spoon.)
3. Remove from glaze, then turn right side up on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet (to catch dripping glaze.)
4. Serve warm if possible, or room temperature.

Using Cinnamon Sugar
1. Mix the granulated sugar with the cinnamon
2. Dip the freshly fried donuts/doughnuts into the cinnamon sugar mixture.

-Aaron John