Applejack Donuts Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt onto piece of waxed paper.
• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer at medium speed to beat together sugar, brown sugar and eggs until fluffy. Beat in 2 tablespoon oil. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture, alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, until well blended. Stir in applesauce and vanilla.
• Carefully drop batter by level tablespoons, 3 or 4 at a time, into hot oil. Do not overcrowd pan or oil may overflow. Fry, turning once with tongs, for 3 minutes or until golden. Transfer with tongs to paper toweling to drain. Cool completely.

Steps:

• Beat 1 1/3 cups of the flour and the remaining ingredients except oil and cinnamon-sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, until blended. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in remaining 2 cups flour. Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until dough stiffens.
• Heat oil (2 to 3 inches) in deep fryer or 3-quart saucepan to 375°F. Divide dough in half. Place half of the dough on well-floured cloth-covered surface; gently roll in flour to coat. Gently roll dough 3/8 inch thick. Cut with floured doughnut cutter. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Slide doughnuts into hot oil, using wide spatula. Turn doughnuts as they rise to surface. Fry 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Carefully remove from oil (do not prick surfaces); drain on paper towels. Sprinkle hot doughnuts with cinnamon-sugar.

Steps:

• Beat the shortening and brown sugar at medium speed of an electric mixer until blended.
• Add the applesauce and egg; beat well.
• Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
• Add to the shortening mixture. Beat well.
• Roll the dough to 1/2 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
• Cut the dough with a floured 2-1/2 inch doughnut cutter.
• Pour the oil to a depth of 2 inches in a large Dutch oven.
• Heat oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Drop in 3 to 4 doughnuts at a time.
• Cook 1-1/2 minutes on each side.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
• Roll the doughnuts in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
• Cool on wire racks.

Steps:

• Heat the milk until it is warm but not hot, about 90 degrees. In a large bowl, combine it with the yeast. Stir lightly, and let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, beat the eggs, butter, sugar and salt into the yeast mixture. Add half of the flour (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons), and mix until combined, then mix in the rest of the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time, if the dough is too wet. If you're using an electric mixer, the dough will probably become too thick to beat; when it does, transfer it to a floured surface, and gently knead it until smooth. Grease a large bowl with a little oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, and cover. Let rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and roll it to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out the doughnuts with a doughnut cutter, concentric cookie cutters or a drinking glass and a shot glass (the larger one should be about 3 inches in diameter), flouring the cutters as you go. Reserve the doughnut holes. If you're making filled doughnuts, don't cut out the middle. Knead any scraps together, being careful not to overwork, and let rest for a few minutes before repeating the process.
• Put the doughnuts on two floured baking sheets so that there is plenty of room between each one. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until they are slightly puffed up and delicate, about 45 minutes. If your kitchen isn't warm, heat the oven to 200 at the beginning of this step, then turn off the heat, put the baking sheets in the oven and leave the door ajar.
• About 15 minutes before the doughnuts are done rising, put the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and heat it to 375. Meanwhile, line cooling racks, baking sheets or plates with paper towels.
• Carefully add the doughnuts to the oil, a few at a time. If they're too delicate to pick up with your fingers (they may be this way only if you rose them in the oven), use a metal spatula to pick them up and slide them into the oil. It's O.K. if they deflate a bit; they'll puff back up as they fry. When the bottoms are deep golden, after 45 seconds to a minute, use a slotted spoon to flip; cook until they're deep golden all over. Doughnut holes cook faster. Transfer the doughnuts to the prepared plates or racks, and repeat with the rest of the dough, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil at 375. Glaze or fill as follows, and serve as soon as possible.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in applesauce and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; gradually add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk (the batter will be thick). , In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Drop teaspoonfuls of batter a few at a time into hot oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels; roll in sugar while warm.