I’m often reminded of the fairs and carnivals I enjoyed as a kid when I think of donuts. Grabbing a bag of warm cinnamon sugared mini donuts was something I looked forward to every year. There was also a coffee shop near to where we lived and every once in a while we would visit. I’d always get the cinnamon sugared, or a jelly filled one. Nowadays there are so many varieties of donuts from which to choose compared to when I was a kid. Here are a few not so common ones I hope you have the chance to try.
Donut Fun Facts
A donut is a type of fried dough, but it can be baked as well.
They are commonly made with a hole in the middle or filled with cream or jelly.
The first cookbook regarding donuts was in 1803. The earliest mention of a donut was in 1809 from a book in which Washington Irving had written titled: A History of New York, from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty.
The ring-shaped donut was claimed to have been invented in 1847 by a 16-year-old boy by the name of Hanson Gregory.
National donut day is the 1st day of June each year in the US. They celebrate this day to remember the members of the salvation army who served soldiers donuts during WWI in 1938.
Spicy Banana Donut Holes
Ingredients
- 4 cups Bisquick
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 3 cups mashed bananas
- 4 tbsp coconut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cardamom
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine four cups of Bisquick, one-half cup of sugar, and one half- teaspoon of baking powder.
- Stir in three cups of mashed bananas, four tablespoons of coconut milk and the extract flavorings to form a thick, smooth dough.
- In a second bowl, combine the one cup of white sugar, two teaspoons of cinnamon, one teaspoon of ginger, and one teaspoon of cardamom.
- Pour about three inches of vegetable oil into the bottom of a large pot and heat to 360ºF. Carefully drop the dough by a teaspoon full, into the hot oil. Fry for four minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oil and immediately drop into the spice mixture; toss to coat.
Lemon Donuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups Bisquick
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ⅔ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine two cups of Bisquick, three quarter cups of white sugar and one-half teaspoon of baking soda.
- In a medium bowl, add two eggs, one-half cup of buttermilk and two-thirds of a cup of melted coconut oil. Mix well using an electric mixer.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Place the dough onto a lightly Bisquick floured surface and roll out to desired thickness.
- Cut into circles using a round cutter, and poke a hole through the center.
- Pour about five inches of vegetable oil into the bottom of a large pot.
- Heat the oil to three hundred and sixty-five degrees
- Place three circles at a time into the hot oil and fry until golden on each side.
- Remove and put onto a cooling rack.
- Frost, add lemon zest or eat plain
Baked S'mores Donuts
Ingredients
Donuts
- 2 cups Bisquick
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 8 tbsp hot chocolate
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 2 sleeves, graham crackers, crushed
- 12 marshmallows, cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to three hundred and seventy-five degrees. Grease two donut pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, blend two cups of Bisquick, two-third cups of white sugar, one-half teaspoon of baking soda and eight tablespoons of hot chocolate.
- In a separate bowl combine one and one-half cups of buttermilk, two eggs, four tablespoons of cooled melted butter and one teaspoon of vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined, being careful not to over mix.
- Transfer the batter into a piping bag and pipe it into the prepared donut pans.
- Bake until done, approximately ten to twelve minutes. Leave to cool in the pans while preparing the glaze.
- In the microwave, melt two cups of semisweet chocolate chips into two-thirds of heavy cream. Stir until combined.
- Place the crushed graham crackers in a bowl.
- Dip each donut into the chocolate glaze, and then dip into the crushed graham crackers.
- Top each donut with a marshmallow and lightly toast using a kitchen torch.
Final Thought
Perhaps you already have a favorite donut reminiscent of childhood memories. Food has an interesting way of evoking our thoughts of wonderful past times. Maybe you’re looking for a new recipe to create some special memories of your own. Either way, I hope you consider some of these recipes. Enjoy!
