MAPLE CAKE DOUGHNUTS

It’s way too easy to eat warm doughnuts in your own kitchen. These remind me of the ones my Grandma used to make on “Fat Tuesday”, the day before Ash Wednesday.

Note: Change the flavor of these doughnuts by substituting with your favorite spices.

Makes about 12 doughnuts and a whole bunch of dough nut holes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes for all of the doughnuts

3 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup all natural sugar
2 large eggs
Zest of ½ medium orange (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon maple extract
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sour cream
Canola oil for frying
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until fluffy and thick. Whisk in the orange zest, maple extract and butter. Whisk in the sour cream. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the flour mixture. The dough will be sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or layout 2 Silpat liners). Dust work surface with flour. Dredge a rolling pin, 2 ½-inch diameter round cutter, and 1-inch diameter cutter in flour. Roll out 1/3 of the dough to ½-inch thickness. Cut large rounds and place onto prepared baking sheets. Use the small cutter for doughnut holes, and to cut additional holes from scraps. Continue until all of the dough has been used.

Pour enough canola oil in a deep pot to come to 1 ½-inches. Heat to 365 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with several layers of paper towels. Use a slotted spoon to place the doughnut holes into the oil in batches. Do not crowd. Watch as they drop to the bottom of the pot. When they bob to the surface, gently turn over to evenly brown. Remove to baking sheets. Repeat until all of the holes and doughnuts have been fried. The hole will brown in 2 to 3 minutes. Doughnuts will take a minute or two more.

Dust the doughnuts with confectioners’ sugar while still warm.