I often wish I was standing in my Grammy’s kitchen. On some days, I miss her voice. On other days, I miss the way she could make the house smell. Yeasty breads, roasted chickens, and browning pies led to a pleasant association: Grammy and good, good food. My mom and aunt have told me about one of their favorite meals from her kitchen. Almost every Sunday night, she’d fry a chicken and make her famous shoestring french fries. My mom and aunt, then little girls, would stand beside her as she pulled the fries from the fryer. They’d often eat the entire batch before sitting down to dinner.
I, however, grew up in a VERY health-conscious home, so fried foods were regulated to occasional, out-to-dinner treats. I never watched my own mother fry anything. But on Sunday morning, I woke with a strong desire to make a batch of doughnuts. And in case you didn’t know, doughnuts are fried.
Seeing that I came to this task completely unprepared, I wished, even more, that I had my Grammy standing beside me! Over the past few years, I’ve learned how to make pies, rolls, even wedding cakes…but the thought of all that bubbling oil made me nervous. Thankfully, I knew that if I completely failed, no one would know besides Ryan and me. One of the wisest lessons I’ve learned is to never bake or make something complicated for the very first time if guests are due to appear.
Over the course of an hour (and yes, this recipe takes less than an hour!) I made a few rookie mistakes. I don’t own a deep-fryer (no surprise there) so I used Ryan’s wok and a candy thermometer to determine temperature. The wok worked wonderfully…the candy thermometer not so much. When I dropped my doughnut holes into the oil, they went from light pieces of dough to dark black char-balls within seconds. Clearly, the candy thermometer wasn’t registering temperature correctly. I learned my lesson, cooled my oil, and then relied on a simple old-fashioned test. I took a small piece of dough and dropped it into the center of my oil. If it began to bubble immediately and rise to the surface, I knew I was ready to go. And the result was a beautiful batch of freshly made doughnut holes that Ryan and I enjoyed along with pancakes and scrambled eggs (Sunday mornings should be a bit decadent, I think…especially when you’re 31 weeks pregnant).
So if you’re afraid of making doughnuts, know that part of the fun will be in ruining nearly all of them…just so you can make those five, perfectly fried, rounds of dough. Don’t make them for company, until you’ve practiced a few times. And channel your grandmother, who still knows how to make something as simple as a sheet of brownies taste a little like heaven. She’ll help you succeed. I know my Grammy did.
Cinnamon Cake Doughnut Holes
2 cups flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1 quart oil, for frying
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
1/2 cup sugar
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
Heat oil in deep-fryer or wok to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (or until a small piece of food immediately sizzles and rises to the surface of the oil).
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pour melted butter over dry ingredients and mix until crumbly. Stir in milk and egg until a thick batter/dough forms.
Take 1-2 tablespoons of dough and form into a small ball (doughnut-hole size). Once all dough has been shaped, carefully drop 5-6 holes into hot oil. Do not overcrowd pan. Fry, turning once, for three minutes or until golden. Place the fried holes on a cookie sheet set above a plate and allow the oil to drain off. Dip freshly fried holes in cinnamon-sugar mixture, tossing to coat. These doughnut holes are best enjoyed warm, just minutes after they’ve been made.
Awww your grandmother sounds sooo wonderful, I’m sure she’d be insanely proud of you!
I’m terrified of frying as well (although I have done it once, making “doughnuts” with pillsbury biscuit dough…prior to my food blogging days lol) you did a wonderful job with these doughnut holes and they look soooooo good right about now!
Ah, I love doughnut holes so much. I was just telling Pete that I wanted to make some for dinner yesterday. They smell like a fair or an amusement park to me, which of course, is wonderful.
I miss my grandma’s kitchen as well. I remember it as a delicious place. Great recipe!
Monet.
Your doughnut holes are perfect. I’ve never made “real doughnuts or holes for that matter. I used to make doughnuts with the refrigerated biscuits in a frying pan on the stove. My kids liked them, but they weren’t the “real thing.”
31 weeks and counting!!! Yay!
My sister and I also grew up in a household where we very rarely had fried foods. But once in a while, we were treated with French fries or doughnuts (not homemade though). These look divine… and totally worth ruining a few batches on just for these perfect pastries.
I bet these are little bites of heaven, Monet! I’ve gotta admit there is nothing better than a properly made doughnut – fried, sugared, and melt in your mouth good. Mmm! Thanks for sharing your recipe and 31-week musings. Only a few more weeks til your debut, lil’ miss Lucy! 😉
So sweet, Monet 🙂 I love the idea of everyone gathered around the fryer to munch perfectly fried shoestring potatoes. These doughnut holes look heavenly, and perfectly decadent for 31 weeks 😉
I’ve experimented with doughnuts in the past, and it’s true that fried (rather than baked) is the way to go. Peter has been angling for a deep fat fryer for ages – I should point him to this post to say “hey, we don’t need one!” 😛
As I sit here in my car, waiting to go to my 8am class, I can hear my tummy grumbling for some of these doughnut holes! How did you come up with the recipe, Monet? I’m glad you and Ryan had a lovely Sunday 🙂 Only about nine weeks to go!
these look amazing! I would totally be too afraid to deal with a hot pan of oil!
what a lovely story Monet. You look so pretty sitting next to your grandparents. This recipe looks great.. I’d probably bake the donuts, not sure how they’d turn out. 🙂
These are my favorite doughnuts of all time. I remember this cider mill that my parents used to take myself and my siblings to when we were little and they made fresh cider doughnuts and I always got the holes. Just my size when I was little 🙂
These look so great!
Oh there is nothing like a good cider doughnut! We’re planning on going out east this fall, and I can’t wait for the apples…and the fried treats!
These look delicious- what a great treat!
Yes, your Grammy was with you! Perfect doughnut holes, Monet!!!
I grew up in a health-conscious home myself – “farm to table” before it was trendy 🙂
Anyhows, I bet that homemade donuts, with real fresh ingredients, beat out store-bought for health, even if they’re fried. They look so perfectly golden-brown and tasty.
Those do look really good Monet – and you have to enjoy your mistakes as much as your successes, right? I have to look at it that way I know!
I still wish I could sit in my Grammy’s kitchen and cook with her. These look amazing Monet!
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I hardly fry anything either. But would love to try make some donuts as well. Your donuts look amazingly golden and beautiful.
I wish I had grown up with such a wonderful grandmother – what lovely, happy memories!
I think you are really brave making these doughnuts. What great results!I don’t own a deep fat fryer and would be terrified of causing a fire. I think I would wimp out and attempt to make baked doughnuts instead 😉
These look DELICIOUS! I must try them xx
Such a lovely post, Monet! And these doughnut holes look wowza good!
Oh doughnut holes how I love you! I am weak when it comes to these delicious bites. I’ve made them only once and had the opposite issue as you, didn’t have the oil hot enough but geesh they were even better than store-bought when I got it right. Great post, Monet!
I think I would have preferred your problem! I woke poor Ryan up with the smoke alarm…thankfully, he received a yummy reward for helping me fan out the kitchen.
Love that sugary coating!
Monet, I don’t think I’ve told you but you look adorable during your pregnancy. 🙂 I really hope you’re doing well, though from the looks of this and every picture I see of you smiling, I know you are! So glad! Doughnuts have always eluded me too, knowing that I have to use up a vat of oil to deep-fry them is the usual reason why. I can’t believe that you made mistakes though– the doughnuts pictured here look super yummy and pro!
I am also pretty trepidatious about deep frying–so I’ve never made doughnut holes. (Although I have deep-fried tempura. Once.) In fact, I think I’ve never even had a homemade doughnut hole before! Now, of course, I definitely want some. 🙂
I’m definitely making these. My kids have been talking about donuts for nearly 3 weeks. It’s just that I have been planning to make on my own so I didn’t plan on buying, but I don’t have donut shape pan…so it’s been delayed. With round donut holes, I don’t need to buy the pan! And this recipe sounds really really delicious!!!
Hi Monet,
Your doughnuts looks wonderful! It has been quite sometime since I last made any!
You are looking great!
What a beautiful tribute to Grammy. I love your doughnut holes. It’s been years since I made doughnuts. I want one now.
You really area brilliant writer and fantastic friend. Love you sis-
S
Monet, what a beutifully written post, again, I always enjoy coming here! And your doughnut holes look like utter bliss to me! Wonderful treat that we all seem to crave once in a while!
Hope that you are doing well – I know that you are taking good care of yourself (and Lucy) because you look so very happy and healthy on that last picture!
Donut holes have never looked so brilliant my friend 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Aww, your Grammy looks and sounds like an amazing person! I’m glad you both share such incredible bond 🙂
I want a few of this cake doughnut holes to go, please?
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What a wonderful post, Monet! I immediately had to read it when I saw that the recipe was for doughnut holes – yum! I’m too afraid to deep fry, especially since I live in a small apartment and it’ll smell like oil for days. I’ll just live vicariously through you and these photos of your perfect doughnut holes. You are a fabulous writer – I really loved reading about your grandmother and your memories of her. What a beautiful, lovely lady!
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