National Donut Day

Created by the Salvation Army in 1938, the first Friday of June has been set aside as National Donut day in honor those that served donuts to the troops during WWI and to raise funds to help those in need during the great depression.

So in honor of those caring people and the humble round, fried cake, here is the quintessential of all donuts – Chocolate.

chocolate donuts - The Lazy Gastronome

They aren’t as hard as you might think!

What you need:

  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • ½ cup milk, slightly warmed (about 85 degrees)
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1 stick of butter – melted and cooled
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup dark brown sugar
  • ½ unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 to 4 cups of flour

Glaze

  • ¼ cup chocolate syrup
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

How to Do it:

Mix the lukewarm milk with the yeast and let sit until the yeast starts to foam a little.  Set aside.

Beat together the eggs, ½ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, salt, and cocoa powder on medium until smooth.  Add the milk and yeast.

Slowly beat in 2 cups of flour.   At this point, the dough will become sticky.  Scrape it off the blades of the beater (do not taste or lick!  The raw yeast can cause stomach pain and bloating and is not safe to eat!!) and start to mix by hand with a rubber or wooden spatula.  Continue adding the flour until you have a stiff, not sticky dough and can mix it with your hands without it sticking.

Lightly grease a bowl and place the dough inside, turning it once.

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Cover and place in a warm spot to rise for about an hour.  It should nearly double in size.

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Remove from the bowl and roll out about ½ inch thick.  Using a donut cutter or two glasses, cut the donuts and set on a sheet.  If using glasses, make sure the largest one is about 3” in diameter and the smaller one is a shot glass or smaller.  The smaller will cut out the hole.

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Re-roll the unused dough and continue to cut until it’s gone.  I rolled the remnants into a roll and formed a donut with them.  And don’t forget to save those donut holes!

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Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Lay out some paper towels that have been sprinkled with some of the remaining ¼ cup of granulated sugar.

Heat about 3 inches of oil in a pan to about 350 to 375 degrees.  I uses a small pan (less oil) and did one at a time.

Carefully drop the donuts into the hot oil.  When they raise to the top, gently flip them to cook the other side.  Carefully remove and place on the paper towel.  Continue cooking each donut, adding a bit more sugar as needed.  As they cool, move them back to the sheet they sat onto rise.

GLAZE –

Heat the chocolate syrup in a small, non-stick sauce pan.  Add the chocolate chips and stir until they are completely melted.  Spoon the hot glaze over each donut.

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Allow the glaze to cool so it firms up a bit, and serve warm or cold.  My grandson at 6 in one sitting and gave them the “these are great” approval!

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Makes about 1 to 1 ½ dozen.

© Copyright 2016 The Lazy Gastronome

This entry was posted in Breads and Rolls, Sweet Treats and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

17 Responses to National Donut Day

  1. THERE’S A NATIONAL DOUGHNUT DAY?? Ah man us Britons are useless when it comes to celebrating days – this needs to be a thing this side of the pond! I’ve tried making doughnuts once before but failed miserably, so going these a try as they sound much easier! :)

  2. Angie says:

    These look so delicious – my mouth is watering.
    Thanks again for sharing your fantastic recipes
    Angie

  3. Julie Briggs says:

    You had me at donuts! :-) Thanks for linking up to the #HomeMattersParty this week.

  4. I’ve never actually made homemade donuts, but you’ve got me sold! These look amazing! Thanks for linking up with us this week for Maker’s Mix Up!

    • HelenFern says:

      They aren’t really that hard, but they didn’t last long either. My grandson gobbled them all up!! LOL – Thanks for visiting!

  5. ashley says:

    Oh yum! Every other weekend or so we grab donuts for a big breakfast that we make at home, but I just may have to make them next time! These look great! Thanks so much for linking up with us for this week’s Maker’s Mix Up!

  6. Pingback: Affogato (Italian Coffee Float) - Living La Vida Holoka

  7. YUM! Thanks so much for linking up with me at #AThemedLinkup 17 for Chocolate Desserts, open May 15 to 25. All party entries shared if social media buttons installed.

  8. Visiting again to say thanks so much for linking up at Food Friday 3 for Chocolate Recipes. Shared.

  9. Audrey says:

    I love homemade donuts, this was a super easy recipe to follow.

  10. Liz says:

    We love yeast donuts and these were SO yummy!!

  11. Liz says:

    SO yummy! My family is asking for another batch already!

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