Baking With Kids: Homemade Doughnut Recipe

When I received a copy of Homemade Doughnuts, by Kamal Grant, for review, my eight-year-old son nearly lost his mind with happiness. This book provides a number of delectable doughnut recipes, as well as icings, glazes, fillings, and fun toppings, like carrot sprinkles and orange dust, which I can't wait to try. My doughnut-loving son and I spent several evenings together at bedtime, reading through the recipes and admiring the gorgeous photography. We spent a great deal of time deciding what recipe to make first, and which icings to use.

Here's the thing, though—I was terrified. Making doughnuts seems like a tricky business, not to mention that I do not own a lot of the special equipment required, and I am somewhat petrified of deep frying. And yet my son was so convinced that whatever doughnuts we would make together would be the most awesome doughnuts ever. With that level of trust, how could I say no?

It turned out that we had one of the most fun Saturday mornings ever making these doughnuts. We decided to make plain cake doughnuts, baking them instead of frying, which worked nicely. If you do not have a deep fryer, like me, don't let that deter you, baking works just fine. I used a mini bundt cake pan, but there are proper doughnut pans available in most kitchen stores. I was quite nervous to try it since the stakes were so high—could I really make the most awesome doughnuts ever? But the Homemade Doughnuts book is so well laid out and easy to follow, that making these were actually a snap.

My son and I set up icing stations with vanilla, chocolate, and his favourite, maple. I also had a variety of sprinkles available for more decorating fun. If you're looking for a fun spring break activity, I highly recommend it. It's also impressive—I made my own doughnuts. No one has to know how easy it is.

Ingredients:

Directions:

• Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.
   
• In a separate bowl, combine the egg, milk, and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Rest the dough for 10 minutes.
   
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough comes together to form a ball. Roll out the dough to about 1-inch (2 cm) thick. Cut the dough using a floured doughnut cutter or a round cookie cutter. (Note: I spooned the dough into the well-sprayed mini bundt cake pan.
   
• Pour the oil to a depth of 3 inches (7.5 cm) into an electric fryer or deep saucepan, and heat to 375°F (190°C). Place three or four doughnuts in the fryer and cook for 1 B/c minutes, then flip and cook the other side for 1 B/c minutes. Fry the holes separately, making sure they are submerged in the oil, about 2 minutes total. Remove from the fryer and place on paper towels or a rack to cool and drain. (Note: I baked these at 375 degrees for about ten minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the doughnut came out clean.)
   

Yield: Makes 12 to 15 doughnuts
 

Want more fun baking ideas that kids love to help with? Try Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies, Grandma's Gingersnaps, and the ever-popular Pot of Gold Cupcakes.

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash