A doughnut, or donut, is a
deep-fried piece of dough or batter. The two most common types are the
torus-shaped ring doughnut, and the filled doughnut, a flattened sphere
which is injected with jam/jelly or another sweet filling. A small
piece of dough, roughly the size of the middle of a ring doughnut can
be cooked as a doughnut hole.
Doughnuts can be made using a yeast-based dough (raised doughnuts), or
a special type of cake
batter. Yeast-raised doughnuts contain about 25% oil by weight, whereas
cake doughnuts' oil content is around 20%, but cake doughnuts have
extra fat included in the batter, before frying. Cake doughnuts are
fried for about 90 seconds, turning once, at between 190 and 198
degrees Celsius. Yeast-raised doughnuts take longer to fry, about 150
seconds, at 182 to 190 degrees Celsius. Cake doughnuts typically weigh
between 24 g and 28 g, whereas yeast-raised doughtnuts average 38g but
are generally larger (when finished) and may be less dense.After being
fried, ring doughnuts are often topped with a glaze icing or a powder
such as cinnamon or sugar. Ringless doughnuts may be glazed and
injected with jam or custard.There are many other specialized doughnut
shapes such as bear claws,
old-fashioneds, bars (a rectangular shape), and twists (where the dough
is twisted around itself before cooking). Doughnut holes are small
spheres that are made out of the dough taken from the center of ring
doughnuts.There are lower-fat recipes for doughnuts which specify
baking
rather than frying. Application of fat to the pastry during baking can
make it difficult to distinguish the final product from a fried
doughnut.Doughnuts have become a part of North American popular
culture. The cartoon character Homer Simpson
is especially fond of doughnuts, while popular mythology has American
police officers addicted to them. Cake-based doughnuts dominate
commercial production for packaged sales in grocery and convenience
stores - for example "little powdered doughnuts". Yeast-based doughnuts
dominate commercial production for fresh retail sale. There are retail
stores which specialize in the selling of fresh doughnuts and coffee to
customers, such as Dunkin' Donuts, Tim Hortons, Winchell's Donuts,
Country Style and many other chain stores. Krispy Kreme
is distinguished by having neon signs, known as "hot lights", to inform
customers when hot doughnuts are available - fresh off the assembly
line. Many doughnut shops are open 24 hours a day.
I love this food because it gives me an
energy boost evertime I eat it. They are sugary sweet and
sticky-licious. I just love it.
Chocolate Glazed Doughnuts:
4 Ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 Cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/2 Teaspoon salt
4 Teaspoons baking powder
4 Cups flour
1 Cup milk
Cooking oil for frying doughnuts
2 Cups powdered sugar -- sifted
5 Tablespoons boiling water
1/4 Cup flaked coconut
1/4 Cup finely chopped toasted pecans or your favorite nut
4 Ounces white chocolate -- melted
Procedures:
Melt 1 ounce chocolate with 1 tablespoon butter in top of double boiler over simmering water.
Let cool. Beat eggs and sugar until well blended. Add cooled chocolate mixture to egg mixture.
Sift together salt, baking powder and flour. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to egg mixture to form a dough.
(You may not need to add all of the Milk. Just add enough to form a dough ball). Gather dough into a ball on a
floured board. Roll out to 1/3 inch thick. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter. Fry 3-4 minutes in oil heated to 375 degrees.
Drain on paper towels. Glaze: melt remaining 3 ounces chocolate with remaining 3 tablespoons butter in top of double
boiler over simmering water. Stir in powdered sugar and enough boiling water to make a thin glaze. Dip cooked doughnuts
into glaze. Place on wire rack. Sprinkle with coconut and/or chopped nuts if desired. Drizzle white chocolate glaze
over some for an elegant doughnut!
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