Test Kitchen Thursday - Applesauce Doughnuts

Decided to try my hands at doughnuts one more time.  After last year's disaster I've been a bit gun shy (see post here).  But what is one to do when a little two month old wakes you up for a feeding at 4 AM and you can't fall back to sleep - sure, make doughnuts.

This recipe comes from the 2011 Better Homes and Gardens Fall Baking magazine.  After our trip to the Apple Orchard we had plenty of apples for making applesauce (15 pints) so I had what I needed for the doughnut recipe.

Applesauce Doughnuts

4 Cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1 T ground cinnamon
1 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup homemade applesauce (or unsweetened applesauce)
1/2 Cup buttermilk (or sour milk)
1/4 Cup butter, melted

Vegetable Oil for frying

Cinnamon Sugar for dipping in while warm

In a large bowl combine the first 5 dry ingredients, mix well, set aside.  In another large bowl whisk together eggs and egg yolk.  Add the sugar, the applesauce, the buttermilk and the melted butter - whisk until well mixed.  Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.  Use your hands to mix together until all of the flour is moistened.  Cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

On a floured surface roll out dough to 1/2" thickness.  Cut dough with a floured 2 1/2 inch doughnut cutter, rerolling dough as necessary.

Fry doughnuts and doughnut holes in deep hot oil (365 degree F) for 2 - 3 minutes or until golden; turning once.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.

Dip warm doughnuts and doughnut holes in Cinnamon Sugar.

These turned out really well.  The boys were super excited to have doughnuts for breakfast.  Although now that Grant knows that we can make our own doughnuts he is upset we don't have them more often.  Grant really liked the little doughnut holes the best.