This Offbeat Life
New Economy Cooking
Backpacking by Bus

Donuts and their Ilk

by Martha Strom

DUTCH OLYKOEKS
PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH FASTNACHTS
NEW ORLEANS BEIGNETS
ITALIAN PIZZA FRITTA
RICOTTA PUFFS

O.K. here are some of the interesting facts I found in my search for doughnut recipes. I haven't, I might add, made my own doughnuts in over 30 years. Don't know why because homemade doughnuts are heavenly. There's even a way to make doughnuts without deep frying thus eliminating some of the calories and mess. Whether they're quite as good as the deep fat fried ones I don't know.

You can buy a "nonstick mini doughnut pan" thru the Internet at Cooking.com for $17.95. Not too long ago I saw an electric doughnut maker--same idea as a waffle iron I guess--that may still be available. Try the home furnishings stores such as Linens and Things or the Williams-Sonoma catalogue if you're interested.

In my American Heritage cookbook I found two raised doughnut recipes. The first is called "Olykoeks" introduced by the Dutch to the New World - apparently meaning Oily Cakes. Tells you something about the calorie count right there, doesn't it? Guess the hard-working pioneers didn't have to worry about that although some of the women were pretty sturdy - from sampling their own recipes I assume. The other recipe is for "Fastnachts" from Pennsylvania Dutch country. These were traditionally served on Fastnacht Day which was Shrove Tuesday - a last sweet treat before the beginning of Lent. When we lived in the Azores the Portuguese made Churros as did the Spanish. They're the long skinny "doughnuts". Can't find my recipe at the moment but if any of your readers are interested I'll dig deeper in my mountain of cookbooks and try to find it. So let me know.

DUTCH OLYKOEKS

1 cup milk
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
6 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon or nutmeg
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup softened butter
Fat for deep frying

Scald milk, then cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast over lukewarm water to dissolve. Sift together sugar, flour, salf and cinnamon or nutmeg. Combine milk and yeast in a large bowl. Stir in flour with your hands (dough will be very heavy), then stir in beaten eggs. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size. Punch down the dough, then work in the butter with your hands until dough is smooth and well blended. Roll about 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured board and cut with a doughnut cutter. Place doughnuts on a tray lined wilth wax paper, cover again, and let rise in a warm place until light and puffy. Drop several at a time into deep fat preheated to 375 degrees on deep-fat thermometer or until a l inch cube of bread browns in 60 seconds. Fry until nicely browned on both sides. Lift from fat, drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, or a mixture of granulated sugar and a little cinnamon. Makes about 40.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH FASTNACHTS

1 pkg. active dry yeast
2 eggs
1/4 cup warm water
4 tab. butter melted
2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar + 2 tab.
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. salt
6 to 7 cups sifted all-purpose flour
Fat for deep frying
Confectioners sugar

Sprinkle yeast over warm water to dissolve. Scald milk, remove from heat, and cool. Add l tsp. sugar, 3 cups of flour and the yeast and stir thoroughly. Cover and let stand in a warm place until double in size. Beat eggs vigorously and combine with butter, sugar, salt, and remaining flour. When the dough has risen stir in the egg mixture. At this point the mixture should be stiff enough to roll. Add more flour if needed. Cover and let rise in a warm place a second time until double in size. Punch down with your fist then roll about 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured board. Cut into 2 inch squares, making a slit in the middle. Cover and let rise a third time. Fry several at a time in deep fat preheated to 350 degrees on deep fat thermometer or until hot enough to brown a 1 inch cube of bread in 60 seconds. Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

NEW ORLEANS BEIGNETS

And here are BEIGNETS--a recipe from a friend in Bigfork who loves New Orleans and got the recipe there.

1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup barley flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Mix these dry ingredients together.
2/3 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1 tab butter melted
1 tsp. vanilla

Add liquid to dry ingredients and mix well. Divide in two and make into balls. Knead each ball 10 to 20 times and roll out 1/8 inch thick into a 9 x 9 inch square. Cut into squares and fry in deep fat heated to 370 degrees about 3 or 4 at a time. Turn once shortly after dropping in oil. Cook about 2 minutes total. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

ITALIAN PIZZA FRITTA

Dave Friello

While you're busy frying stuff, here' s some more.

2 Tbs butter
1 c boiling water
1 pkg dry yeast
2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Put butter in a bowl and pour boiling water over it; let cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand 1 minute. Add dry ingredients to the yeast mixture and mix well; form dough in a ball. Oil the inside bottom of a bowl, put the dough into it and turn until the ball is coated with oil. Cover and put in a warm place to raise until doubled (about 45 minutes). Remove dough from bowl and knead on a floured board for 1 minute. Oil a pizza pan (makes 1 large round or 2 12" rounds or 1 flat pizza) and spread or roll dough to fit pan (can lightly dust pan with cornmeal first).

Squeeze off lumps of dough and fry, then dip in sauce or powdered sugar.

RICOTTA PUFFS

Dave Friello's ma

5 eggs
1 lb ricotta, drained
2 c flour
5 Tbs granulated sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla

Beat eggs a little; add ricotta, vanilla, sugar, and blend well. In another bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Stir the wet mixture into the bowl containing the dry ingredients.

Heat 2 cups of oil in a small pan. Drop a teaspoon of the mixture (per ball) into the hot oil and turn once when slightly brown. Drain and sprinkle with powdered sugar.