Buttermilk Donuts -January 22nd

Note from K:
We halved the original recipe for dinner, thus the crazy 1/2 yolk in the ingredient list below. We did take an egg yolk from a separated egg and quickly halved it and dropped half in the batter. Also, we made the dough and shaped the doughnuts before we came to dinner and they kept fine until we fried them at dessert time.

Buttermilk Doughnuts
Makes a whole bunch of tiny (two to three inch) donuts.

The dough can be made by hand, using a bowl and wooden spoon, or with a mixer and the paddle attachment. Doughnuts rolled from scraps will be a little drier and less crisp than those stamped from the first roll. These are best eaten very warm.

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
3/8 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 eggs, beaten
1/2 egg yolk
about 6 cups vegetable shortening or vegetable oil (for frying)


Directions
1. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, if you have one, combine 1/2 cup flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

2. In a bowl, combine the buttermilk, butter, eggs, and yolk. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds or until smooth. Decrease speed to low.

3. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups flour and mix for 30 seconds or until just combined. Stir batter once or twice with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to make sure that all liquid is incorporated. (The dough will be tacky, a cross between cake batter and cookie dough.)

4. Set a candy thermometer on the side of a cast-iron kettle or large, heavy-bottomed soup kettle; gradually heat the shortening over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees.

5. Meanwhile, turn the dough out onto a floured counter. Roll dough with a floured rolling pin to a 1/2-inch thick round. Stamp out dough rings with heavily floured doughnut cutter (we used a small biscuit cutter and a pen cap to cut out the holes), reflouring between cuts. Transfer rounds to rimmed baking sheet. Gather scraps and gently press into disk; repeat rolling and stamping until all dough is used. (Cut doughnuts can be covered with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 hours.)

5. Carefully drop dough rings into hot fat several at a time, so there's room around each one. As the rounds rise to the surface, turn them with tongs, a Chinese skimmer, or a slotted spoon. Fry the doughnuts about 50 seconds on a side or until golden brown.

6. Meanwhile, line a wire rack or plate with paper towels. Turn the doughnuts out onto the paper towels. Bring the fat back to the correct temperature and repeat the frying process.