I think Mother Nature forgot that it is Spring as it is middle of the April, and we are in the middle of a blizzard warning! At least I still have electricity unlike a lot of my family and friends.
My neighbor Elaine Guenther makes these amazing donuts every time we have a blizzard. Then her husband Duane goes around to deliver them to all the neighbors. It is a wonderful tradition they have been doing for years! Elaine was kind enough to share her homemade doughnuts recipe and how it’s been a family tradition.
All of my memories of school closing early as a kid are of getting off the bus and catching the heavenly smell of homemade doughnuts as we trudged through the snow, up the hill to our house! I could never decide if getting out of school early or those amazing doughnuts were the reason I love blizzards! I just love sharing a tradition that I grew up with, it’s one of my favorite childhood memories.
Homemade Blizzard Doughnuts Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups milk, scalded
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tsp. salt
- 2 TBsp yeast
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup shortening (Elaine uses 1/2 cup Crisco & 1/2 cup coconut oil)
- 8-10 cups bread flour
Instructions
Pour scalded milk over sugar and salt in a large bowl. Stir once milk is cooled, but still very warm. Sprinkle with yeast. Cover and allow yeast to soften and dissolve. Stir in beaten eggs* and melted shortening. Stir in 6-8 cups bread flour, then knead, only adding enough flour to make a soft dough. This recipes does not require a lot of kneading. Grease top of dough, cover, and let rise until doubled. Punch down, grease top, cover, and let rise until doubled again. Then, roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2″ thickness. Cut with doughnut cutter, re-rolling and cutting doughnuts with rest of dough. Cover and let rise until doubled. Fry in hot oil (Elaine uses lard with some coconut oil heated to 360 degrees in her electric skillet, turning once first side is golden. Remove with tongs to paper towels to cool slightly.
Notes
Blizzard Doughnuts Glaze
Elaine has never measured the glaze ingredients! It is just powdered sugar with a pinch of cornstarch. Then mix in milk and water in approximately equal amounts until glaze is smooth. Add vanilla to taste. Glaze is a thin icing consistency. Once doughnuts have drained on paper towels and cooled slightly, dip in glaze and either slide on dowel rods to dry, or place on racks until glaze is set. Enjoy!
Variations
This dough can be used to make cinnamon rolls or buns as well.
