Classic Fried Donuts

A delicious Chanukah classic.

Ingredients

Donuts

• Generous 1/2 cup of mashed potato (about one large potato)
• 1 1/2 cups water, reserved from cooking potato
• 1 tablespoon dry yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups flour

Chocolate Glaze

• 2 oz. chocolate, melted
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup hot water

Cinnamon-Sugar Coating

• 1 cup icing sugar
• water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon

Directions

1. In a mixer, mix the sugar with the warm potato water. Sprinkle the yeast on top of this mixture, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Mix, and then let rest until the yeast begins to bubble.
2. Add 2 cups of the flour, the potato, the oil and the salt. Beat until a smooth paste forms. Add the rest of the flour, a half-cup at a time, to form a smooth, soft dough. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in bulk, about one hour.
3. Roll out the dough to between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out donuts with a donut cutter. Alternatively, you could use a round cookie cutter, and an apple corer for the holes. Reroll scraps, and repeat. Place on a greased surface, and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes. In a deep skillet or wok, heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F, or until small bubbles form when a wooden spoon is placed in the hot oil.
4. Using a greased spatula, drop the donuts top-side down into the hot oil. Fry for about half a minute, then turn over and fry for another half a minute. Remove from pan with a slotted spatula, and place on a paper-towel-lined platter. Makes approximately 50 donuts.

Chocolate Glaze:

1. Mix all the ingredients until smooth.
2. Dip tops of donuts into the glaze, and allow to set.

Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:

1. In one bowl, mix icing sugar with water to make a loose glaze.
2. In another bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon.
3. Dip tops of donuts into glaze, and then immediately into the cinnamon-sugar.