Recipe Review: Crispy and Creamy Doughnuts from Allrecipes

One day, I woke up and wanted a doughnut. I did not want JUST any doughnut though. I wanted a homemade doughnut from my kitchen. This started my search for a beginner baker friendly doughnut recipe that tasted great and was practically foolproof.

My first attempt at making yeast doughnuts was sad and uneventful because the yeast I had at home was old and no longer active, Suffice it to say that after that attempt, I tucked my tail in between my legs and ran.

The disaster doughnut hurt even more because I had to knead by hand as I was yet to get my heavy-duty stand mixer. I hate kneading by hand and do not understand the people who say that kneading is therapeutic.

My future attempts were mostly unsuccessful after that and I stopped trying to make a yeast doughnut.

One morning, I woke up and decide to try making a yeast doughnut once more. This time I tried the fluffy and crisp doughnut recipe from Allrecipes.

The recipe has a lot of positive feedbacks, so I was convinced that this was the recipe that would usher in my success in making doughnuts. Since I had a kitchen aid, I was encouraged to try again for the perfect homemade doughnut.

The instructions for this recipe are easy to follow. Using a stand mixer also makes kneading a breeze. One peculiar thing about this recipe was the use of shortening in this dough instead of butter or margarine. Since my original attempt at making this doughnut, I have made this several times with little changes. I did not make a ton of changes when mixing this recipe. This is due to the fact that altering yeast recipes requires some care.

Get the crispy and creamy doughnuts recipe HERE.

I have made the doughnut recipe in these various ways:

-Using the recipe and making it as directed

-Using margarine instead of shortening

-Making a jam doughnut with the recipe

-Baking the doughnut instead of frying it

• Using the recipe as the directed

This recipe is easy to follow and the ingredient list can be easily found. I dare say that you already have all the things needed for this recipe in your pantry already especially if you are always baking. The first time I made these I added more flour than was called for to the dough because it was still quite tacky and the result was tough doughnuts.

The second time that I made these, I used the amount of flour stated in the recipe, the resulting dough was tacky but not sticky. I cut the resulting dough into doughnut rounds and I combined the scraps once and cut them into strips to make doughnut sticks.

I fried my doughnuts in groundnut oil and I got some of the softest, airy doughnuts I have ever had. The inside of these doughnuts was soft and airy while the outside was crisp. The texture of these doughnuts aside, the taste was almost bland. This recipe does not have a huge a lot of sugar in it so if you wish to make these doughnuts, you will have to make use of a glaze and or coating of sugar.

• Using margarine instead of shortening

To make these once, I made use of margarine instead and I can honestly say I did not notice the difference.

• Making these as Jam doughnuts

I made these doughnuts as jam doughnuts once and did not cut out holes in the middle. When I fried them, they were fine but they took longer to fry and some were a bit doughy because of the inconstant temperature while frying. After filling these doughnuts with jam, I preferred the plain ones. I recommend making these like regular doughnuts. If you want to fill these with jam or jelly, monitor the temperature of your oil. This will prevent a situation where the outer sides of the doughnut are done while the inside is doughy.

• Baking instead of frying the doughnuts

While this recipe is great when fried, I am not crazy about oil-drenched foods. I made this recipe as directed and put the cur doughnuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet. These doughnuts baked at 375 for 17-20 minutes. The results were a fluffy, slightly drier doughnut that was not at all greasy. These did not have the signature doughnut shape and curves. However, what these treats lacked in appearance, they made up for in taste.

Overall observation

Texturewise, the crispy doughnut recipe from Allrecipes is not as awesome as I thought it would be. It was soft and crispy when freshly fried. However, to enjoy them, they have to be eaten within 6 hours. Any later or a day later and these treats lose their fluffiness and get a little dry.

Tastewise, this recipe is not very sweet and relies on a glaze for any additional sweetness and flavor. The flavor of this recipe is reliant on a little butter, vanilla I love this doughnut with an orange glaze and you will too.

Get the crispy and creamy doughnuts recipe HERE.

Tips for making this recipe

• If your dough is sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time and mix knead until it is tacky.

• When working with tacky dough, do not add more flour. Knead it as it is and use a dusting of flour to help roll and cut out your doughnuts.

• Place the cut out doughnuts on pieces of parchment paper. The parchment paper will help you put the doughnuts into the hot oil without deflating or deforming them.

• Do not overcrowd the oil when frying these. This will cause the temperature of the oil to drop and the doughnuts will cook unevenly or may soak up oil.

• Use shortening for a lighter doughnut but use butter for a better flavor.

Do I recommend these?

Yes. If you will serve them or eat them the day they are made, I recommend them. They are light and crisp when fried. For your inner child, glaze these doughnuts with milk chocolate or dust with powdered sugar. If you are not crazy about sweets, eat them as they are, without a glaze.

Note: These are best consumed the day they are made.

Check out my review on Mrs Siggs Snickerdoodles from Allrecipes HERE.