Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 to 4-1/2 cups flour
- 2 pkgs. dry yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup water OR half and half cream
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 egg
- jelly, any flavor
- peanut or safflower oil for deep frying
- powdered sugar
Preparation:
In large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt and nutmeg; mix well. In saucepan, heat water, milk and shortening until warm, about 120 to 130 degrees. Add to flour mixture and then add egg. Blend at low speed until moistened, then beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. By hand, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 5-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place until light and doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down.Option One:
On a floured surface roll out half the dough 1/4" thickness, turning dough occasionally. Using a 3" cookie cutter, cut as many rounds as possible. Put 1/2 tsp. raspberry or strawberry jelly in the middle of half the rounds. Brush rim of dough lightly with water, then set a plain round on top. Press dough firmly all around to seal. Place each filled doughnut on a floured cookie sheet. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place about 30 minutes, until light and almost doubled.
Option Two:
On a floured surface roll out the dough to 1/2" or 3/4" thickness, turning dough occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Using a 3" cookie cutter, cut as many rounds as possible. Place on floured cookie sheet, cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place about 30 minutes, until light and almost doubled. After frying the doughnuts, use a turkey baster, a syringe with no needle, or a pastry bag filled with jelly and insert in the bottom center of each doughnut. Fill doughnuts gently with about 1 Tbsp. of jelly each.
Heat 3" of oil in a heavy saucepan to 350 degrees F; or until a small bit of dough bubbles vigorously when added to the oil. Fry 4 doughnuts at a time; any more and you'll lower the temperature of the oil too much. Do not crowd the doughnuts. Fry doughnuts about 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown, turning once. Drain cooked doughnuts on paper towels, then sprinkle with powdered sugar. Don't eat the doughnuts fried with the jelly in them right away - the jelly is very hot. Makes 16-20 doughnuts.
