Parochial School Church-Basement "Drop" Donuts
English
Chapter 7: The Sweet Tooth (Breads, Baking, and Teatime)
There is a profound, unsentimental grace to the church basement after Sunday Mass. It is a purgatory of folding tables and bitter percolator coffee where you go for fellowship, neighborhood gossip, and the donuts. The truest expression of this parish hospitality comes from the volunteers standing over hot oil, turning out craggy, rustic drop donuts. Born of the Irish farmhouse tradition, this quick buttermilk batter yields an uneven, golden-brown sphere with a tender crumb spiked with nutmeg. They are meant to be eaten hot, crusted in cinnamon sugar, standing around with people you actually give a damn about.
Before you start
Bring the dairy to room temperature.
Cold buttermilk and eggs will cause the melted butter to seize up, resulting in a dense and heavy crumb.
Ingredients
- granulated sugar1/2 cup
- ground cinnamon1 1/2 teaspoons
- all-purpose flour2 cups
- granulated sugar1/2 cup
- baking powder2 teaspoons
- baking soda1/2 teaspoon
- kosher salt1 teaspoon
- ground nutmeg1 teaspoon
- ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon
- buttermilk3/4 cup
- large eggs2
- unsalted butter1/4 cup
- pure vanilla extract1 teaspoon
- neutral cooking oil4 to 6 cups
Method
- 01
Prepare the coating station.
In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the half cup of granulated sugar and the one and a half teaspoons of ground cinnamon, setting it near your frying station alongside a paper towel-lined plate.
- 02
Heat the frying oil.
Pour two to three inches of neutral oil into a heavy Dutch oven, attach a deep-fry thermometer, and bring it to 375°F over medium heat.
- 03
Whisk the dry ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly blend the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
- 04
Whisk the wet ingredients.
In a separate container, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- 05
Mix the shaggy batter.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, folding gently with a spatula just until the dry flour streaks disappear.
- 06
Drop the batter into the oil.
Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, carefully drop rounded tablespoon-sized mounds of batter into the hot oil, working in batches of four to six so you don't tank the oil temperature.
- 07
Fry until golden brown.
Let the donuts puff and cook for about 90 seconds to two minutes per side, nudging them with a slotted spoon if they don't naturally flip themselves.
- 08
Drain and coat.
Remove the donuts to drain for thirty seconds, then toss them in the cinnamon sugar while they are still warm enough to trap the sweet coating.
Notes
Watch the oil temperature like a hawk.
Maintaining 375°F is the difference between a perfectly crisp donut and a greasy, inedible sponge.
Do not overmix the batter.
A thick, sticky, and slightly lumpy batter is exactly what you want for a tender interior.
From The Irish American Table.