My husband loves donuts. Except, he’s incredibly picky, so it is more accurate to say that he loves one very specific type of donut from a very particular tiny donut shop in a little bitty town, the glazed donuts from Titus Bakery in Lebanon. He doesn’t eat any other donuts. However, this weekend I was determined to create something that he would like, so I put together these super easy Cinnamon Donuts. I tried to combine two of his favorite things, soft gazed yeast donuts and snickerdoodle cookies. They’re all gone, so I guess I succeeded?
Something sweet for an accelerating schedule.
I wish I had some cutesy story to share with all of you, but the truth is that I have been super super busy this past week. As the pandemic begins to become more manageable (I hope?), my life is slowly starting to shift back into fifth gear. Show choir rehearsals, church choir rehearsals and recording, middle school auditions, auditions for next year…. the list goes on.
When it was announced that we were returning to 100 percent in person instruction, I remember feeling some brief moments of doubt. Did I remember how to work that many hours? Did I still have the endurance to do sixty-hour weeks regularly? I know a lot of my students, especially my upper-classmen felt the same way, some much more vocally than others. However, I must say that from an educational and pedagogical standpoint, things are just…better. Kids are more engaged, they talk to each other. Grades are better, overall mental health seems improved.
However, they are tired. So tired. Like kindergarteners after their first full day of school ever. And I have to tell you, I feel the same way. How did I used to do this at such a fast pace all the time?
But, I know I’ll get used to it again. And in the meantime, a little sweet carbo-loading never hurt anybody.
Cinnamon donuts: the elements.
The recipe for these cinnamon donuts starts with a nice fluffy enriched dough. This dough has all the good stuff in it. Brown sugar, eggs, whole milk, and nice warming spices. I did some research about donut dough, and found that most recipes use white sugar exclusively, but I knew I wanted a more caramelized flavor, so I used brown sugar instead, and I think it made a difference.
I also wanted to spice up the dough itself rather than just the glaze, but I didn’t want to retard the yeast by dumping in tons of cinnamon. So, I turned to a spice that packs a huge flavor punch even in small doses: cardamom. Cardamom can be a difficult flavor to describe, but I think of it as sort of a cross between a strong citrus zest and a spicy cinnamon. I really like it, and it works well with the cinnamon glaze.
Isn’t that little donut cutter adorable? Thanks for that, mom.
After frying letting the dough rise once, I rolled it out, cut out the donuts (and donut holes, can’t waste those little guys), started heating up my oil, and turned my attention to the glaze.
To really bring out the taste of the cinnamon, I toasted it in a saucepan for a few minutes, then added some heavy cream and cooked it until it was incorporated. I then stirred in powdered sugar until it reached a nice glossy consistency.
Easy enough for any weekend…
Honestly, that’s really it. These aren’t hard to make, they’re fun and super accessible for any home baker on a lazy weekend morning. Donuts seem intimidating, but really they’re just fried dough. What could be easier? Not everything in life has to be difficult, and it was nice to find some quick success after a few weeks of burning the candle at both ends.
The result? A donut that is light and fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and full of comforting cinnamon flavor. Even my husband, the man who eats nothing, was chowing down on these.
Interested in more enriched dough recipes? Check out my pineapple couronne, which is a twisted dough perfect for brunch!
Keep drinking water, pace yourself, and have an amazing week. I’m doing my best to savor the grind again, and I hope you do too!
Easy Fried Cinnamon Donuts!
Course: BreakfastCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy12
Donuts30
minutes10
minutes270
kcalSoft cinnamon cardamom donuts with a cinnamon glaze!
Ingredients
- For the dough:
1 cup whole milk, warmed slightly
20 g active dry yeast
50 g brown sugar
20 g white sugar
2 large eggs
90 g unsalted butter, softened
1 t vanilla
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t cardamom
1/8 t cloves
1 t cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
500 g all-purpose flour
- For the cinnamon glaze:
1/4 c cream
1/4 c milk
3 T cinnamon
1/8 t cardamom
1/4 t salt
1 t vanilla
250 g powdered sugar
Directions
- Make your dough. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine your milk, yeast, brown sugar, and white sugar and whisk lightly to combine. Let it sit for five minutes or until a little bubbly.
- With your dough hook attachment, add the eggs, butter, and half the flour. Mix until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and mix vigorously for at least five minutes. Remove your dough from the bowl (it could be sticky, that’s ok), and pour a little vegetable oil in the empty bowl. Use a paper towel to coat the bowl with the oil, and then put the dough back in, turning it so that it is also coated. Cover with a tea towel and place it in a warm place to rise for about two hours or until doubled in size.
- Roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick, and use a donut cutter or a circle cutter to cut out twelve donuts. If you can get twelve out of the initial roll, that’s ok, just reroll your scraps and cut out the rest. Lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly dusted with flour. Allow them to rise for about an hour.
- Meanwhile, start heating up 2 quarts of oil in a heavy-duty pan or dutch oven. Heat it to 350 degrees F.
- Make your glaze. Put the spices in a small saucepan, and toast over medium heat for two or three minutes or until fragrant. Add the milk and cream, whisk vigorously to combine. Keep cooking over medium heat for a few minutes or until everything is evenly combined. Remove from the heat. Add your powdered sugar in two batches, whisking until smooth both times. Set aside to cool.
- Fry your donuts in groups of two or three for about one minute on each side. (They cook fast, be cautious!). Use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove from the oil, and cool on a cooling rack with parchment paper underneath. While they are still warm, dip them in the glaze, coating one side completely. Place them back on the rack to cool completely and set.
