From the "Deep-Fried & Delish" article from the May 2018 issue.

Gwyneth’s Vanilla Cake Doughnuts
Makes 12–18 doughnuts
These are delicious plain, but if you like you can dredge the fresh doughnuts in bizcochito-flavored sugar or dip them in prickly pear glaze.

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Vegetable oil or lard for deep frying
  1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  2. Add milk, egg, butter, and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
  3. In a Dutch oven or other deep, thick-walled pot, melt enough oil or lard to come several inches up the sides. Heat it to 370°.
  4. On a generously floured work surface, roll dough out to about  inch thick. If it’s too sticky, add more flour to the work surface. Use a round cookie cutter (a water glass works, too) to cut out doughnuts. Use a smaller cutter (a narrow champagne flute works) to cut holes in the middles.
  5. Without crowding the pan, fry doughnuts in batches, 1–2 minutes per side. Transfer to a tray lined with paper towels.
     

And top these delish doughnuts either way!

 

Bizcochito Sugar Topping

  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1-2 tablespoons ground aniseed
  1. In a low-sided bowl, stir together sugar and spices, then adjust to your taste.
  2. Add doughnuts one at a time, shake the bowl to cover one side, then flip and cover the other side.

 

Bristol Doughnut’s Prickly Pear Glaze

Coy and Sara Trammel developed this vibrant glaze with jelly made from the juice of cactus fruits. Look for it online or in your specialty food store. The glaze can also be used on cakes and other sweet treats.

  • 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons prickly pear jelly
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the sugar, jelly, and vanilla. Whisk until completely smooth. If glaze is too thick, add milk or water 1 teaspoon at a time. If it’s too thin, add powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
  2. Dip doughnuts into glaze one at a time, on one side only.