The first time I made donuts from scratch they were horrible. But that only encouraged me to keep trying. Many batches later, I came up with these almost fool-proof jelly donuts…light, airy, and kind of amazing when eaten warm. I encourage you to try them, and if the first batch is horrible, don’t give up!

Ingredients:

• 1 package yeast
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little extra
• pinch of kosher salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Several cups of vegetable oil (for frying)
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup of jelly, flavor of your choice

Mix the yeast with 2 tablespoons of milk and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl. Let it sit until it gets foamy, around 10 minutes. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine just under 4 cups of flour and a pinch of salt. Add the foamy yeast to the mixer.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of WARM milk and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Add this to the flour in the standing mixer. Then add the eggs and the butter. Mix it up into a soft dough. Add a little extra milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it’s nice and soft. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover it with a clean dish towel , and let it rise until it doubles in size, abut 2 hours.

Punch down the risen dough with your fist. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few seconds. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut it out into rounds with a floured water glass or biscuit cutter. Re-roll the scraps to make more dough. Put the doughnuts on floured baking sheets covered with a dry towel dish towel. Let them rise in a warm place until they double in size, around 20 minutes.

Fry the doughnuts, a few at a time, in a big stock pot half-filled with vegetable oil, turning them often, about 5 minutes total.

Combine 1/2 cup of sugar and the powdered cinnamon on a plate. Remove the doughnuts from the oil and coat them int he cinnamon sugar. Let them cool a little. Fill a pastry bag with jelly and insert the tip into the end of each doughnut. Fill each donut with about 2 teaspoons of jelly. Best when eaten immediately!

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Jessica Alfreds

Jessica Alfreds is a Chef, Caterer, and Event Planner based in New York City. She is currently working on her first cookbook, teaching herself how to sew, and attempting to live a purposeful life. Jessica is a 3rd generation New Yorker and currently resides in the East Village. Visit jessicaalfreds.com.

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