Idaho - Potato Doughnuts

Idaho - Potato Doughnuts

I love Doughnuts!  I always have - just ask my family about the munchkin incident of 1980 - but anyway, I have secretly been hoping that I would somehow be able to work a doughnut into Sweet State of Mine.  I knew that potatoes would be an obvious ingredient for Idaho's state sweet, but there wasn't one particular recipe that stood out as the "must make" sweet for Idaho.  

Then one lucky day, I found a recipe for Idaho Potato Doughnuts and almost fainted!  I researched the recipe and found several versions on the internet, most of which were posted by Idaho potato farmers wives with notes that they were a fun and different way to use their bountiful and typically savory crop.

I was so curious to see what a Potato Doughnut would taste like and I thought you might enjoy it too!  I had also been looking for a reason to use this gadget I found this summer at an antique store in Georgia:

How fun is that?!  Well, it turns out this particular recipe requires a cutter, so I'll have to find another recipe to use my Donut Maker.  

Let's make some Doughnuts!

Ingredients

2 packages dry active yeast

1/2 cup warm water (105 - 115 F)

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

pinch of salt

2 large eggs

1 cup cooked potatoes, peeled & mashed 

7 - 7 1/2 cups all purpose flour 

Vegetable oil for frying 

Recipe 

• in a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir until it dissolves
• scald the milk in heavy saucepan (heat to just before boiling - small bubbles will form along the edge and steam will rise from the milk)
• remove from heat and stir in the sugar, oil and salt
• cool, then add to the yeast mixture
• in a medium bowl, blend the eggs into the room temperature potatoes until smooth
• whisk this into the milk mixture, then slowly add the flour 1 cup at a time, beating thoroughly by hand or mixer
• when it comes to a smooth dough add additional flour slowly, mix until dough is stiff enough for a wooden spoon to stand upright 
• cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until double in size
• punch the dough down and turn out onto a well floured surface
• cover with towel and let rest until doubled again, about one hour
• divide dough in half, and roll one half out to 1/2 inch thickness
• cut with a floured doughnut cutter 
• repeat with remaining dough until all has been cut into doughnuts and doughnut holes
• Fry in 2 inch deep oil at 350 degrees 
• glaze with desired glaze or toss in sugar or cinnamon sugar mixture

Glorious!  Now, when you eat a Potato Doughnut, you have to remember that the texture will be denser than your typical glazed, yeast doughnut.  

You can see there aren't the typical large air pockets that you would find in a yeast doughnut but these were still really, really good!  They were the perfect blend of a yeast and cake doughnut!  

From now on, if you find yourself with an abundance of Idaho spuds - you know just what to do!  

Enjoy,

mbf