Doughnuts may indeed be my favorite food, acceptable in the morning for breakfast and late at night for dessert. The first recipe for potato doughnuts was published in 1938 by Glenna Snow in the Akron Beacon Journal. Her recipe inspired the launch of a doughnut chain called Spudnut Shops that opened nationwide in the 1950s and is still around today.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed cooked Yukon Gold potatoes
- ¼ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ cup cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Cinnamon sugar, for coating
How to Make It
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 1 minute, until fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix until pale yellow.
- Add the mashed potatoes and buttermilk and beat until smooth.
- Add the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Mix until combined. The dough will be sticky.
- Dust a work surface with flour. Place the dough on the counter and work a little bit of flour into the dough to make it easier to work with.
- Gently press the dough down with your hands to about ½ inch thick.
- Using a doughnut cutter or two biscuit cutters (one large and one small), cut into rounds. Reroll scraps to use all the dough.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 2½ inches of vegetable oil to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- Carefully place a few doughnuts at a time in the hot oil and cook for 2 to 4 minutes on each side, until puffy and golden.
- Transfer the cooked doughnuts to the prepared baking sheet. Let them cool for a few minutes, then toss in cinnamon sugar. Serve.
