Potato Doughnuts

Since we started off the Christmas baking season with family recipes, I figured I’d continue the trend today!

This recipe comes from Frog Prince’s family – the famous Potato Doughnuts!

Historically, Frog Prince’s grandma would make these for breakfast following Thanksgiving since they use a full cup of mashed potatoes. 

We attempted to make them this year on the day after Thanksgiving, and they were quite delicious. 

Potato Doughnuts – Adapted from Frog Prince’s Family
{Print Recipe}

1 C mashed potatoes
1 C sugar
2 T butter
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 C milk
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 C white wheat flour
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour*
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tarter


Begin by mixing together the mashed potatoes, sugar, butter and spices in a large mixer. 

Then, add in the eggs, milk, lemon and vanilla extracts. 

While those ingredients cream together, combine flour, soda and cream of tarter in a second bowl.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the batter and mix well.  *At this point, if the dough is too sticky you need to add more flour.  In our case, our mashed potatoes were pretty moist, so we ended up adding almost 3/4 C additional flour. 

When dough is not entirely sticky to the touch, remove the dough onto a lightly floured flat surface.  Divide the dough in half and press out, or roll out, the dough to 1/2 – 3/4 of an inch thick.  Let the dough stand for about 5 minutes. 

Using a glass, cut out large circles from the dough.  Using a smaller glass, remove the center to make the doughnut. 

Remove excess dough and re-flatten to make more doughnuts.  Repeat until all dough (including the remaining half of dough) is made into doughnuts. 

The original recipe calls for the traditional oil-cooked doughnuts, giving these tasty things an old-fashioned doughnut flavor.  To do so, heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or better yet, a deep fryer/fondue pot, until it reaches 375 to 400 degrees.  Carefully place doughnuts into the hot oil and cook for 3-5 minutes until the doughnuts are lightly browned. 

Check the first doughnut you remove to make sure the inside is done to your liking and then repeat with the remaining doughnuts. 

Immediately after removing from the hot oil, place the doughnuts on to a paper towel, then sprinkle the doughnuts with cinnamon and sugar.  Allow to cool. 

We also tried baking up some of these doughnuts, and while their color wasn’t as spectacular as it is when deep fried, the taste was still good. 

To bake, place doughnuts on a large cookie sheet.  Heat the oven to 375.  Bake the doughnuts for 8ish minutes – being careful not to over bake.  Immediately after moving the doughnuts out of the oven, carefully remove them from the tray and onto a plate to douse them with spray butter.  Then, roll them in cinnamon and sugar. 

Enjoy!

This makes about 2-3 dozen doughnuts.

This post is linked to:
Recipe Swap Thursday
Homemade Holidays Recipe Swap
URS
These Chicks Cooked