We use a plastic cup to cut the donuts into perfect circles.
Our daughter has been working hard to earn her Young Woman Medallion necklace from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before the program ends in December and she starts the church's new goal setting program in January. One of her 10 hour projects is to learn how to make some of her favorite recipes. This far she has learned how to make dad's crepes and Great Grandma's Spudnuts from my 101 Things to do with a Potato cookbook along with the basics of macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, and more. Go Emma!
Spudnuts always bring smiles to faces.
As we were making the spudnuts, we wondered which great grandmother had created the recipe. We assumed it was the potato farming great grandmother. We decided to call my husband's mom who had shared the original recipe with the family to verify. She said that the recipe was titled Grandma's Spudnuts and was given to her by a friend after they were married with a young family. She had tweaked the recipe slightly and is now great grandma to many, so I guess the title of the recipe can remain as is for the generations of Ashcrafts to come in the future. To whoever's great grandmother created the original recipe, we thank you!
Dipping and filling the donuts with pudding is the funnest part.
We love pudding filled spudnuts. Banana or Chocolate pudding are our favorite flavors to use. We use our Easy Accent Decorator that I have owned for years from Pampered Chef to fill the donuts. Instead of using frosting and the flavorings, we dipped the hot fried donuts in powdered sugar or pumpkin spice sugar. Sometimes we use cinnamon and sugar for dipping spudnuts.
These donuts are so soft and fluffy. After trying these, store bought donuts won't even look tempting. Invite friends over, because the recipe makes more than an average family can ever consume. We took extras to two neighboring families. Happy cooking and enjoy the recipe!
Great Grandma's Spudnuts (Idaho Donuts)
2 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast,
1 cup mashed potatoes, unseasoned
2 cups warm water
1/2 cup shortening (I use butter instead.)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
6 cups flour
vegetable oil, for frying
1 container (16 ounces) white frosting
chocolate syrup, maple flavor, to taste
Mix yeast, water, potatoes, and milk together. In a separate bowl, combine shortening, sugar, eggs, and salt. Stir mashed potato mixture into bowl with egg and shortening mixture. Stir in flour one cup at a time. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise 45 minutes.
Roll out dough to 3/4-inch thickness and cut with donut cutter (or a cup as seen above). Fry dough in hot oil. Turn once, making sure donut is golden brown on both sides.
Divide frosting into three small bowls. Add chocolate syrup to one and maple flavor to another. Dip hot donuts into flavored frostings. For more variety, dip some into a mixture of cinnamon and sugar or powdered sugar. Makes 12-15 servings.
