Mary Ann Hauk remembers the doughnuts her mother made in the 1930s and '40s. The origin of the recipe is German, and the dough is dropped in hot fat. When they are done, the doughnuts are rolled in sugar.
You Asked for It readers are great sources for recipes other readers need. Lorraine Edie writes that her family, of German-Catholic heritage, called these doughnuts fasnacht kuechles because they were made a day or so before Ash Wednesday to use up fat and grease before Lent, a time for fasting.
Sandy Kiser's recipe was brought to this country from Germany by her great-grandmother, who passed it down.
Henrietta Rice shares a drop doughnut recipe given to her by her sister who was the pastry chef at the now-defunct Lake View Hotel in Lakeview, N.Y., on Lake Erie. Buttermilk provides a tang to these treats.
Sharon Andersen sent her recipe for pufferkins, or golden puffs. The dough has a hint of nutmeg, and the doughnuts are rolled in cinnamon and sugar when they are done for a delightful blend of flavors.
Red devil's food cake is another old-fashioned dessert. Betty Jean Ries and Ruth Schreiber share their recipes, both of which use squares of baking chocolate instead of baking cocoa.
Betty Jean found the recipe in her mother's collection. The leaflet entitled "Cooking with Our Mother's Chocolate" dates to before 1951.
Marie Conrad's and Karann Ditt's recipes for red devil's food cake came from Pennsylvania. Marie found her recipe in the Pittsburgh Press and Karann in a Palmyra, Pa., church cookbook. Is the addition of hot black coffee special to that area?
Some use chocolate frosting, some use caramel frosting, but cream cheese and fluffy white frosting are more traditional.
Combine milk that has been scalded and cooled, 1 tablespoon sugar and yeast. Add enough flour to make a soft batter. Let rise for 1 hour.
Add 1 cup sugar, egg, melted shortening, salt and enough flour to make a stiff dough. Let rise about 1 hour.
Roll or pat out on floured board. Cut doughnuts with floured cutter or the rim of a glass. Drop into hot grease or oil heated to 350 degrees. When one side is light brown, turn over in grease and let other side brown. Remove from grease and roll in confectioner's sugar. Do not let grease get too hot or batter will brown but still be doughy in center.
From: Sandy Kiser of Gulfport.
Recipe: Potato Doughnuts.
Potato Doughnuts
5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons melted shortening
2 cups mashed potatoes
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Vegetable oil or lard for frying
Granulated or confectioner's sugar
Mix 4 cups flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside.
In mixing bowl, beat sugar and shortening with mixer for 2 minutes. Beat in potatoes and eggs with mixer on low. Beat flour mixture into potato mixture alternately with milk, beating until stiff.
Roll on lightly floured surface. Knead dough for 5 or 6 minutes, adding remaining cup of flour as needed. Roll to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out doughnuts with 3-inch round glass; cut holes in the center with a thimble. Reroll dough and repeat cutting.
In skillet, heat 1-inch vegetable oil or lard. Gently drop doughnuts in batches into hot oil. Fry about 2 minutes on each side (1 minute for holes). Remove with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels. While doughnuts are warm, use a brown paper bag containing granulated or confectioner's sugar to coat them.
From: Henrietta Rice of Brooksville.
Recipe: Drop Doughnuts, Diane Ten Hagen's recipe.
Drop Doughnuts
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) soft butter
1 cup sugar
1 whole large egg
2 egg yolks
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk
Vegetable oil for frying
Confectioner's sugar or mixture of ground cinnamon and sugar
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in egg and egg yolks. Sift the dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir to blend ingredients well. Do NOT chill. Drop spoonfuls of dough into 375-degree deep fryer.
Turn once to brown on both sides. Remove from hot oil; drain and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar or cinnamon/sugar mixture.
From: Sharon Andersen of Inverness.
Recipe: Pufferkins or Golden Puffs.
Pufferkins or Golden Puffs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 to 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
Vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg into bowl. Add oil, milk and egg, and beat until smooth. Drop puffs by teaspoonfuls into deep fryer heated to 375 degrees. (If puffs are too large, they will not cook through). Fry 4 or 5 at a time until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes. Drain. Roll warm puffs in cinnamon/sugar mixture.
Makes about 21/2 dozen.
Note: If using self-rising flour, omit baking powder and salt.
For: Beatrice Gordy of New Port Richey.
From: Betty Jean Ries of Homosassa and Ruth Schreiber of St. Petersburg.
Recipe: Red Devil's Food Cake I.
Red Devil's Food Cake I
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) butter or other shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk (see note)
2 squares baking chocolate, melted
1/2 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For marshmallow frosting:
2 egg whites, unbeaten
11/2 cups sugar
5 tablespoons cold water
11/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup marshmallows, quartered
Sift flour, then measure. Add baking powder and salt; sift together three times. Cream butter, gradually adding sugar; beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, a little at a time. Pour boiling water into melted chocolate; mix quickly. Add baking soda to chocolate and stir until thick. Cool slightly before adding to cake batter; mix thoroughly. Add vanilla. Bake in two greased 9-inch layer cake pans at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool and frost.
To make frosting, put unbeaten egg whites, sugar, water and corn syrup in upper part of double boiler; beat with rotary egg beater until thoroughly mixed. Place over boiling water and beat constantly for 7 minutes. Remove from fire, add vanilla and beat to spreading consistency. Add marshmallows to frosting, and fill and frost cake.
Note: This recipe originally called for "thick sour milk." Buttermilk is an adequate substitute.
From: Marie Conrad of Homosassa and Karann Ditt of Spring Hill.
Recipe: Red Devil's Food Cake II.
Red Devil's Food Cake II
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 teaspoon red food coloring
2 tablespoons hot coffee
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour (Marie uses 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour milk or buttermilk
Cream shortening and sugar thoroughly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating mixture until light and fluffy after each addition. Mix cocoa, red coloring and hot coffee to form a smooth paste and add immediately to creamed mixture.
Sift flour, measure, and resift with salt and baking soda. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with sour milk or buttermilk, stirring batter gently until just smooth after each addition.
Bake in two 8-inch round or 81/2-inch square pans or a tube pan, greased on the bottom and lined with waxed paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes for layers or 50 to 55 minutes for tube pan. Cool and frost.
From: Shirley McKillop of New Port Richey.
Recipe: Cream cheese frosting from Sylvia's Family Soul Food Cookbook (Morrow Cookbooks, $26.95).
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
1 1-pound box confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
In large bowl, cream cheese and butter. Beat in the sugar until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, and stir in the pecans. Use to fill and frost cake.
From: Catherine Green of St. Petersburg.
Recipe: Fluffy Coconut Frosting.
Fluffy Coconut Frosting
1 cup milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Grated coconut
Combine milk and flour. Cook over low heat to pudding stage, stirring constantly. Cool.
Cream shortening, butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat cooled pudding mixture into creamed mixture. Ice cake, and sprinkle with coconut. Refrigerate.
Recipe requests
Elizabeth Thorogood of Port Richey writes that she enjoyed a delicious and healthful dish at the Sheraton West Palm Beach that she would like to be able to prepare at home.
The selection was grilled polenta with portobello mushrooms and wilted spinach, and was served with mashed white potatoes.
Linda Brown of Dunnellon writes that she and her husband enjoy Sweet Tomatoes salad buffet restaurant and are particularly fond of the won ton chicken salad and Aunt Doris' red pepper slaw. Any chance of getting these or similar recipes?
Chris Sweeney of New Port Richey has tried in vain to get the recipe for the absolute "to die for" chocolate pie served at the Pit Boss Bar B-Q in New Port Richey and Port Richey. Chris has tried unsuccessfully to duplicate it. How about it?
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