I carry around a list in my brain… a list of things that I’m in love with. Actively in love with, everyday… just walking around in the world.
I’m in love with fresh ginger tea, jewels big and small, my perfect black cotton dress, girls with long wavy hair that I covet, day planners, mechanical pencils, and the smell of clean laundry.
This is aside from loving the people and pets around me. This love is separate from family and friends. This love sometimes steps to the back of my mind and I’m left feeling a little blaaaaaahhh…. until all the love comes rushing back and I remember that I’m totally in love with my life.
I mean… think about it. Despite its messes and disappointments… and bills, there’s a lot to be in love with… even if it’s just the smell of your new shampoo, because it reminds you of toasted coconut.
I made these pretty pink doughnuts, and shared them with friends. I decided that this Valentine’s Day… it’s important to be in love with life.
I don’t even care how cheesy that sounds… because it feels good, and tastes bonkers awesome.
These doughnuts are made with two important ingredients.
Bread flour… which makes the doughnuts slightly more dense. Bread flour has a higher protein content and gives these yeast doughnuts a heavier, slightly more toothsome feel. Delicious… really. If you don’t have bread flour on hand, you’ll want to use a slightly different doughnut recipe. Try this one! (You might even want to try Doughnut Muffins! )
and
Vegetable shortening… which acts as our internal fat in the doughnuts. Vegetable shortening is a different fat than butter. Butter has water in it, which can make the doughnuts crack a bit during frying. Vegetable shortening is a fat without water, so the doughnuts will be smoother. Feel free to use butter, but the doughnuts may have a slightly different appearance.
This doughnut mixture is mixed in an electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment before it’s mixed and kneaded with a dough hook.
Yes… I said mixed a lot of times in the above sentence. Deal.
After a bit of time in the mixer, the dough will be slightly tacky, but not stick to your fingers or the bowl. It will feel soft and pliable… but with a bit of weight to it.
Lovely dough before the rise.
Dough gets risen in an off oven with a warm water bath. It’s like an at-home proofing box.
Woah!
… this dough is about half as big as my cat. I dunno. I don’t have much else to compare the dough… or the cat to.
This is a test.
Which set will you make doughnuts out of?
Left… choose the one on the left.
This might be my favorite part of the process….
After this cute part comes the frying. No photography around hot oil please. It’s enough for me to not totally burn my hand just cooking the doughnuts. Let’s not put a camera in the mix.
If this beautiful, golden doughnut isn’t enough to make you love your living… I just don’t know what else to tell you.
Dip it is sugared pink… maybe that will help with the love.
… aaannnddd coconut.
Homemade doughnuts are undeniably perfect. These doughnuts are a play on the traditional cake doughnut, frosted pink and decorated with snow white coconut. This version is slightly more neon and toasted, making is rustic cool.
This recipe is from my favorite doughnut shop in Seattle, Top Pot. They’re cookbook Hand-Forged Doughnuts totally has my mouth watering. These people are not kidding around when it comes to doughnut land.
More photos of this recipe, along with an incredible Chocolate Cream Pie recipe can be found on The Chalkboard Mag. This site is stellar. Trust.
Pink Raised Doughnuts with Toasted Coconut
makes 12-14 doughnuts
recipe adapted slightly from Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts
For the Doughnuts:
3 tablespoons (four ¼ ounce packages) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (about 105 degrees F)
½ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons iodized salt
4 to 4 ½ cups bread flour, plus more for dusting, rolling, and cutting
¼ cup vegetable shortening
3 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
canola oil for frying
toasted coconut for topping
For the Glaze:
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
¼ teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 to 3 drops red or pink food coloring
scant 1/3 cup hot water, plus more if necessary
To Make the Doughnuts:
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whisk together the yeast, water, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes until mixture is foamy and frothy. That’s how you know the yeast is alive and ready to doughnut!
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and 4 cups of bread flour. Set aside.
Break up shortening and add to the yeast mixture. Add the egg yolks, and vanilla extract and beat on low speed using the paddle attachment. This will deflate the yeast bubbles and help break up the shortening.
With the mixture on low speed, add one third of the dry ingredients. Blend until flour disappears. Add another third of the dry ingredients. Beat until flour disappears. Switch to the dough hook and add the last amount of flour. Mix on low speed until no flour bits remain. Add a bit more flour if necessary. The dough should clean the sides of the bowl, and not stick to the bottom in a pool.
Knead for 2 minutes. The dough will be glossy, and just a bit sticky… but it shouldn’t stick to your hands.
Transfer the dough to a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with 1 tablespoon of flour. Shake into a 6-inch circle and dust the top with flour. Cover with a dishtowel and set in a warm place to double in size.
The Top Pot Cookbook has an awesome way to create your own proofing box! Bring a large kettle of water to a boil. Pour about 8 cups of water into a large baking dish. Set it on the floor of your oven. Place the sheet tray with covered dough on the middle rack above the steaming water, close the oven door and let rise for about 1 hour.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a roughly 12-inch circle, about ½ inch thick. Cut into 12 doughnuts and 12 holes using a 2 ¾-inch and 1 ¼-inch round cutter. Gently transfer the doughnuts and holes to two baking sheets that have been sprinkled with flour. Set the doughnuts for their second rise about 2 inches apart.
Let rise in the oven for another 30-45 minutes, using another hot water proofing bath.
In a medium or large, heavy-bottom saucepan, heat canola oil that is 2-inches deep. Use a candy thermometer to bring the oil to 350 degrees F.
When the doughnuts have doubled in size place a few doughnuts into the oil to fry. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry for 30 seconds on one side, flip and cook for another 30 seconds. Doughnuts will darken slightly as they cool, so don’t cook them too dark. Transfer to a few layers of paper towel to cool. Bring the fry oil back to 350 degrees F before frying new batches of doughnuts.
Allow to cool completely before glazing.
To Make the Glaze:
Place the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Add the food coloring and hot water and use a whisk to incorporate. Blend until entirely smooth. If the mixture seems to thick to easily dip doughnuts, add more hot water 1 teaspoon at a time.
To ice the doughnuts, dip one side of the cooled doughnuts into the freshly made icing. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Let dry and set for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
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