It's really impossible for me to pick an ultimate favorite, but one of my favorites is the peanut-covered cake donut Dunkin' Donuts makes. I don't know if it's because they're more expensive to produce or because Dunkin' wants to avoid a common allergen, but lately it's harder and harder to find these treasures. Desperately craving them the other day, I decided to figure out a way to make them myself.
This was not the easiest or quickest recipe I've ever made, but it was totally worth the effort. These things were GOOD, and the recipe made a ton, so there's plenty to share (or not, I won't judge!) Even better, while most donuts taste stale the next day, these still tasted fine a week later (stored in an airtight container). When I finally finished them off, I was ready to make another batch!
If you can enlist an assistant to help, the process goes smoother and quicker, especially when it comes to the glazing and peanut-ing.
Peanut Crunch Donuts
Total time: 90 min
Serves 20
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 1/2 Tbs butter, softened
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
6 cups all-purpose flour
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups of peanuts, finely chopped(
(plus oil for frying)
For the glaze:
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar
With a mixer, cream 1 1/2 cups sugar and softened butter. Add milk, egg, 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; mix well. Mix in an additional 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour to form a soft dough that can be rolled out.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. (Make sure it's 1/2-inch thick--thinner doesn't develop a tender cakey inside, and thicker will lead to insides being undercooked.) Use a donut cutter to cut rounds, flouring the cutter between each cut. Gather up dough scraps and re-roll; cut additional donuts. (Re-roll only once, as over-worked dough results in tough donuts.)
Preheat deep fryer or large Dutch oven filled with at least 1 inch of oil to 360°F. Once oil is at temperature, carefully drop in three to five donuts. Fry until light golden brown all over, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side, turning with tongs or a slotted spoon once or twice during cooking. Line a baking sheet or wire rack with a double thickness of paper towels. Remove cooked donuts from oil and place on the paper towels to drain and cool. Repeat in small batches. Don't forget the donut holes!
For the glaze, combine the milk and vanilla in a saucepan and heat on low until warm. Gradually sift the sugar into the milk mixture, whisking gently and continuously, until well-combined. Remove the saucepan from the stove and place in a bowl of warm-hot water so that just the base of the saucepan is submerged in the water. If the glaze is so thick that it is starting to harden in parts, continue whisking it while very slowly dropping in hot water using a spoon until the glaze is just smooth without clumping or hardening as you whisk.
Take each donut and quickly dip it in the glaze on both sides and immediately roll the donut in the peanuts. Let cool then store in an airtight container.
Alternately, you could leave some donuts plain, dip some in glaze but not peanuts, or roll some in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. I did some of each, and they were all great.
386 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!