Doughnut fever has hit the Twin Cities. Earlier this year several food blogs, including Eater, declared “donuts the next cupcake.” The Heavy Table recently featured a handy “Let’s Eat Doughnuts Flow Chart,” the Twin Cities Metro Magazine blog has a roundup of local donut shops, and the November print edition features a recipe for pumpkin cake donuts courtesy of Dawn Otwell of the newly opened Donut Cooperative.

Why not join in the fun? Here’s a recipe for donuts from Minnesota Eats Out. Looking back to fifties travel, the authors noted, “long bus trips were broken by short stops at roadside stations where passengers quickly purchased something to eat and drink. A donut and a cup of coffee were the usual choice, and some stops, such as the original Tobie’s in Hinkley, were famous for their old-fashioned fried dunkers such as these.”

3 tablespoons shortening
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
6 cups sifted flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon, mace, and nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk or whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
Fat for deep frying

Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy; add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with milk to the creamed mixture. Stir in vanilla. Chill for 1 hour or longer. Roll dough out onto a lightly floured board to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a floured donut cutter. Fry in oil or lard heated to 370 degrees in a deep-fat fryer until golden brown on both sides, turning only once. Drain on paper towels. Makes about 40 donuts.

Donut illustration by Chris Monroe from Big Little Brother by Kevin Kling.