Today, the lovely Rachel from Elephantine is sharing her recipe for homemade doughnuts (with two secret ingredients!). Take a look…

The Best Homemade Doughnuts You’ll Ever Have
By Rachel of Elephantine

When I was a kid, I only experienced doughnuts at room temperature, typically from a box that had been sitting in a grocery store for days. But when I ate my first hot doughnut—after serendipitously passing a Krispy Kreme right as their “Hot Now” sign lit up—that I finally understood what I was missing. Fresh out of the kitchen, doughnuts have a crispier exterior, a fluffier interior and a warmth like everything is right with the world.

I’d never considered making them myself until I came across this recipe for ricotta doughnuts. I ran out to buy a container of ricotta and a deep-fry thermometer, then made a delicious mess in my kitchen. So what if a pot of hot oil is intimidating? There’s nothing like watching the dough slowly turn golden brown, or hearing the crackle each time a new spoonful drops in. These doughnuts are best eaten within minutes of being fried, dusted with confectioner’s sugar and served with a few sweet sides to dip them in.

Recipe: Lemon Ricotta Doughnuts
Adapted from Gale Gand

Makes about 12 donuts (2″ round)

You’ll need:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
8 oz (1/2 lb) ricotta, whole or skim
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
Canola oil, for frying (or another oil with a high smoke point)
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting
Deep-fry thermometer

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add sugar, eggs, ricotta, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Mix until just combined.

Pour the oil into a deep, heavy pot. Leave at least two inches of space at the top for safety. Using a deep-fry thermometer, heat the oil over medium until it reaches 325-375 degrees F.

Fry a test doughnut: Using a small ice cream scoop or a spoon, drop a scoop of batter in and turn it occasionally. It should take 3-4 minutes to turn golden brown. Carefully remove and cut in half to check if it’s cooked all the way through. Test another if needed.

Fry the remaining doughnuts. Don’t overcrowd the pot; fry in batches. Place doughnuts on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil.

Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve warm with honey, jam, or melted chocolate.

AMAZING. Thank you so much, Rachel! Who’s down for making these on Sunday morning? :)

P.S. More best recipes, including buttermilk pancakes and a lazy egg sandwich.

(Photos by Rachel of Elephantine. Thanks to Shoko for helping with this series.)