Mardi Gras Colored Donuts (Print Version)
Fluffy golden donuts dusted with bright colored sugar, perfect for festive New Orleans flair.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
04 - ½ tsp salt
05 - ¾ cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
07 - 1 large egg
→ Frying
08 - 4 cups vegetable oil
→ Glaze
09 - 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
10 - 3 tbsp milk
11 - ½ tsp vanilla extract
→ Decoration
12 - 2 tbsp purple colored sugar
13 - 2 tbsp green colored sugar
14 - 2 tbsp yellow colored sugar
# How to Prepare:
01 - Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl until thoroughly blended.
02 - In a separate bowl, combine lukewarm milk, melted butter, and egg. Whisk until smooth and fully incorporated.
03 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms and all flour is absorbed.
04 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.
05 - Place dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm, draft-free area for 1 hour until doubled in size.
06 - Roll dough to ½-inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a 3-inch donut cutter and a 1-inch cutter for holes.
07 - Arrange cut donuts and holes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 20-30 minutes until puffy.
08 - Heat vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F. Maintain temperature throughout frying.
09 - Fry donuts in batches, 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth and creamy.
11 - Dip warm donuts into glaze, allowing excess to drip off. Place on a wire rack.
12 - Immediately sprinkle sections with purple, green, and yellow colored sugars while glaze is wet. Let set completely before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The moment you bite into that pillowy soft interior, you will understand why these are worth every minute of rising time
- Nothing beats watching colored sugar catch the light like tiny edible jewels, especially when you made them yourself
02 -
- I learned the hard way that oil temperature drops quickly when frying, so use a thermometer and let it recover between batches
- The colored sugar only sticks to the glaze while it is wet, so work quickly once you start dipping
03 -
- Roll your dough to an even thickness so all donuts fry at the same rate
- Let the donuts cool just enough to handle before glazing, but while still warm so the glaze adheres properly