"Mmm...doughnuts" ~Homer Simpson

When I saw that Peabody from Culinary Concoctions and Helen of Tartelette had decided to throw a "Time to Make the Doughnuts" blogging event I had no choice but to participate. I had never made homemade doughnuts before, and have actually been craving a good doughnut for quite some time, so I figured what better time than now! So off I went in search of an easy...non yeast...doughnut recipe (I'm still terrified to work with yeast!) After looking for a few days I came across an interesting recipe on Epicurious' website.

The doughnut was called Maple-Glazed Sour Cream Doughnut with Sugared Walnut Streusel, it was love at first read! There was no yeast at all, the recipe sounded very simple and the flavor combination left my lips smacking in anticipation. So that was it my recipe hunt had ended!

With the sun barely peeking over the mountains and gloomy snow clouds covering the wintry morning sky, it was time to fry up some doughnuts. Right away my kitchen was letting off the aroma of breakfast, and I had only made the dough for my fried little treats. It was the orange zest in the dough that awakened my family's nose giving them their morning hunger pains.

My dough was ready in about 5 minutes, but need to rest for an hour. So while the dough was nestled in the corner staying warm, I got to work on the streusel which was also very, very easy! The recipe calls for walnuts, but I had pecans, so that's what i used. And who doesn't love cinnamon sugared pecans in the morning? By baking them in the oven the streusel gets a really nice crunch to it, which also brings out the flavor of the pecans. I had to force myself to quit eating the topping, it was so good!

Finally the hour had passed and I cranked the blue flame under the Le Crueset to "High"...time to rock and roll! With my doughnuts cut into typical doughnut shaped I carefully lowered batches of orange specked doughnuts into the hot oil. For a second there I could've sworn the oil was saying "Snap, Crackle, Pop", cementing the idea of fresh doughnuts for breakfast into my head.

When the puffed doughnuts had their summer glow it was time to retrieve them from their boiling hot swimming pool...which I had become quite envious of. Here I was standing in warm pajamas trying to keep my feet from freezing on the cold as ice tile, while my doughnuts were basking away in the heat, turning their skin from eggshell white to summer golden brown...bastards. Little did they know I would get my revenge!

Out of the hot oil the doughnuts dried off on some paper towels. I got a paper bag and dumped some cinnamon and sugar in it and quickly tossed the hot doughnuts holes into the bag. Shake, shake, shake, shake...and out they came covered in white crystals, smelling heavenly. The doughnuts were dunked into the maple glaze (twice, just to make sure they were good and coated) and then covered in the crunchy streusel.

With the doughnut process complete it was time to taste my creations, and let me just say "You can't eat just one". These doughnuts were so good! They had the texture of cake doughnuts and the glaze gave the doughnuts just enough flavor without being overwhelming, but it was the struesel that really brought home the flavor. My family was so happy to wake up on a Sunday morning and have outrageously good, but not too sweet homemade, hot, crisp doughnuts. And to make sure everybody had something they could eat I left a few doughnuts just plain, and a few with just the maple glaze...mom can get a little picky as to what toppings are on her doughunts :)

Thanks Peabody and Helen for a great blogging event!!