Doughnuts: Vegan no less!

I am always on the hunt for good egg- and dairy-free baking recipes for my children, who have food allergies.  As I stood in my local library, flipping through The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book: Great Dairy, Egg, and Nut Free Treats for the Whole Family by Kelly Rudnicki, I started to excited. I rushed home with the book, ready to try one of the many appealing recipes.

I've learned over the years that I actually like eating vegan treats. For some reason, I find that I feel less stuffed on those rare occasions that I overindulge. For those that don't know me, yes, I am joking when I use the word "rare."

group photo!

You will need to gather:

• vegetable oil for frying (about 2 inches deep)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons dairy-free margarine, melted
• 4 1/2–4 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup soy or rice milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon - or more! - for dusting

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine applesauce, vanilla, and 3/4 cup sugar. Add margarine. In a large bowl, mix 4 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt with a wire whisk. Add the flour mixture and the soy or rice milk alternately to the applesauce-margarine mixture. Add more flour, if needed to make a smooth and not-too-sticky dough.

should we invest in a donut cutter?

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured board, knead for 1 minute, and roll out to a 1/2-inch-thick circle. Dip your doughnut cutter or makeshift-doughnut cutter (even sterilized biscuit cutters and medicine bottles will do in a jam) into flour and cut the dough.

our makeshift one seems to work fine.

Heat a couple of inches of oil to 375 degrees and slide in 2 or 3 doughnuts at a time until golden brown. Lift out with metal tongs and drain on paper towels.

okay, we need to replace our broken kitchen thermometer

Roll in cinnamon-sugar. You can even go crazy and shake cinnamon-sugar and doughnuts in a brown paper bag.

we made doughnut holes too, naturally