I came across some doughnuts that resembled Edvard Munch’s The Scream recently on the internet-only they were made with that soft biscuit dough that comes in a tube. They looked so great though, and I’ll take any excuse to fry some dough, so I mixed up a batch of yeasted doughnut dough to do the same.

Though we’re not gathering as much as we used to, I think it’s important to mark the passing of time with holiday traditions and foods like these- in order to anchor where we are in the year, and for the sake of our emotional health. Plus, why not make doughnuts? This is a good weekend project that will remind us that it’s Halloween, regardless of whether we take the kids trick or treating or hand out candy.

So to make these, pull off balls of dough, roll them on an unfloured countertop (they’ll need to cling a bit to spread out), and cut holes for the mouth and eyes with the round open end of a frosting nozzle, or the end of a straw, or a chopstick and your fingers. (Remember that the dough will swell in the hot oil, so make your holes bigger than you actually want them to be.) Fry in an inch or two of canola or other mild vegetable oil, and sprinkle them with icing sugar or douse in cinnamon-sugar while they’re still warm.

Screaming Doughnuts

AuthorJulie

Yields1 Serving

2 tsp (or 1 pkg) active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water or milk

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp butter, softened or melted

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

canola oil, for cooking

icing or cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling

In a large bowl stir a big pinch of the sugar and the yeast into the water or milk and leave for 5 minutes, until it starts to foam.

Add the flour, sugar, butter, egg, vanilla and salt and knead until you have a soft dough. Continue to knead (or use the dough hook on your stand mixer) for 7-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with a tea towel and let rise for an hour or two, until doubled in size. (If you want to make it ahead of time, refrigerate the dough for up to 12 hours to slow the rise.) When you’re ready to fry them, divide into 10 pieces and roll each into an oval. Cut a mouth and some eyes—I used the end of a large icing bag tip for the mouth, and a chopstick and my finger for the eyes. (Remember that the dough will swell as it cooks, so make the holes larger than you’d like them to be.)

Heat an inch or two of canola oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat until it’s hot, but not smoking (350F is ideal if you have a thermometer—otherwise test with a scrap of dough or bread to see if it bubbles) and cook a few pieces of dough at a time, without crowding the pan for a minute or two per side, until golden. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate, then sprinkle with icing sugar or douse in cinnamon sugar (put it in a baking dish or pie plate) while still warm. Makes about 1 1/2 dozen doughnuts.

Categorybread, snacks

Ingredients