Do-It-Yourself: Donuts

When I was a little girl my dad would make these special donuts on the weekends and especially when we had friends to spend the night... I have fond memories of shaking the hot donuts in paper bags with powdered sugar with my sister, Kari (sorry Matt - you weren't around yet!). I've started to make them for my little family - Audrey and Charles both go crazy for them! They are surprisingly simple to make and a lot less clean up than the usual BIG Saturday morning breakfasts.
You'll Need:

The cheap-o four pack of buttermilk biscuits (not flaky layers) - We only use two cans for our breakfast and still don't finish them off... adjust to what your family size is...

Some Canola Oil - enough to fill your pot about 1/2 full... It is a lot of oil, but I save mine in the fridge and re-use it the next time I make donuts - It lasts forever *try to strain out the donut bits that might have fallen off before storing.

I use a small pot (2 quart) so that I don't have to use a ton of oil.

Just cut the biscuits any way you want - When we were little my dad cut them each into quarters to resemble donut holes... Use a pizza cutter to make it easier! If you want them slightly larger - just cut them in half - It makes a nice moon shape. You can also leave them whole and punch out a circle in the middle with a small round object in the house... whatever your family likes. I usually make a variety of shapes each time to keep it fun.

When your oil reaches around 350 degrees (just pop in a food thermometer if you aren't sure) the oil is ready - just add a few biscuits in at a time so the oil temp doesn't drop too much. Flip them over after just a few seconds on the first side - it browns fast and take them out when they are a light golden brown. {Each batch should take around a minute or two to cook.}

I drain mine on a plate with some paper towels and when they are cool enough to handle - put them in a brown paper bag (works best) with some powdered sugar or just use whatever you have - gallon size zip loc or even a large plastic container with lid would work just fine. Give them a couple of shakes **this is where the kids can have some fun** and VOILA! they're ready.

Let the kids get involved - older kids can cut the biscuits and the younger can do the shaking... It will mean the world to them - I still remember doing this over 20 years ago :) Try It!