In the days before commercial doughnut shops, the 1915 cookbook produced by the Five Roses Flour Company featured recipes for a variety of homemade doughnuts.
Large pots of lard were heated over the stove and the round circles of doughnut dough were popped into the hot fat that had been tested to ensure the proper heat had been reached.
The cookbook introduction says: “These recipes were carefully tested by competent authority thoroughly versed in the culinary requirements of Canadian housewives.
“The recipes were supplied by Canadian housewives and are suitable for use in all parts of the Dominion.”
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Eggless Doughnuts
- 6 cups Five Roses flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup cream
- 1 cup skim milk
- 2 tsps. cream of tartar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- nutmeg to taste
Sift the cream of tartar, soda and salt with the flour.
Dissolve the sugar in the cream and skim milk. Add the nutmeg and pour into the flour. Form into a dough. Roll out on a floured surface, cut and fry in hot fat.
Heat fat gradually and test by dropping in a small spoon of batter. If it rises at once to the surface, swells rapidly and browns quickly, the fat is ready.
Always have a large quantity cut before beginning to fry to avoid the danger of fat cooling or smoking.
Doughnuts should fry in from 3-5 minutes. When crisp and golden brown on both sides, remove from fat with a perforated spoon and set on brown unglazed paper to drain free from grease. If desired, roll in powdered or granulated sugar while still hot.
Pack in a stone crock. Will keep for several weeks and improve with age.
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Plain Doughnuts
- 1 egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 small tsp. baking soda
- 1 cup fresh sweet milk
- 2 cups Five Roses flour
- 2 tsps. cream of tartar
- nutmeg to taste
Beat the egg and sugar together. Dissolve soda in milk and mix with the egg and sugar mixture.
Sift flour, cream of tartar, beat well and add nutmeg. Add to wet mixture and mix well.
Roll out as soft as can be handled. Fry in hot fat as above. Double the recipe to make about 5 dozen.
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Molasses Doughnuts
- 1 cup molasses
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. ginger
- 2 tsps. melted butter
Five Roses flour, enough to make a soft dough.
Mix all ingredients, adding flour last. Pour out into a floured surface and pat lightly with the hands until smooth then roll out, cut and fry in hot fat as above.
Joyce Walter can be reached at [email protected]
