Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

You "doughnut" want to miss out on this. Homemade Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts. Need I say more?

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen doughnuts

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups warm milk, 95 to 105 degrees

2 teaspoons instant yeast

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons softened butter

2 large eggs

5 cups all-purpose flour

A pinch or two of nutmeg, freshly grated

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions

Place warm milk in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the yeast and sugar. Add the butter, eggs, flour, nutmeg and salt. Beat the dough with the dough hook attachment (or with a wooden spoon and eventually your hands) for 2-3 minutes at medium speed. Adjust the dough texture by adding flour a few tablespoons at a time or more milk. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and be very soft and smooth but still slightly sticky – don’t overflour! Knead the dough for a few minutes (again, by mixer or by hand) and then transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size (the exact time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen).

Punch down the dough and roll it out to about 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured counter. Using a doughnut cutter or a 2-3 inch circle cookie cutter, cut out circles in the dough. Carefully transfer the circles to a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet and stamp out the smaller inner circles using a smaller cutter. Be sure to make the holes large enough that as the doughnuts rise again and bake, they don’t fill in the doughnut hole with the puffiness of the dough. Cover the tray with lightly greased plastic wrap. (At this point, you can refrigerate the doughnuts overnight or proceed with the recipe.) Let the doughnuts rise for about another 45 minutes, until they are puffed and nearly doubled.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven until the bottoms are just golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Start checking the doughnuts around minute 8. They should still be pale on top, not golden and browned, and just barely baked through.

Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let cool for 1-2 minutes. Dip each one in the melted butter and toss or sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Baked Smoked Paprika Potato Chips

Another football season favorite. Homemade chips.

Ingredients:

2 russet potatoes (about 1 1/4 lb total), unpeeled

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray two rimmed baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.

Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the potatoes into very thin rounds (about 1/16-inch). Place them in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Spread in a single layer on a kitchen towel or paper towels and top with another towel or paper towels - dry completely. 

Whisk the oil, paprika and salt together in a large bowl. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. 

Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking sheets. Spread in a single layer - it's important they all have their own space in order to crisp up. Bake for 12-20 minutes, or until the chips are browned and crispy. The baking time will vary depending on the thickness of the rounds so check frequently, and pull chips that are finished from the baking sheets and let the others continue to cook. The chips will crisp a bit more as they cool. They can be stored in a paper bag for up to 3 days. 

Serve with ranch dressing.