Drop Doughnuts

MCKENNA WALTER

These are not a ‘traditional’ holiday treat for us, but my mom’s doughnuts are so good we beg her to make them any time we can. She said that she always remembers making them in the heat of August to take out to the field during harvest. However, Christmas seems like a great occasion for doughnuts to us, so we’ve convinced her to make them for the holiday this year. It might also help that they’re my grandpa’s favorite, and he just happens to be coming for Christmas this year, as well.

Since these are drop doughnuts, some special equipment is required. These are not rolled out, they are dropped from a doughnut dropper. A candy thermometer is always a good idea to help keep the lard at the right temperature. This also is an extremely large amount of batter, so make sure you have an extra large bowl.

Drop Doughnuts

Beat together:

2.5 c. sugar

6 eggs

2 tsp. nutmeg

1 c. sour cream

1 qt. buttermilk

2 tsp. soda

1 tsp. salt

9 c. flour

4 tsp. baking powder

Use a doughnut dropper. Fry in a large dutch oven in lard. Frying temperature should be in the 350-375 degree fahrenheit range. This recipe makes about 100 doughnuts.

*You may need to experiment a few doughnuts at a time to get the right consistency for dropping.

This is Fredella Marquart’s recipe from the Lakota Centennial Cookbook in Lakota, N.D.