Quasi-Homemade Donuts

Do not adjust your monitor.  You are indeed seeing a picture of fresh, oh-so-squishy and ultra delishy quasi-homemade donuts!!!  When I say 'quasi-homemade' it's because these glorious treats are made by your own hands but actually come from a can!  Yes, a can of Pillsbury biscuits! 

Note: Is it just me or does anyone else cringe in fear (and sometimes yelp) as they open a can of Pillsbury product because you're afraid of the POP! sound??  Just me.  Duly noted.  I'm a wuss.

Because this recipe is so dangerously quick and easy I fear that I will be making these beauties so often that I'll have to install a Crispy Creme "Now serving fresh donuts" sign on my house!  Unfortunately if I throw caution to the wind and make oodles of donuts my cholesterol levels would sky-rocket and I'd more than likely increase the Grinch belly that my three kids so lovingly gave me. {shudder}  Not something that I want as we head into The Swimsuit Months.  So use this recipe in moderation. :)

My family loved these donuts.  Who knew that Pillsbury biscuits, some oil, a shot glass (more on that later) and some cinnamon sugar could put such stupid grins on the faces of my family.  Utterly ridiculous - and slightly embarassing -- how happy we were.  We even texted my parents to come over and sample our wares.  We got thumbs up from the 'Folks over 60' faction too!  Boo-ya!

These donuts were so squishy-good and coated with cinnamon-sugar it was like we were eating a donut at the local Timmy's!!  I was shocked to see just how much like a 'regular donut' these little disks of biscuit turned into with hardly any work at all.  The impetus for this culinary adventure was the fact that Boy 1 (who is anaphylactic to peanuts) has never really eaten a fresh donut (only certain prebaked donuts from the food store).  Needless to say he had a big grin on his face as he at a truly fresh donut. :)

I don't think we had even swallowed the last donutty bite before Boy 1 was making recommendations for the next batch of donuts (coincidentally he has recommended a cocoa/sugar coating with a potential Nutella filling -- can you tell how excited he is that he has now been given the all clear to eat hazelnuts by his allergist?!?).  Personally, I've found a delicious looking strawberry glaze.  Perhaps we'll blend our ideas together ..... interesting.  Very interesting.

Quasi-Homemade Donuts

Yield: 10 donuts and 10 donut holes

1 (340g) tube Pillsbury Country Biscuits (NOT the flaky kind)
approximately 2 cups vegetable oil
1/8 to 1/4 cup butter, melted
cinnamon sugar (1/2 cup white sugar + 2 tsp cinnamon)

Get your ingredients together.  You'll need:

Pour enough oil into a large skillet so that you have about 1/2-inch of oil covering the bottom of the pan.  Heat oil over medium heat until it reaches 350F (use a candy thermometer if you have one).  The temperature is important.  Too hot and the outside of your donuts will cook fast and the inside will be raw.   Too cool and the donuts will soak up a tonne of oil and be nasty.

As the oil is heating open the biscuit tube (beware the POP!) and lay out the biscuits on a cutting board or counter.  With a rolling pin gently roll the biscuits so they're fairly flat and about 1/4-inch thick. 

Now you're going to cut out donut holes.  How you ask?  This is where the shot glass comes in.  Stay with me.  It's not so you can have a little shot of Bailey's whilst you're making your donuts. I'm not opposed to a little Bailey's in one's coffee occasionally but we are using the shot glass for a different reason. To make the donut holes! {If you have a fancy-schmancy biscuit cutter you can use it instead.} I have some tall 2oz slender shot glasses that worked perfectly for cutting out the donut hole in the middle of m'biscuits.  Cut out the holes and set them aside.

Once the oil is hot enough gently (and carefully!) place donut rings and holes into the oil.  You will probably want to do them in two batches.  Cook on the first side until browned then flip to the other side -- don't leave the donuts to cook on their own because you'll be surprised that it only takes a couple minutes to cook them.  With some tongs, remove the cooked donuts and holes to a dish lined with paper towel.  Continue to cook the remaining donuts (it took us two batches to get er' all done).

Pour the cinnamon and sugar into a shallow dish and mix well.  Dip or brush each donut and hole with the melted butter then roll them in the cinnamon sugar.  Set aside.  Complete for each of the donuts and holes.  EAT! 

Note:  These donuts taste better if eaten the same day.  We did have one donut that made it to see the following day but my kids said that it wasn't nearly as good.