Monday's Menu

This is not so much a recipe as a.... hmm.... technique maybe. Saturday was our third FCH class and the last thing we made was a lot of fun for the girls. In fact, it provided another of those 'wow' moments.

We made shortcut doughnuts. The ones that are literally done in five minutes or so. With no mixing. Or yeast. The only special item you need is what I called "a highly technical kitchen tool." All of the girls got a giggle over that when they saw what it was. A Dasani water bottle (although you can use any brand you want -- or even something similar you have on hand).

The 'wow' moment came when I turned over my example one in the oil and suddenly it looked like a doughnut rather than a doughy biscuit. They were all amazed and let out a collective "ohhh" that made me giggle a little.

How do you do it? Well you open a can of biscuits and pull out one. Then you use the opening of the bottle (or your own highly technical kitchen tool) and press in the center of the biscuit. If the hole gets stuck in your bottle, you simply squeeze the bottle quickly and the air pressure will pop it right out.

Then you heat some oil to 375 degrees and drop your 'doughnut' in (don't forget the holes), turning it over when it browns, and taking it out when it is brown all over. Very quick. Very easy.

And very yummy -- especially with some cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar sprinkled on. Of course, you can put a glaze on them too if you like or frosting or whatever.

I am so enjoying the FCH class. I only wish that I had a large enough house to do it at home so I wouldn't have to carry every single thing to the church building. But then we wouldn't have all the nice big tables either. So I guess there's always pros and cons either way.

These would be a fun thing to do with your kids although you would need to be VERY careful around the hot oil. Even letting them stand back and watch while you do the cooking part is really only for school aged children. But any child can do the hole cutting, especially if you use a bottle without sharp edges. And then everyone can enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Quick and Easy Doughnuts

Canned biscuits
Oil
Topping if desired such as powdered sugar, cinnamon, frosting, or glaze

Preheat oil to 375 degrees. Cut holes in biscuits using a round cutter or bottle top. Cook doughnuts in oil until brown on both sides (turning as necessary). Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Dust with sugar or frost as desired. Enjoy while warm.