Sour Cream and Onion Doughnuts

Onions and sour cream blend together perfectly, creating a doughnut that is flavorful, light, and cakey. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to make Sour Cream and Onion Doughnuts; all you need to do is mix your ingredients, shape your dough, cook, and enjoy! The trick to perfecting this recipe is using a deep pan and making sure the oil is nice and hot; this will ensure your doughnuts fry quickly and evenly. It yields 20 servings.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¾ cup finely diced sweet onions, green onions, or garlic scapes
• 4½ cups sifted all purpose flour
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 1¼ cups sour cream
• Neutral, high-smoke-point oil such as safflower, canola, or vegetable oil
• Confectioners’ sugar or Parmesan cheese

Directions: Heat the butter over medium in a small skillet. When bubbling, add the onions and sauté for about 4 minutes, until softened. Set aside to cool. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sifted flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. In a small mixing bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the onions and melted butter into the sour cream mixture. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the sour cream and onion mixture. Using the rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet until well combined. The dough should be sticky, but not too wet to handle. If necessary, fold in more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Prepare two baking sheets: one lightly floured and the other lined with a few layers of paper towels or a clean paper bag. Heat a pot of oil until it reaches 190 degrees C. The oil should be about an inch and a half deep. Use a deep fryer or candy thermometer to monitor the temperature. While the oil is heating, shape the doughnuts. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured board and with floured hands, pat the dough into a ¾-inch thick slab. Using the rim of a glass or a round cookie cuter, slice out circles of dough. To make a hole in the center, push a floured finger into the center then twirl the dough around like a hula hoop, keeping it flat on the board. Carefully transfer the shaped doughnuts to the floured baking sheet.

When the oil reaches 162 degrees c, use a slotted spoon to carefully slip one doughnut into the hot oil. It will sink then slowly rise to the top. Once it rises to the top, cook it for about 20 seconds, until nicely browned, then flip it over and cook another 20 seconds. Remove the doughnut from the oil allowing the oil to drip off into the pot before moving it to the paper-lined baking sheet. Let the doughnut sit on the paper for about 10 seconds then flip it over onto a fresh part of the paper, the back again, essentially blotting off the oil. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts. If you are comfortable with the process you can cook two at a time instead of one. To serve, top with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar or finely grated Parmesan cheese.