Herman Doughnuts Recipes

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add 1 cup milk and 1 cup flour. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together with a fork. Then mix in the eggs, one at a time.
• Add in flour, salt, raisins, yeast mixture and milk. Stir until completely blended. I used a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil to 375°F.
• Drop batter by the tablespoon into the hot oil. I used 2 spoons to help scoop the batter out of one with the other. When one side of the doughnut is browned, flip over and cook on other side.
• Set doughnuts on paper towels to drain. After placing on serving plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Steps:

• On a small plate, stack the three doughnuts to form body of snowman. Place doughnut hole on top for head. Add chocolate chip buttons and eyes and an orange-mint nose. , Make 1-in. cuts on both ends of the fruit roll to form scarf fringe; wrap scarf around neck. Press a gumdrop onto each pretzel to form mittens; press pretzel arms into body. Top with a hat made from a mint and a gumdrop.

Steps:

• Heat the milk until it is warm but not hot, about 90 degrees. In a large bowl, combine it with the yeast. Stir lightly, and let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, beat the eggs, butter, sugar and salt into the yeast mixture. Add half of the flour (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons), and mix until combined, then mix in the rest of the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time, if the dough is too wet. If you're using an electric mixer, the dough will probably become too thick to beat; when it does, transfer it to a floured surface, and gently knead it until smooth. Grease a large bowl with a little oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, and cover. Let rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and roll it to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out the doughnuts with a doughnut cutter, concentric cookie cutters or a drinking glass and a shot glass (the larger one should be about 3 inches in diameter), flouring the cutters as you go. Reserve the doughnut holes. If you're making filled doughnuts, don't cut out the middle. Knead any scraps together, being careful not to overwork, and let rest for a few minutes before repeating the process.
• Put the doughnuts on two floured baking sheets so that there is plenty of room between each one. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until they are slightly puffed up and delicate, about 45 minutes. If your kitchen isn't warm, heat the oven to 200 at the beginning of this step, then turn off the heat, put the baking sheets in the oven and leave the door ajar.
• About 15 minutes before the doughnuts are done rising, put the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and heat it to 375. Meanwhile, line cooling racks, baking sheets or plates with paper towels.
• Carefully add the doughnuts to the oil, a few at a time. If they're too delicate to pick up with your fingers (they may be this way only if you rose them in the oven), use a metal spatula to pick them up and slide them into the oil. It's O.K. if they deflate a bit; they'll puff back up as they fry. When the bottoms are deep golden, after 45 seconds to a minute, use a slotted spoon to flip; cook until they're deep golden all over. Doughnut holes cook faster. Transfer the doughnuts to the prepared plates or racks, and repeat with the rest of the dough, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil at 375. Glaze or fill as follows, and serve as soon as possible.

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the Herman Starter, oil, 2 cups flour and salt; mix well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a loaf. Place into the prepared pan. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top of the loaf is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.