Lady’s Doughnut Recipe (Lady and the Tramp)

Welcome back friends! This week we’ll be frying the Doughnuts (or Donuts) Jim Dear and Darling give Lady in Disney’s Lady and the Tramp!

These doughnuts are featured during a breakfast scene after Lady retrieves Jim Dear’s paper. Darling offers Lady a doughnut and Jim Dear offers her coffee to dunk it in.

I knew I wanted to make old fashioned buttermilk doughnuts with a simple glaze. I considered making cake donuts, but deep frying seemed like so much more fun! If you’ve never deep fried anything before, be very careful! I use a very heavy dutch oven and a frying thermometer, heating the oil up a little at a time so it doesn’t get too hot too fast!

DOUGHNUTS (DONUTS)

• 4 tablespoons of butter, melted
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 3 1/2 cups of flour, sifted
• 3/4 cup of buttermilk
• 6 cups of canola or vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS (DOUGHNUTS)

1. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugar until they form a light, sandy texture.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the egg yolk, and then the vanilla extract.
3. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.
4. Begin adding in one cup of flour, followed by 1⁄4 cup of buttermilk. Continue alternating the flour and buttermilk, ending with the flour.
5. The dough will be very sticky. Flour your hands and sprinkle a little on the dough, cover it with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for at least an 1 hour.
6. In a large heavy bottomed sauce pot (I use my dutch oven), slowly heat the oil to about 325F as read on a candy or deep fry thermometer.
7. While the oil heats, flour a large flat work surface and roll the dough out, flouring it liberally if needed to prevent sticking. Roll out to about 1⁄2″ thickness.
8. Using a doughnut cutter, cut out doughnut shapes. Keep re-rolling and cutting the dough as needed.
9. When oil is hot, gently slide the doughnuts into the pan using a slotted wire spoon to prevent splashing.
10. Fry the doughnuts for about 90 seconds per side, or until a deep golden brown then remove them from the oil and place a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.

GLAZE

• 2 teaspoons of corn syrup
• 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1⁄3 cup of hot water

INSTRUCTIONS (GLAZE)

1. Combine all of the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and stir until smooth.
2. Place the warm doughnuts into the glaze mixture one at a time.
3. Use a fork or spoon to turn them over and coat them completely in the glaze.
4. Place the glazed doughnuts back onto the wire rack to set for about 20 minutes.
5. Enjoy on them on their own, or dunked in coffee!