I’ve added a touch of class to plain Jane doughnuts for a festive and fun idea to add to your New Year’s celebration.
These were originally created out of a need for additional items to dip in a chocolate dessert fountain at last year’s celebration. However, I underestimated their size. The result was doughnuts too large for dipping. The only option left was to decorate and serve them on their own (the 2017 version) fashioning a platter full of New Year’s Eve themed doughnuts dipped in a champagne flavored glaze.
These are a fun way to serve sweets at your New Year’s celebration and dead easy to make. The dough comes together in 30 seconds. After a 1 hour rise time during which you can whip together the glaze, cut out the doughnuts, fry, cool and dip them.
You then have the option to decorate them with glitter sugar or sprinkles. Or not. I went with a gold and silver color theme for a touch of bling but multicolor decorations would be equally as festive.
I used large number cutters to create shapes resulting in full-size doughnuts. However, you can do what I was supposed to go in the first place and use mini cutters to create bite-size doughnuts instead. Use round, square or star cutters if you don’t have numbers.
Champagne Glazed Doughnuts
Rise time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup champagne (105-115 degrees)
- 1-1/2 cups lukewarm milk
- 5 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 T vanilla
- champagne flavoring (optional)
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- vegetable oil for frying
Directions:
- Warm the champagne and dissolve the yeast in it.
- Add milk, sugar, salt, eggs, butter, champagne flavor and 2 cups flour.
- Beat on low for 30 seconds with the paddle attachment, scraping the bowl if needed.
- Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
- Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead in the remaining 3 cups of flour until smooth.
- Cover the bowl with a dishcloth and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about an hour.
- Turn dough onto floured surface and roll dough 1/2-inch thick.
- Cut with a floured doughnut cutter or number cutters.
- Cover and let rise again until doubled in size, 30-40 minutes.
- Place a layer of paper towels next to the stove.
- Heat vegetable oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees F and fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds on each side.
- Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels for a minute.
- Dip the doughnuts into the glaze and set them on cooling racks over parchment or foil-lined baking sheets.
- If you run out of glaze, scrape up the excess off of the baking sheet and return it to the bowl.
For the Champagne Glaze:
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-1/2 tsp. champagne flavor
- 4–6 tablespoons champagne
- Glitter sugar, quinns, sprinkles or whatever you like to decorate the doughnuts.
- Heat butter until melted over medium-low heat and remove from the stove.
- Whisk in the powdered sugar, champagne and champagne flavor until smooth.
- If the glaze is too thick to dip the doughnuts into, thin it out by adding more champagne one teaspoon at a time.
- Dip the doughnuts into the glaze and set them on cooling racks over parchment or foil-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with the edible decorations.
- If you run out of glaze, scrape up the excess off of the baking sheet and return it to the bowl.
- Let the glaze harden completely before serving.
(Left to Right) 