Homer's Applesauce Doughnuts

Ingredients:
• 3 tablespoons dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 cup scalded milk (stirring constantly, bring milk just to a boil over medium heat and remove • from heat)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 8 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• ½ cup butter or margarine (room temperature)
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon mace
• 1 cup applesauce
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Ingredients For Glaze:
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• Approximately ¼ cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 teaspoon maple flavoring or 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preparation:
In a small bowl combine yeast, 2 tablespoons sugar, and warm water. In a large bowl combine scalded milk and ¾cup sugar and set aside to cool. When milk mixture is cooled add yeast mixture to it. Using a mixer, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg. Add half the flour (4 cups). Add butter or margarine, salt, mace, and applesauce and mix well. Mix in remaining flour (4 cups).

Knead the dough until it is elastic and smooth. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl. Flip the dough over in the bowl so its top surface is also greased. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise in a warm place until it is doubled in size.

Line baking sheets with lightly floured paper towels. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a ¾4-inch thickness and cut out doughnuts with a doughnut cutter (doughnut holes can also be fried). Place the doughnuts on the baking sheets, at least one inch apart. Heat oil in a deep-fryer (between 275° and 300°). Use enough oil so the doughnuts will float. Line shallow baking pans with 3 layers of paper towels and place cooling racks over them.

Turn the doughnuts upside down, so that the flat side is upward when frying begins. Transfer the doughnuts to the hot oil. Fry the doughnuts until they are light brown on each side, turning them once. Place fried doughnuts on the cooling racks, allowing drippings to drain onto paper towels. While still warm, drizzle the doughnuts generously with glaze. To prepare glaze, whisk ingredients together until glaze attains desired smooth consistency.

Alternatively, roll hot doughnuts in a cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating several times, or roll warm doughnuts in powdered sugar, coating several times.

Makes approximately 3 dozen large doughnuts. These freeze well and can be wrapped in foil and reheated in the oven.

This Doughnuts Recipe was published in 'The Book Lover's Cookbook by 'Shaunda Kennedy Wenger and Janet kay Jensen' - Ballantine Books'