Doughnuts

Here is a recipe for doughnuts that Heidi found on a blog. We made them a few minutes after she found the recipe and we found them to be SO good! Bill asked that I don't make them very often because he would eat a lot of them and on the negative side -- they make the house smell like a fast food restaurant for a few days:) Anyway, I might make them again, but just for special occasions.

2 pkgs regular yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup shortening
5 cups all-purpose flour
vegetable oil
creamy glaze

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, salt, sugar, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups flour. Beat on low speed scraping the bowl constantly for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally for 2 minutes. Stir in remaining flour until smooth. Cover and let rise in warm place for 50-60 minutes. Turn dough onto floured surface; roll around lightly to coat with flour. Gently roll dough 1/2" thick with floured rolling pin. Cut with floured doughnut cutter. Cover and let rise until double, 30-40 minutes. Heat veggie oil in deep fryer or electric skillet to 350 degrees. Slide doughnuts into hot oil with wide spatula. Turn doughnuts as they rise to the surface. Fry until golden brown, about 1 minute on each side. Remove carefully from oil (do not prick surface); drain. Dip the doughnuts into creamy glaze, set on rack.

Creamy glaze:
1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix until smooth.

Doughnuts and coffee sound like a great Advent activity to me!