Doing Donuts in Tete

I have a hard time keeping up the pace of "real" work when my kids are home from school. This past week was their half-term break. This coincided with the national elections in Mozambique, so there was plenty of reason to leave paperwork behind and find something else to do together.

I have a good friend here in Tete who is blessed with a Mennonite background (like mine) and an air-conditioned kitchen (unlike mine). So when I got a text asking if I wanted to "do donuts" during half-term break, I knew it would be a great chance for some healthy mom-and-kid activity. (In my childhood dialect of northern Indiana, "doing donuts" can refer to "cutting kitties" -- spinning cars around on icy parking lots or the like.)

She suggested this recipe which she has used in the past. I've not made donuts since I was a little girl in Indiana, as far as I can remember. At least not any that were as memorable as grandma's. Here is my photo documentation of our donut activities. I'm not a food blogger, but I'll just pretend for today.

I should have had a nice picture of all the ingredients and utensils and bowls... but I missed that part. We worked hard to include three boys aged 7, 10 & 12 in measuring, egg breaking, stirring and general silliness...

Eggs and milk... after yeast proved itself viable in a cup of warm water, of course...

Salt and sugar and about a half pound of very soft butter...

I missed taking pictures of the overflowing addition 

of flour that threatened the mixer.

We decided to divide and conquer the double batch of dough...

When the mixing got too intense for our young he-men, we moms took over!

It took the two of us to stir the stuff. 

The dough should be soft for this one so they come out fluffy and soft and perfect 

so there was more mixing than kneading.

Then ya just have to wait... and in an air-conditioned kitchen, the dough takes awhile to rise!

(In my kitchen, it will rise in about 15 minutes, I kid you not!)

This was a good time to have lunch...

best grilled cheese sandwiches ever due to our combined expertise.

When Karmen deemed the dough perfectly raised, Half a batch was dumped on the board for rolling.

and cutting...

Everyone rolled and cut and rolled and cut...

We did round ones in big and small...

a few holes for sampling, and hole-less for filling...

and dinosaurs (I have a toast-cutter with this shape)

Then we let them rise on every surface available in the kitchen.

Karmen Neta was in charge of frying.

It's important to have the oil at the right temperature.

Perfectly golden dinosaurs...

with fat tummies just growling for filling.

I was the icing-glazing-filling-dusting person.

We shot some cherry jam into his tummy and dusted him with icing sugar.

Sugar cinnamon holes and glazed perfection...

Then we rolled out the second half to rise... 

We were half-way there... so it was time for a coffee break...

Karmen Neta looks happy! 

Then I noticed the sky was beautiful in lavender with an orange sun

Almost looks wintry, but when I stepped outside for a better shot, 

I was confused at the heat radiating from every surface 

and enveloping me in the dusty breeze...

I got a little carried away in editing this one, but I like it - it's October ya know.

While the kids played video games, 

Karmen Neta fried up the second batch. 

I added a tablespoon of cocoa into the leftover icing/glaze for cream-filled chocolate-topped ones.

I mixed up a simpler glaze for the second batch of perfectly golden O's. 

Yes, I know. 

They look amazing...

but...

They tasted even better!

You should be just a little jealous.

We counted over 100 donuts. 

We divided them up for our freezers and sharing with our Bible study friends on Sunday. 

Pulling a donut out of the freezer and letting it stand on a plate in my 80F kitchen takes only a few minutes to thaw it perfectly. Still soft and fluffy and mouth-melty. 

With a glass of milk...

Or a cup of coffee...

Ot nothing at all...