Coffee-Glazed Doughnuts

Anyone who's ever dropped into a Tim Horton's for a morning snack can testify to the appeal of coffee and a doughnut. Here, yeast doughnuts with a touch of cinnamon get an extra jolt of flavor from a sweet espresso glaze. Times given do not include rising time.

• Ready In: 1 hr 9 mins
• Yields: 1 dozen

Ingredients

• DOUGHNUTS

• 1 (1/4ounce) package active dry yeast or 2 1⁄2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2  tablespoons warm water
• 3 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour, plus
•  additional all-purpose flour, for sprinkling and rolling out dough
• 1  cup  whole milk, at room temperature
• 1⁄4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3  large  egg yolks
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 10  cups  vegetable oil (for deep frying)

• GLAZE

• 1⁄4 cup  boiling-hot water
• 5  teaspoons instant espresso powder or 5  teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 1 1⁄2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1  tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 cup  sanding sugar (optional)

Directions

1. DOUGH:
2. Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.).
3. Mix together flour, milk, butter, yolks, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and yeast mixture in mixer at low speed until a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes more.
4. Scrape dough down side of bowl (all around) into center, then sprinkle lightly with flour (to keep a crust from forming). Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Alternatively, let dough rise in bowl in refrigerator 8 to 12 hours.).
5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round (1/2 inch thick). Cut out as many rounds as possible with 3-inch cutter, then cut a hole in center of each round with 1-inch cutter and transfer doughnuts to a lightly floured large baking sheet. Cover doughnuts with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes (45 minutes if dough was cold when cutting out doughnuts). Do not reroll scraps.
6. Heat 2 1/2 inches oil in a deep 4-quart heavy pot until it registers 350°F on thermometer. Fry doughnuts, 2 at a time, turning occasionally with a wire or mesh skimmer or a slotted spoon, until puffed and golden brown, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain. (Return oil to 350°F between batches.).
7. GLAZE:
8. Stir together boiling-hot water and espresso powder in a medium bowl until powder is dissolved, then stir in confectioners sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
9. Dip doughnuts into glaze, turning to coat well, then put on a rack set in a shallow baking pan (to catch any drips). While glaze is wet, sprinkle doughnuts with sanding sugar (if using). Let stand until glaze is set, about 20 minutes.