French Doughnuts

Just lovely with your morning coffee (or any time, in fact), these will be the freshest you've ever had. From the Creole chapter of the United States Regional Cookbook, Culinary Arts Institute of Chicago, 1947.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Yields: 60 doughnuts

Ingredients

• 1  cup water, boiling
• 1⁄4 cup shortening or 1⁄4 cup  lard
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  cup evaporated milk
• 1  cake yeast, softened in
• 1⁄2 cup  lukewarm water
• 2  eggs, well-beaten
• 7 1⁄2 cups flour (approximate)
•  oil (for frying)

Directions

1. Pour boiling water over shortening, sugar and salt.
2. Add milk.
3. When lukewarm, add yeast that has been softened in water.
4. Add beaten eggs.
5. Stir in 4 cups of flour and beat hard.
6. Add enough flour to make a soft dough; place in a greased bowl, grease top of dough, cover and keep in frig until ready to use.
7. Roll dough to a 1/4 inch thickness; cut with a scalloped cookie cutter and fry in hot deep fat (365F), brown one side, turn and brown on the other.
8. Do not let the dough rise before frying.
9. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with powdered sugar or lightly covered with icing.