Gert's Old Fashion Doughnuts

When my grandmother was alive, she would make these doughnuts only at Christmas. I still remember as a young child, her standing behind me and showing me how to roll out the dough with an old wood rolling pin and then cut it with an ancient doughnut cutter made of stainless steel and wood. Back then she would let me watch from a distance as she fried them in pot of hot oil. We would make 50, 60 or more doughnuts and then freeze them because she knew that once the family arrived and found them, the doughnuts had a very short life expectancy. I think this was family's favourite part of Christmas, sitting around the table with a mound of doughnuts that were gently warmed in the oven accompanied by pot of hot tea. Today I make them at Christmas in memory of my grandmother.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Yields: 20 Doughnuts

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons shortening
• 1  cup white sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1  cup milk
• 1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3  teaspoons baking powder
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 3 3⁄4 cups flour

Directions

1. Cream 1 tablespoon shortening and 1/2 cup sugar. Beat t2 eggs into mixture and then add remaining sugar and the milk.
2. Sift together nutmeg, baking powder and salt to three cups flour. Mix thoroughly.
3. Add to first mixture with remaining 3/4 cup flour to make a soft dough.
4. Roll into 1/3 inch thickness. Shape with doughnut cutter.
5. Fry in deep fat (350 - 370 F) for 3 minutes, turning as soon as they are browned on the underside.
6. Move doughnuts to a sheet paper towel and let stand.
7. OPTION: Drop hot doughnut onto a plate of sugar, lightly tap off excess then place on paper towl, sugar side up.