Halloween Ghost Doughnuts

I know that things look a bit different this year, as far as celebrating goes, and of course, Halloween isn’t any different (which is a bummer since it actually fell on a Saturday this year). But even though we have to put those parties and bigger festivities on hold this year, that doesn’t mean we still can’t have a little fun in the kitchen. That’s why I’m hoping we can all give these Halloween Ghost Doughnuts a try. Obviously they taste great—I mean, what’s not to love about fried dough dusted in powdered sugar and served with a sweet raspberry dipping sauce?—but they also happen to be a lot of fun to make. So it’s a great activity to do with your kids this year, since they can’t really go trick-or-treating. It’s a great activity for adults too, let’s be honest. Happy Halloween my friends.

You’ll find that this post is a bit different from all the regular posts on the blog. You won’t see it photographed step-by-step as per usual and that’s just because I figured since you can see it being made in the video above, we really didn’t need all those process photos. I hope this persuades you to watch the video because it’s great!

This is just my basic doughnut dough (recipe below) and it couldn’t be any easier to make thanks to instant yeast. You just cut out the doughnuts and then cut out eyes and a mouth and then sort of stretch them a bit before frying to make them look like ghosts. Super easy!

Dust them liberally with powdered sugar before serving and don’t forget about that bloody–I mean raspberry sauce for dipping. They’re the perfect Halloween treat to make this year. Especially since things are a bit out of the ordinary this year. Why not bring a bit of much needed fun?

I hope you enjoy the video. I’ll be releasing more like this (and sharing them on here so you don’t miss them) every few weeks or so. They’re fun to make and I think a nice change of pace from what I normally do on here. I’ve had this blog for almost 10 years now and so I think it’s nice to switch things up a bit every now and then. Of course, I’ll still be sharing regular posts as well. Let me know if you have any questions or comments below. As always, stay safe out there and have a great Halloween!

Halloween Ghost Doughnuts

These homemade Halloween Ghost Doughnuts are a fun and festive way to get in the kitchen and celebrate Halloween this year.

Servings 12 doughnuts

Prep Time 3 hours hrs

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

Dough:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups AP flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 large egg
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Sauce:

• 2 pints raspberries
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

• In a large bowl or glass measuring cup, combine the milk and butter and microwave until warmed through. Do it in short 15 second bursts so as to not get it too hot. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, egg, and the warmed milk and butter mixture. Mix on low until the dough starts to come together. Increase the speed to high and knead until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth, yet slightly sticky, about 5 minutes. If your dough is too sticky, you can add a bit more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the right consistency. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel. Allow to rest in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• In the meantime, to make the sauce, combine the raspberries, sugar, lemon juice and water in a medium saucepan. Set over moderate heat and cook, stirring often, until the berries have softened and the sauce has thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer. Use the back of a spoon to press the pulp and seeds down to get all of the sauce out. Discard the seeds and cover the sauce with plastic wrap; set aside.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and roll out to about 1/2-inch thick. Use a 4-inch round cutter to punch out the doughnuts. Then use a small round cutter (the backside of a small cake decorating tip works great) punch out a mouth and two eyes for every doughnut. Use your hands to slightly stretch the doughnut to create ghost shape. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely and let rest for about 30 minutes.
• Fill a large cast iron skillet or heavy bottom pot with about 2 inches of oil and bring up to 350°F. Once hot, carefully lay in about 3 doughnuts at a time. Cook until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the doughnuts onto a plate lined with paper towels. Continue to fry the remaining doughnuts, making sure the temperature is at 350°F before each batch fries.
• Once all the doughnuts are done, dust them liberally with powdered sugar and serve with the raspberry sauce on the side for dipping. Enjoy!

Author: The Candid Appetite