Rainbow Donuts

 

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 Teaspoons Active dry yeast (1 Package)
• 2 Tablespoons Warm water (105–115°F)
• 1 Cup Milk, room temperature
• 1/4 Cup Unsalted butter, melted
• 3  Large Egg Yolks
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 1/4 Cups All-purpose flour plus some for working the dough
• 1  Canola or other neutral oil for frying (1 48 ounce bottle was enough for me)
• 1/4 Cups Cinnamon sugar (4 parts sugar - 1 part cinnamon) This is optional
• 1/2 Cup Unsalted butter (for glaze)
• 1/4 Cup milk (for glaze)
• 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup (for glaze)
• 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract (for glaze)
• 2 Cups powdered sugar (you may need up to 3 cups)
• 1 Package Betty Crocker Gel Food Colors (Red, Blue, Yellow, Green)

Directions

1. Add warm milk and water to a mixing bowl with dry yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes. If yeast bubbles, you are ready to go. If it doesn't, you need new yeast!
2. In stand mixer, attach dough hook and, on low, add butter, egg yolks, sugar, salt, and cinnamon to liquid. Finally, add flour in 3 batches. Mix on low until dough forms a tight ball. If the dough is sticking to the side of the bowl, add more flour by the Tablespoon NOTE: You don't need a mixer to make these, you can also mix the ingredients in a large bowl with a wooden spoon and then knead lightly on floured surface for a few minutes until dough is soft but not sticky.
3. When dough is mixed well, lightly oil a large bowl and add dough. Cover and let rise for 2 hours at room temperature. It should at least double in size.
4. When dough has risen, turn out onto lightly floured surface and roll out dough until it's 1/4 inch thick. Use circular cutters to cut out donut shapes. If you have a tiny cutter, you can cut out the holes for the donuts, but you can also just leave them whole.
5. Meanwhile, pour neutral oil in a heavy pan (cast iron or dutch oven) until the oil comes about 1.5-2 inches up the pan. That's all you need to fry these since the donuts float. Heat the oil until it reaches 350 degrees. Use a candy/deep-fry thermometer to ensure safe temperatures.
6. Once oil is hot, add donuts and cook for 60-90 seconds on each side until lightly browned. You will probably have to work in batches.
7. Remove donuts once they are done on each side and let cool on drying rack.
8. Apply glaze to the donuts!
9.  For glaze, melt butter in a bowl and whisk in corn syrup and milk until it's well dissolved. Add vanilla extract. Sift in powdered sugar until glaze is thick but still liquid.
10. If you're coloring your glazes, add a few drops of food coloring until you get the desired colors! NOTE: If you let the glaze sit for a few minutes, it will start to harden (that's what glazes do). To bring it back to life, just stir in a few drops of warm water