Fry Your Sad, Stale Donuts in Salted Butter

About twice a month, my boyfriend and I order donuts on a Saturday night, usually around 10pm, almost always while watching Italian horror movies. We order a dozen donuts, which is too much for two people to eat in one evening. My boyfriend doesn’t bring donuts with him when he gets home on Sunday, leaving me with a whole bunch of donuts that are getting stale by the minute.

While I’m sure some of you are capable of eating a dozen donuts in 24 hours, I’m not, but throwing donuts in the compost bin is not something I can do, even if they’re stale. My decision? I split them in half, then fry the halves in salted oil.

Nothing beats a fresh donut, but it’s a very close second. This technique works best with yeast donuts that don’t have too much topping. Plain icing, candied round, maple tile (pictured above) are donuts that are perfect for this purpose.

The donut is best when cut into two halves. When fried in salted butter, the bottom unglazed portion takes on the characteristics of a fluffy, toasted and buttered brioche, while the icing on the top half melts and then hardens to form a brulee-like crunchy sugar crust. It’s good neat, good with cream cheese and/or jam, and it’s phenomenal as a base for a breakfast sandwich, especially if you’re working with a maple bar.

Start by cutting the donut in half. Melt about a tablespoon of salted butter (enough to completely cover the pan) in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once it starts to foam, place the halves cut-side down in the oil, moving it around as needed to make sure each piece sees a bit of oil. Let fry for a few minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook for a few more minutes to melt the frosting or sugar completely. Lay the donut with the icing or sugar side up, then let cool for a minute or two to set the sugar crust. Enjoy as is, with a slice of cream cheese or a spoonful of jam, or use it as a bread serving for the most delicious, sweet and savory breakfast sandwich of your life.

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