****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I admit it: I have no interest in deep frying donuts. It seems messy and potentially unsafe (as I have a 1-yr-old running around the kitchen).But...I do love donuts. I like baking donuts and this book is great even if I never use a portion of it. (I'm not going to use the gluten-free or vegan recipes either, but people who need such things can be happy that info is included.)There are 3 main recipes for baked donuts:1) Baked Raised Donuts. These are made with yeast and have to rise; I rarely have good results with yeast, but I've made these twice and they've turned out really well. I made them this morning and they disappeared! Unlike the other recipes, you don't even need a donuts pan for these, just a donut cutter and a baking sheet. In fact, you can roll out the dough to make twists and you wouldn't even need the donut cutter!2) Baked Cake Donuts. Ok, I haven't made these yet. I have made the Chocolate Baked Cake Donuts from the author's blog, which is supposed to be a variation on this recipe. Those turned out well. You need a donut pan.3) Apple Cider Donuts. These can be baked or fried. I baked them and they were delicious. Highly recommended and super easy. Again, you need a donut pan. (I have 4 Norpro pans and they work well.)Three recipes, you say. Why should I buy a book for just three recipes?But wait, there's more!The latter half of the book has a number of recipes that take main, basic recipes and alter them slightly. E.g., Red Velvet Donuts, which can be made with a baked donut batter. You will get more than 3 recipes for baked donut types in this book!More importantly, there's a section on donut glazes. It has about 10 different glaze recipes. I've made 4 so far, all of which have turned out well (and been tasty...and easy!). The glaze section is a nice touch and adds a lot of value to the book.In short, I recommend this book EVEN IF you are avoiding the deep fryer, like me! Baked donuts can be incredible!(Plus, you never know...I might just change my mind one day and break out the vegetable oil.) :>
