This past weekend I decided to deliver some sugary sustenance to the good folks of the Massachusetts Animal Rights Coalition during their protest of Harvard University’s animal experimentation practices. One of the things I made was a batch of cinnamon sugar raised doughnuts (I’ll post more recipes from this event soon). For many years, it has been very difficult to get a vegan doughnut of any kind. The west coast has a few options, but except for a very recent development rumored to be occurring in the NY/Philly area, nobody on the east coast has ever had a local vegan doughnut. Therefore, I decided it was time to conquer this gaping hole in the vegan Bostonian’s palate.

Vegan Raised Doughnuts
1 packet active dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 1/2 cup warm water
1/3 cup shortening (I use Earth Balance shortening sticks)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup soymilk
Egg replacer to replace two eggs
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp mace or nutmeg (optional)

Canola oil for frying (you’ll need about half an inch in a large frying pan)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon

Place 1/2 cup warm water in a small bowl. Pour yeast packet in and allow to sit for five minutes. Bring the other 1/2 cup water to boil in a sauce pan and dissolve the 1/2 cup sugar and shortening until melted; allow to cool. In a large bowl, mix the shortening/sugar mixture with the soy milk, egg replace, and last (when the mixture is warm, but not hot) the yeast mixture. Mix in two cups of the flour until incorporated. Then work in the remaining two cups and knead on a generously floured surface until smooth. Place dough into an oiled mixing bowl and allow to rise for one hour (cover with a damp cloth). Next, knead the dough slightly to remove air and roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut circles in the dough with a doughnut or biscuit cutter (or a small glass) and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to rise for one hour (again, cover with a damp cloth).

Mix the 1 cup sugar and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl. Heat oil to 350 degrees and fry doughnuts until light brown on the cooked side — then flip and repeat. Remove doughnuts from oil and place directly in cinnamon sugar mixture until coated. Place completed doughnuts on paper towel to cool. Serve immediately (doughnuts do not keep for longer than a day and should not be stored in an airtight container).

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