Ingredients: For the dough:

• 4t dry yeast
• ¼ cup warm water
• 1 cup warm milk
• 3T caster sugar
• 100g butter, melted
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4¼ cups cake flour
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying

For the sugar:

• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1t ground cinnamon

Directions: To prepare the dough, place the yeast, water, milk and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Add the melted butter and eggs to the yeast mixture and combine. Sift the flour in a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre then add the wet ingredients. Mix to form a soft, sticky dough. Knead the dough on a floured work surface for 10 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 45 minutes. Knock back the dough and leave to rest for another 5 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to about 1 cm thick then cut with a pastry cutter into 8-cm rounds. Use your finger or a small pastry cutter to make a hole in the middle of the doughnuts. Place the doughnuts on wax paper and leave to prove for 30 minutes until doubled in size. Deep-fry the doughnuts in hot oil until golden-brown (3 - 4 minutes a side). Drain on kitchen paper. Combine the sugar and cinnamon then toss the warm, crispy doughnuts in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Makes 12 Don’t forget to try Nico’s recipe for homemade croissants too. You’ll find more delicious recipes in Nico Verster’s cookbook, ‘Savannah To Sea’ (R295, Struik Lifestyle).