When my Dad was a little boy, one of the treats his Grandma used to make him was doughnuts. She must’ve been a sweet Grandma, because my Dad was quite influenced by her, and his memories of her are very special to him. He gets cravings for these doughnuts and while we were visiting for Thanksgiving, my Mom took the opportunity of “many mouths to feed” to mix up a batch.
I have a copy of the doughnut recipe in my kitchen, framed, because it is written in Grandma Wilcox’s own handwriting. She passed away a long time ago and even though I don’t have my own personal memories of her, there is still a connection from her to me, her Great Grand-daughter. I think part of what makes heaven sweet is knowing that loved ones are there.
I’m so sentimental about it all. There is part of me that would give just about anything to have her sit on my porch with me and answer my questions about family and life.
Doughnuts (just as she wrote it):
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 teas. nutmeg
1/2 teas. salt
1 1/2 cups sweet milk
3 tablespoons butter
4 teas. baking powder
2 teas. vanilla
Flour enough to make a dough, so you can handle-roll, cut and fry.
Put 1/4 cup of the sugar and butter in a dish, cream well, add eggs one at a time and beat well.
Mix 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and 1 1/2 cups of milk together in a bowl, stir as you use it, the vanilla can be put in with the sugar and milk. After all mixed together, let stand about 1 hr before rolling out. By doing this, you won’t have to use as much flour and they will be nicer.
Memories. . .we don’t know how much we can impact a life. I’m sure Grandma didn’t realize that we would make an event out of her doughnut recipe, so many years after she made them for my little boy Father. I’m sure she would smile to see her Grandson flipping her doughnuts for his own Grandchildren.
Good to be Home 
This is just about the most special-est post! I am sentimental also. Some days, I can hardly wait to see all my grandpas and grandmas again and meet the ones I never knew. What a good idea to frame the recipe! I have a few in grandparent’s handwriting ~ hmmmm.
my mom used to make donuts too. I miss them…and the days I could eat and eat and eat w/no repercussions LOL. And my mom.
Shan, What a great post today!! I didn’t think that I was going to miss out on something so grand. Now I wish that I could have stayed around to watch, listen, and EAT.Have a great day and put more pictures on soon!!
oooooh, now I have a craving! I’m gonna have to get a fryer so I can make some!
Thanks for bringing back a memory!
My mom use to stand in the kitchen making doughnuts, for all 7 of us, plus friends. She couldn’t get them on the plate fast enough. She would fry and fry, till we had our fill.
Hugs
What a sweet post! Looks like lots of good eatin’ and makin’ memories…..
I remember making dough-nuts with my mom. I never realized that the sacred Roll recipe is also a great yeast dough-nut recipe. Last year Mary Ellen was over to make rolls for Thanksgiving. We made too much dough so she said lets fry it and make dough-nuts. WHAT??? You have a great recipe for yeast dough-nuts in our family cookbook as well. I guess it is from when Grandma (my mom) worked in the bake shop. We even made cream filling. My kids still talk about frying dough-nuts with Aunt Mary.
I wish we could have visited more as well. But I hope we will see each other soon. – Love Col
Great post! I love the little one bending over biting the doughnut on the counter — he’s so cute!. I looked at the recipe and wonder — what is sweet milk?
I have an old recipe that calls for “sweet milk.” What is that?Sweet milk is simply fresh milk, not buttermilk. It’s an old-fashioned Southern term commonly used to distinguish between the two in the days before refrigeration, when people churned their own butter and always had buttermilk on hand. Sometimes, it’s preferable to bake using “sweet” milk when there are other strongly flavored ingredients, such as sharp Cheddar cheese.
my thanks to Martha Stewart for the explanation – I simply googled the question and she came up w/the answer, 🙂
yum!! they look delicious!!
My mouth is watering! Love the picture of your son eating the doughnut with no hands. Cute!
Your post took me back to all the wonderful memories I have of my own grandmother’s kitchen.Your children are blessed to have this traditon passed onto them
wonderful!! Thank you! I can’t wait to try the recipe, my mouth is watering just from looking at the pictures. = )
thanks! glad you like them 🙂
Wow, those look good. That picture of Caleb had me giggling, I love it. I’ve enjoyed seeing more pictures of your family, this is so wonderful. 🙂 I need to figure out how to post some in my blog.
Wonderful. Makes me want to try and make some too. All your pictures make me sooooo hungry ;o)Blessings,Angie
That is so special. Makes me long to make memories with my family that will be carried onto generations to come. The doughnuts look yummy. We will have to bake some. Thanks for your sweet grandma’s recipe.
you always look so joyful and peaceful! great pic of the “snarfing” of the doughnut! lol