Doughnuts - A Victorian Recipe

From 'The Dictionary of Daily Wants' - 1859

DOUGHNUTS. Work smoothly with the finger four ounces of lard and four pounds of flour;

add

• half a pound of fine brown sugar,
• two tablespoonfuls of allspice,
• one drachm of pounded cinnamon,
• half a drachm of cloves,
• two blades of mace powdered,
• two tablespoonfuls of fresh yeast which has been watered for one night, and which should be solid, add as much new milk as will convert the whole into a rather firm dough;

this stand from an hour to an hour and a half near the fire, then knead it well and make it into balls about the size of a small apple;

hollow them with the thumb, and enclose a few currants in the middle;

gather the paste well over them, and throw them into a saucepan half filled with boiling lard;

when they are equally coloured to a fine brown, lift them out and dry them before the fire on the back of a sieve.

The lard should boil only just before the doughnuts are dropped into it, or the outsides will be scorched before the insides are sufficiently done.

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