The dough nut is considered a thoroughly American food, although it is similar to the Dutch “oil cake” popular in the 18th century. In New Amsterdam, er, New York around 1809, Washington Irving described the nuts of dough fried in hog’s fat in his History of New York. This is considered to be the earliest written reference to the sweet treat that can be found in street corner shops nationwide and also around the world. Frying some dough in fat is not the unique part, it is in the shape – the disc with its center punched out. There are a variety of claims as to how the dough nut got its distinctive appearance, but really no one knows. Generally they are sweet, but you can make them savory with spices, as they are made in India.

Mashed potato dough nuts are a homey version of the hi falutin dough nut of today. They are a good use for the extra mashed left over after Thanksgiving dinner, or just a different way to make them. If you make your mashies with onion or garlic, these would be a savory dough nut. Once you mix the ingredients, roll the dough out to about 1/2″ thickness and use a cutter to cut out dough nut shapes. Fry in fat until browned on both sides and drain on paper towels. You can sprinkle them with powdered sugar while still hot for a really traditional treat. Enjoy!

Dough nuts (Mrs Figley)

1 cup mashed potatoes

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup flour sugar

1 cup sweet milk

2 tablespoons butter and lard

3 teaspoons baking powder

flour to make a soft dough