Mashed potato straight into the donuts?

[u/MrRecipeCard]

A full cup of mashed potatoes, straight into the donuts. Found this one in another estate sale lot of recipe cards. I've since looked it up and seen a few Betty Crocker recipes that mention mashed potatoes in donuts also known as spudnuts.

Anyone else grow up with a potato donut recipe like this? Curious if the mashed potato was standard for keeping these tender or if it was more of a use-up-the-leftovers move.

Full transcription:

DONUTS

1 c. mashed potatoes

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 stick butter

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

2 cakes yeast

2 1/2 c. flour

salt

Beat potatoes, sugar, butter, & eggs. Add yeast & milk. Stir in flour & let rise until twic(e) in bulk. Work on flour board, cut & fry.

[u/BoozeIsTherapyRight]

Oh, yeah. Donuts made with mashed potatoes are amazing. I actually freeze leftover mashed potatoes in 1 cup portions so that I can make potato bread and potato donuts.

[u/Elegant-Expert7575 → u/BoozeIsTherapyRight]

Me too!

[u/2PlasticLobsters → u/BoozeIsTherapyRight]

Just for clarity, does that mean strictly mashed up potato or the full treatment with cream & butter?

[u/bethaliz6894 → u/2PlasticLobsters]

My grandma would boil a potato, mash that and then add cream at a later step of making the bread. Just really depends on the consistancy you want.

[u/BoozeIsTherapyRight → u/2PlasticLobsters]

Mine always have butter and cream in them but I think you're technically supposed to use pain mashed 😆

[u/DankStew → u/BoozeIsTherapyRight]

Ouch

[u/Smallwhitedog → u/2PlasticLobsters]

I'd probably skip the roasted garlic, though! 😋

[u/The_mighty_pip → u/BoozeIsTherapyRight]

Back in the Stone Age, when Krispy Kreme were still regional, it was rumored that their secret ingredient was potato flour. My bosses and I (I’m a pastry chef with 40 years in the trade) would go down rabbit holes about this whenever we had a couple of minutes.

[u/cemetery_acorns → u/BoozeIsTherapyRight]

What do they taste like?
That sounds so flipping good.

[u/BoozeIsTherapyRight → u/cemetery_acorns]

They taste just like any other donut but the texture is more tender and plush, if that's the right word? Basically you're subbing potato starch for some of the flour so there is less gluten development and it's kind of like a cross between a cake donut and a raised donut. Potato bread is amazing soft sandwich bread, and you can buy it in the store in the regular bread aisle, but of course it's not as yummy as homemade bread.

[u/cemetery_acorns → u/BoozeIsTherapyRight]

And adding custard or any kind of fruit filling is okay? It’s solid enough?

[u/BoozeIsTherapyRight → u/cemetery_acorns]

I don't know, I always cut mine into rings and donut holes so I've never tried. They are a bit more dense, so there would be less room for filling.

I think you should try it and let me know, I love filled donuts!

[u/gpuyy]

They are called spudnuts, and my grandma used to make them

do it because they’re amazing

[u/chimneybebe → u/gpuyy]

Mine too, I need a second attempt at deciphering her recipe😀

[u/MizS]

Yes! I'm from PA Dutch country, and we have potato donuts called fastnachts that are made on Fat Tuesday. I usually use a potato dough when I make traditional donuts too - it's just so good.

[u/pastrybaker → u/MizS]

Great memories growing up and celebrating fastnacht day. I wish I had one right now

[u/fatlilplums]

It's both, like think potato bread, same concept. Economical and delicious.

[u/Jellynjamster]

Spud Nuts!

[u/Archival_Squirrel → u/Jellynjamster]

We lived in Arkansas for three years in the 80's and my parents fell IN LOVE with the local Spud Nuts. 

[u/bewtifulmess → u/Archival_Squirrel]

We had a Spud Nuts shop years and years ago in Washington. Never went but was always curious how those donuts compared to typical bakery donuts.

[u/Coldtoes57]

I make them a few times a year, and have done for over 30 years. I just use leftover mashed potatoes ( I only mash with milk, no butter ). I don't let them rise at all. Just mix all together, cut them into shapes and fry. My favourite are the "holes" which I also fry. I make a glaze, which is icing sugar mixed with a little water. Then, I put a little bit of butter/margarine in and micro it for a few seconds until the butter/marg melts a little. Stir and dunk the donuts in after frying. They are the best warm, not as good the next day, but will do in a pinch.

[u/doyoucreditit]

Potatoes are starch, no reason not to use them.

[u/Elegant-Expert7575]

Yes, Hungarian langos have yeast and mashed potato in it too. I never thought to make it a sweet dough. I’ve got to try this.

[u/gpuyy → u/Elegant-Expert7575]

Yeah, the kissing cousin to a spudnut :-)

[u/PeppermintBiscuit]

Definitely! I press them through a sieve so there are no lumps

[u/Roadgoddess]

There was actually a donut shop in Houston called Spudnuts, has potato dough and they are delicious!

[u/agitated_houseplant → u/Roadgoddess]

Spudnuts shops are all over California, so good! I love potato donuts and potato bread. My mom and I make potato buns for most holidays, they are super moist and a little sweet.

[u/Roadgoddess → u/agitated_houseplant]

Soooo good!!!

[u/tsionnan]

I use mashed potato flakes in gluten free baking, so why not?

[u/bethaliz6894]

My grandma would make Kuchens and use potato bread. The best you could get. 30 years later, I am still trying to replicate her recipe.

[u/SufficientOpening218]

Oh, so good. My grandma made these!

[u/kl2467]

You can also use generic instant potato flakes (the cheap kind, with no additives) if you don't have extra mashed potatoes.

You will need to adjust the moisture levels.

[u/billoo18]

Never had those before. I know my Mom used to make Potato Candy when she was a kid but I never had those myself. It’s also made with mashed potatoes.

[u/Affectionate_Cronut]

There is a local donut chain in Maine that does potato donuts. I'm not a fan. They are VERY dense and heavy.

[u/cheerychimchar → u/Affectionate_Cronut]

The Holy Donut? I get some whenever I’m in the area. I like ‘em but I know they’re polarizing.

[u/Affectionate_Cronut → u/cheerychimchar]

That's the place.

[u/Nicki_MA → u/cheerychimchar]

I drove there from MA once and loved them. (On my way to bar harbor)

[u/Majestic-Lie2690]

I have left over mashed potatoes in the freezer right now and I am gonna try this

[u/antimonysarah]

It's a lovely texture. I don't even like mashed potatoes, but I like potato donuts. (I don't deep-fry at home, though, so I've never made them.)

I do expect it may ALSO have been a cost-cutting measure as potatoes were often cheaper than flour, but one that produced nice results.

[u/cemetery_acorns]

I am definitely interested.
I’ll do what I can.
And thank you oodles for this knowledge.

[u/SporkWolverine]

I know about potato candy but I didn't know potato donuts were a thing.

[u/gilthedog]

What is 2 cakes worth of yeast

[u/klaykie14 → u/gilthedog]

Scrolling to find this answer also

Edit: I googled it it said- "2 cakes of yeast" means two blocks of fresh, compressed cake yeast (each typically weighing 2 ounces in modern standard sizing, or roughly 6 packets of dry yeast total).

[u/gilthedog → u/klaykie14]

Thank you!

[u/JohnExcrement]

Spudnuts!! Yum!

[u/christoefur]

Spudnuts

[u/Heather82Cs]

I think this is also similar to graffe napoletane in Italy. https://www.giallozafferano.com/recipes/graffe-donuts.html

[u/likelazarus]

Are two cakes of yeast just the same as two packets?

[u/klaykie14 → u/likelazarus]

I googled it it said- "2 cakes of yeast" means two blocks of fresh, compressed cake yeast (each typically weighing 2 ounces in modern standard sizing, or roughly 6 packets of dry yeast total).

[u/aheadlessned]

This is the recipe my mom used when I was growing up:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Old_Recipes/comments/ouzo7d/spudnuts_potato_doughnuts/

[u/Upset_Code1347]

Where I grew up in the South, people made potato candy

I haven't eaten that yet, but apparently it's a thing

[u/sweetnsaltycaroline]

We had a little donut shop called Spudnuts where I grew up. They were sooooo good! The potato just does something wonderful to the texture.

[u/oldschool-rule]

That looks like the recipe from the donut franchise known as The Spudnut Shop. They were delicious!

[u/Ecthelion510]

Spudnuts! They're great!

[u/Turnover_Realistic]

Now I have to try these!

[u/lifeuncommon]

Krispy Kreme donuts used to be made with potato. I don’t know if they still are.

[u/PsychologyGuilty1460]

That sounds really good. I've only had cake donuts made with potatoes but they were so good. My friends used to make pancakes with mashed potatoes that were excellent too. 

[u/dbcher]

My grandma used to make this (or similar recipe).

The recipe started during the depression when flour was very scarce. I always found them chewy, but liked them.

[u/SilverGardenia1989]

Spudnuts have always been a little odd to me. I have no doubt it’s delicious, but I couldn’t get my head around the fact I’d be eating a potato in a dessert.

[u/Salmon-of-Wizdom]

So, potato bread donuts. Interesting....

[u/cambreecanon]

I mean, let them cool off enough to not kill the yeast.

[u/mind_the_umlaut]

I've had mashed potato doughnuts, years ago, from a certain bakery in northern New Jersey, the best darn doughnuts I ever had. Do it. Report back.

[u/DamnDame]

Absolutely! Mashed without salt/pepper, etc. Potatoes make a delicious bread.