In all of my years of blogging, I’ve never really grouped my posts by theme – my recipes are usually Italian, American, and whatever I feel like eating – but I enjoyed January’s Vegan Challenge series, which got me thinking: what other monthly themes could I concoct for the blog? I considered a New Cuisines theme (exploring food that is not American or Italian) and a Seafood one (it’s what I’m least comfortable making) but finally landed on the theme I felt most inspired by: Nostalgia. I therefore decree April Nostalgia Month, or rather four weeks in which I recreate the foods that I Ioved to eat as a kid.

As you may imagine, I had an excellent time brainstorming my way down memory lane. I thought about what I was most excited to eat at birthday parties, after school, on my visits to Disney World, at the pool in the summer, or for dinner. After much deliberation, I narrowed my very long list of nostalgic dishes down to four or so recipes. First up: these Blueberry Cake Doughnuts.

While Dunkin’ Donuts is a common chain across the U.S, it’s an institution in my home region of New England (fun fact: the first ever DD opened was in Massachusetts in 1950). It’s a staple for most Rhode Islanders, who rely on it for their morning coffee, bagels, muffins, and — of course — donuts. As a kid, there was nothing more delightful than the occasional stop at DD for an after school snack. My mom would take my siblings and me – along with our cocker spaniel Nike, who never missed a 2:30 pick-up – to the Dunkins on the way home, where we’d place our order at the drive-through. It was generally always the same — a chocolate frosted doughnut with rainbow sprinkles for my brother, a glazed chocolate cake doughnut for my sister, always, always, a Blueberry Cake Doughnut for yours truly.

(Nike, if you’re wondering, would get a plain munchkin, which would be fed to him in little pieces. He was a spoiled pup).

The DD Blueberry Doughnut wasn’t the healthiest snack, of course, but it was a rare treat, and just what I craved after a long day of timetables, spelling tests, and Capture the Flag. It tasted like a deep-fried blueberry muffin, in the best possible way; it was indulgent, and blissful, and special, one of the best things I had eaten in my 8 or so years of life. I am always sure to pick up a Blueberry Doughnut from Dunkin’ Donuts when I find myself back in Rhode Island, and am instantly transported back to my childhood – Spice Girls poster on the wall, butterfly hairclips, and tamagachi in hand – at first bite.

So! In honor of the countless after-school snacks I enjoyed at Dunkin’ Donuts, here’s the Blueberry Cake Doughnut, this time made from scratch and savored in my kitchen in Rome. If I’m being honest, they are even tastier than the Blueberry Doughnuts of my youth (sorry Dunkin!) simply because they are homemade. These gems puff up magnificently when they hit the oil, turning golden brown and biscuit-like. They are dotted with pockets of blueberries that burst and go pleasantly jammy, and their pearly, sugary glaze make them extra pretty and unapologetically sweet (doughnuts are not meant to be subtle). They go fabulously with a coffee – the “hot bitter water” that puzzled my kid-self, but that my adult has grown to rely on — but are truly fabulous at any time of day. In fact, it turns out that they are also delicious after a long work day of Zoom calls, excel tables, and emails. Some things never change.

A couple of notes: I would bet you could substitute raspberries or even strawberries here for the blueberries with good results. I used a heart shaped cutter and a lid to cut my doughnuts – do as you wish. That’s about it!

Looking for other fried sweets? Click here.
Looking for other brunch/breakfast recipes? Click here.

BLUEBERRY CAKE DOUGHNUTS

Makes about 12-15 donuts, depending on the size of your cutter. Recipe from How Sweet Eats.

Ingredients for the doughnuts:
2 1/4 cups (310 grams) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (78 grams) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (14 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (5 grams) salt
4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup (120mL) whole milk
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (150 grams) fresh blueberries

Oil for frying (about 1 quart)

Ingredients for the glaze:
2 cups (200 grams) powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1.) In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and vanilla extract. Add melted butter to the dry ingredients, quickly stirring to disperse the butter and form small crumbs. Stir in milk and egg mixture, bringing the dough together with a spoon. Before it comes completely together, add in the blueberries. Bring the dough together using your hands.

2.) Pat the dough into a ball, then roll it out on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thickness. Cut donuts using a donut cutter, a biscuit cutter, or a small lid — I used a small lid, and a heart shaped cookie cutter. Use a knife, a very small cutter, or a frosting tip (as I did) to cut out the center. Repeat with dough scraps until all the dough is used.

3.) Heat the oil in a large pot or deep fryer, bringing it to 375 degrees. Fry doughnuts 1-2 at a time, frying for about 1 1/2-2 minutes per side. Check your first doughnut by cutting into the center and making sure the dough is cooked through. Finish remaining doughnuts, keeping an eye on the temperature of the oil to make sure it doesnt drop too low. Be sure to fry the doughnut holes too!

4.) On to the glaze! Whisk ingredients together until a smooth, runny glaze forms. If it seems too thin, add sugar a few tablespoons at a time, stirring. if it’s too thick, add more water by one very small drop at a time, whisking constantly. Dunk the slightly cooled doughnuts in the glaze on both sides and let sit to set over a cooling rack — with some paper towels underneath to catch the glaze — to set.