Star Doughnuts and July 4th Round-Up

Celebrate July 4th by adding a little red white and blue to your breakfast/brunch/any other time you just want a doughnut. Using a basic fried doughnut recipe, I cut out the dough into star shapes using a cookie cutter, fried them until golden, then topped each one with a powdered sugar glaze. I created a variety of toppings for the red white and blue (ish) colors: blueberry, strawberry, or plain vanilla (Evan and I had a little fun and drizzled a few of the white with the leftover strawberry and blueberry). If you don’t want to make the different sets of glazes, topping them with one glaze and a handful of festive sprinkles will do the trick too.

I used a 3 inch star cookie cutter that made about 30 doughnuts. Smaller or larger cutters will yield a different amount.

I made the glazes naturally with vanilla, blueberry, and strawberry so they don’t have as pronounced red, white, and blue colors. If you want a brighter color, mix some food coloring into the glazes.

Looking for more 4th of July ideas? Here is a round-up of my previous recipes plus a few from other bloggers:

Crostata di Marmellata- Italian Jam Tart

Berry Milk Pops

Strawberry Watermelon Smoothie

Watermelon Yogurt Cooler

Watermelon Peach Caprese Salad

Watermelon Feta Orzo Salad

Watermelon Fontina Melts

Gelo di Melone (Sicilian Watermelon Pudding)

Zupa Truskawkowa (Polish Strawberry Soup)

Whole Wheat Baked Strawberry Doughnuts

Strawberry Panzanella

Berry and Mascarpone Crostini

Cardamom Strawberry Tartlets

Triple Berry and Vanilla Bean Cream Parfait

Coconut Shrimp with Strawberry Dipping Sauce

Pretzel Dogs

Israeli Couscous Salad

Parmesan Garlic Grilled Corn

Miso Butter Grilled Corn

Pot Ang (Cambodian Grilled Corn)

Cachorro Quente (Brazilian Hot Dog)

Citrus Beef Skewers

Dakkochi (Korean Chicken Skewers)

Red and Blue Star Galette

Margarita Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Fajitas

Key West Grilled Chicken

Other bloggers:

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries from Dessert Now Dinner Later

Patriotic Pizza from The Novice Gardener

Red White and Blue Berry Tiramisu from The Suburban Soapbox

Almond Berry Fruit Dip from Dip Recipe Creations

The Patriotic Burger from Dinner at the Zoo

4th of July Fruit Sticks from Real Food by Dad

Red White and Blue Salad from Foodie Crush

Hawaiian BBQ Dog from Half Baked Harvest

Patriotic Panna Cotta Shooters from Sprinkle Bakes

Star Doughnuts
Adapted from Bright & Bubbly, from Butterfly Food
~30 Doughnuts

Doughnuts:
4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup lukewarm water, 105-115 degrees F
3-4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Canola or vegetable oil for frying
Vanilla Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberry Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
3 medium strawberries (fresh or frozen and thawed)
Blueberry Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons blueberries (fresh or frozen and thawed)

To make the doughnuts: In a small bowl, mix the yeast and sugar into the water. Allow to sit until frothy, 5-10 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups of the flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Mix in the yeast with water, egg, butter, and vanilla extract to form a dough. If too wet, knead in the remaining 1 cup flour until smooth and no longer sticky.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cut out stars with a cookie cutter. Arrange the stars on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Lightly cover with a cloth and allow to rise until puffed, about 30 minutes.

Fill a pan with canola oil at least 2 inches deep. Place over medium heat to 360 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Fry the doughnuts in batches until golden on each side. Remove with a strainer or slotted pan and drain on paper towel lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining doughnuts. Allow to cool.

To make the vanilla glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. If too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more milk. Dip the tops of a few cooled doughnuts into the glaze. Allow to set.

To make the strawberry glaze: In a blender, puree the powdered sugar, milk, and strawberries until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. If too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more milk or strawberries. Dip the tops of a few cooled doughnuts into the glaze and allow to set. If desired, thin the glaze a little more with milk and drizzle over the other colored doughnuts.

To make the blueberry glaze: In a blender, puree the powdered sugar, milk, and blueberries until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. If too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more milk or blueberries. Dip the tops of a few cooled doughnuts into the glaze and allow to set. If desired, thin the glaze a little more with milk and drizzle over the other colored doughnuts.

Best if served within a day.