Coconut Honey Spice Doughnuts

Home-made doughnuts take some work, but these are sweet and spicy, and you can't find anything as good in a store.

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk
Vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Sift flour, baking power, baking soda, spices, and salt onto wax paper. Beat sugar, eggs, and shortening at medium speed of an electric mixer until fluffy. Blend in milk.

Remove bowl from mixer. Stir in dry ingredients (from wax paper) until well-blended. Wrap dough in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate at least two hours.

Place dough on a lightly-floured pastry board and roll to a half-inch thickness. Cut out with a lightly-floured doughnut cutter. Fill a large, heavy saucepan two-thirds full with vegetable oil. Heat to 370 degrees on a deep-fat thermometer.

Drop doughnuts, two or three (no more than that) at a time into the hot oil. Fry, turning once, three minutes, or until all golden. Drain on paper towels.

Sprinkle coconut onto wax paper. Heat honey slowly to boiling in a medium saucepan. Dip doughnuts, one at a time, into the honey, turning to coat well. Dip half of each doughnut onto coconut. Makes about 16 doughnuts.

Technorati Tags: Recipes Food Doughnuts Coconut Doughnuts Honey Doughnuts Spice Doughnuts Pastry