The next time you have leftover mashed potatoes, we’ve got a sweet way to use them up, courtesy of Berkeley Donuts in Denver.
You can only stomach so many potato pancakes when you’ve got mashed potatoes to use up. So it’s good news indeed that you can also make donuts with mashed potatoes.
Who knew that New Englanders have been making potato-style donuts forever? Our recipe comes from closer to our Western home. We got this mashed-potato revelation from Berkeley Donuts, Denver’s only potato-style donut shop.
Potato-style donuts, made with potatoes and traditional flour rather than solely traditional flour, became popular in New England in the 1940s when bakers discovered adding potatoes to the dough made the donut fluffy, tender, sweeter, and moister. Berkeley Donuts uses fresh Colorado potatoes from Jones Farm in Hooper, Colorado, and an 8-year-old sourdough starter from Hops & Pie.
Berkeley Donuts’ Chocolate Potato Cake Donut Holes with strawberry glaze and sprinkles.
Makes about 40 donut holes
Ingredients
1¾ cups flour
½ cup sugar
½ tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons yogurt
1½ tablespoons vanilla extract
¼ cup cold mashed potatoes
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 large eggs
Instructions
With paddle attachment on a stand mixer (see note below), blend room-temperature butter and flour until it is coarse and resembles cornmeal. Add potatoes and sugar. Once incorporated, mix in remaining ingredients until it is a smooth batter.
Using small 2-ounce scoop or spoon, drop dough into hot oil (360 degrees). Fry for 20 seconds on each side and transfer to a towel-lined pan to absorb excess fat.
Strawberry Glaze
Ingredients
2 tablespoons strawberry milk
2 cups of powdered sugar
Few drops of red food coloring
Instructions
Whisk together the milk and powdered sugar; once combined, add food coloring.
Final Steps
Once chocolate donut holes are cooled, drop into bowl with glaze and roll them around. Move them to a cooling rack and add sprinkles before frosting hardens.
Note: If you don’t own a stand mixer, whisk dry and wet ingredients separately; then combine and mix by hand.
Photos and recipe courtesy of Berkeley Donuts.
