ITALIAN DONUTS WITH CHERRY SAUCE

Italian Donuts with Cherry Sauce image

Provided by Sandra Lee

Categories dessert

Time 25m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 (12-ounce) package frozen cherries, thawed, liquid reserved
1/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups canola oil, for frying
2 cups All-Purpose Baking Mix, recipe follows
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1/2 cup powdered sugar
6 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup shortening

Steps:

In a saucepan over medium heat, add the thawed cherries with their liquid,
1 tablespoon of sugar, the lemon juice and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve 2 tablespoons of juice for the Venice Sunset Cocktail.
In a cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees F.
While the oil is heating, make the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the baking mix and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. In another bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until completely incorporated.
When the oil is hot, carefully drop the batter, by the tablespoonful, into the oil. Fry, turning them once, until they are golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Drain on a sheet tray lined with paper towels or a brown paper bag while you repeat with the remaining batter. Lightly coat the donuts with powdered sugar.
Serve the donuts in small bowls over the cherry sauce.
In the bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture is well blended. Use in recipes that call for Bisquick or all-purpose mix.