Jelly Doughnuts

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 packets yeast
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup half and half cream
1/4 cup Crisco
1 egg
Favorite flavor of jelly
Peanut oil to fry
Powdered sugar for garnish

Directions:

In a good sized mixing bowl, combine one cup of flour, yeast, sugar and salt. On top the stove, heat the water, half and half, and Crisco until warm but not hot. Gently add flour and egg. Remove from heat.

Blend with an electric hand mixer until well mixed. Then, stir in enough flour to make a sturdy dough. Next, knead the dough on a floured cutting board for about eight minutes. Place flour mixture in a greased bowl and flip to grease all dough. Cover, and allow to rise in a warm area for about an hour. When the dough has risen, punch it down and remove from bowl.

Next, roll the dough using a floured rolling pin. Use a round cookie cutter to cut circles in the rolled dough. Place a small amount of jelly in the center of each circle and top with a plain circle of dough. Press the edges together to hold them together. Cover the uncooked doughnuts again and let rise.

Then, heat the peanut oil in a large pan. Fry small amounts of doughnuts at a time, for about two minutes on each side. Remove from the oil and place on absorbent paper towels. Garnish with powdered sugar.