Vanilla Mochi Donuts

Vanilla Mochi Donuts

Ingredients:

2 cups mochiko (sweet rice flour)
2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups vanilla sugar
4 Tablespoons baking powder
1-1/2 cups whole milk
3 eggs
2 teaspoons Spice Islands Vanilla Extract
oil (for frying)
1/2 cup vanilla sugar

Instructions:

To make vanilla sugar, scrape and bury a vanilla bean into two cups of sugar. Keep in an airtight container until you are ready to use.

Heat the oil in your deep fryer or a skillet over the stove. The optimum oil temp for these is around 350 degrees.

In a large bowl whisk together mochiko, flour, sugar and baking powder.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and mix in the milk, eggs and vanilla until just combined.

When the oil is ready, drop the dough by the Tablespoon into the hot oil. These expand a lot so a Tablespoon is just the right amount. The mochiko makes the batter very sticky, so round shapes are a little tricky on the first try.

Once the dough floats, fry for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Let drain slightly on a wire rack and while the donuts are still hot, roll in the vanilla sugar mixture. Serve immediately.