Dough
4 c. flour
2 oz. yeast
1 c. milk
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c butter
6 egg yolks
a pinch of salt
1 jar plum jam
1 t. rum
2 t. finely chopped candied orange peel
Glaze
1. sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
Frying
1 3/4 lb lard
Mix the yeast with 1 T. sugar and a few T. lukewarm milk. Cover with a towel and leave in a warm place. Sift the flour, add a pinch of salt. Mix egg yolks with sugar until almost white, add to flour and yeast, pour in the rest of the milk and the rum, and mix using a mixer until all ingredients are well combined and the dough is smooth. When almost ready, slowly add melted butter or cooking oil and candied orange peel. When the dough has absorbed all the butter or margarine and comes off of the sides of the mixer, cover with a towel and leave in a warm place to rise for about an hour. When the dough has doubled in volume, roll it out into a 1/ 2-inch sheet of dough and cut out circles using a glass. Place a little jam on each circle, cover with another circle, pinch the edges together well and arrange the doughnuts evenly on a floured breadboard.
When they rise a little they may be turned over. Melt the lard in a low wide pot and check if ready, dropping in a piece of dough. If it rises immediately to the surface and is nicely browned, you can drop in the doughnuts, a few at a time so they do not stick together, bottom side up, and slowly fry covered on a medium flame. Turn over browned doughnuts and fry uncovered a little while. Take out ready doughnuts with a sharp stick or a slotted spoon and place on a few paper towels to get rid of excess grease, then cover with lemon glaze. Glaze: Add 1/2 c. water to sugar and simmer until threads can be drawn from the spoon. Take off the flame, let cool and mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture is white, then add lemon juice, and some warm water if needed, to obtain the consistency of thick sour cream. Doughnuts may be sprinkled with powdered sugar instead of glaze.
