NATIONWIDE – National Donut Day falling on a Friday made the end of the week even sweeter.
These fried treats never fail to bring a smile, but once you learn about the holiday's origins, it becomes something you don't want to glaze over.
The Salvation Army of Chicago first celebrated National Donut Day in 1938 as a fundraiser for people affected by the Great Depression. It was also to pay tribute to Salvation Army volunteers, called 'donut lassies,' who served donuts to soldiers during World War I. They gave out about 9,000 donuts a day during the war.
Austin area command's Maj. Andrew Kelly explained to Victoria Maranan how Salvation Armies nationwide kept the tasty tradition going.
Recipe from the original donut recipe used by the “donut lassies” in WWI:
Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 5 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ tablespoon salt
- 1 ¾ cup milk
- 1 tub lard
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients (except for lard) to make dough.
- Thoroughly knead dough, roll smooth, and cut into rings that are less than ¼ inch thick.
- Drop the rings into the lard, making sure the fat is hot enough to brown the donuts gradually. Turn the donuts slowly several times.
- When browned, remove donuts and allow excess fat to drip off.
- Dust with powdered sugar. Let cool and enjoy!