Rookie » How to Make Binary Code Doughnuts

How to Make Doughnuts

What you’ll need:

The doughnut recipe of your choice. We used this lavender and lemon recipe, but there are so many options, including vegan ones and gluten-free ones, too.
The ingredients listed in your doughnut recipe. Most will include some combination of flour, sugar, milk, butter, eggs, salt, and yeast.
Foil or parchment paper
A rolling pin or bottle of water, which works as a rolling pin in a pinch
The decorating supplies of your choice! We recommend icing, glaze (it’s powdered sugar and milk; here’s an easy recipe), and sprinkles.
A butter knife or 1 and 0 cookie cutters
A frying pan
A vegetable oil that has a neutral flavor and high smoke point, like canola or safflower oil
A candy or meat thermometer
Metal tongs
A plate
Paper towels

How to do it:

Step One

Follow your recipe to mix the dough.

Step Two

After you’ve mixed the dough, lay it on a flat surface covered by parchment paper, foil, or flour. Dust flour on a rolling pin or bottle of water, then roll the dough evenly until it’s about a half-inch thick. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes (this will make cutting the doughnut shapes easier).

Step Three

While the dough is chilling, gather your decorating supplies. If you decided to make your own glaze, you can add a little bit of food coloring to give it some pizzaz.

Step Four

After the dough has chilled, use a butter knife to cut out 1 and 0 shapes. (Check your binary numbers to be sure you make enough of each shape.) If you happen to have 1 and 0 cookie cutters, use those. You can also improvise 0s by tracing a cup.

Step Five

Line a plate with paper towels. This is where you’ll put the doughnuts after they’re finished frying.

Step Six

Fill a pan with two inches of vegetable oil (we chose safflower) and very slowly heat it on the stove. Hot oil is dangerous—heating it too quickly or at a too-high temperature can cause splashes or pops, which can result in serious burns. (ALSO IMPORTANT! If the pot was recently washed, make sure that it’s completely dry before you fill it with oil or you risk tiny explosions!) Be very, very careful while you’re warming the oil. Use low heat and a candy or meat thermometer to test the temperature—you’re aiming for 375 degrees Fahrenheit, tops.

Step Seven

When the oil is at 375 degrees, use metal tongs to very slowly lower a doughnut into it. Be really, really careful as you do this. (Sorry to yell but HOT OIL CAN CAUSE BURNS; PLEASE BE SO SO CAREFUL!) Fry the doughnut on each side, until both sides are slightly darkened. Have your metal tongs nearby to take the donut out of the pan when it’s done.

Step Eight

Time to decorate! You can cover your doughnuts in glaze, or just ice one side. Before the glaze/icing dries, shake some cute and colorful sprinkles all over.

Step Nine