Brazilian Cinnamon Doughnuts

My grandson's 3rd grade class was studying Christmas around the world and I choose Brazil so I could make these delicious doughnuts. These are very similar to beignets, but oh so much easier.  They dust them with cinnamon and sugar, but you could dust them with powdered sugar like the famous beignets from New Orleans. The flag is a Brazilian flag that my 1st grade grandson made.


Ingredients:
2 cups flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2- 1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon baking powder
12/ cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Vegetable oil for frying
Method:
1. In a deep fryer or skillet, heat several inches of vegetable oil to 360 degrees (F)
2. In a small bowl, stir the cinnamon into the 1/2 cup sugar and set aside.
3. Mix the flour, salt and 3 Tablespoons sugar in a bowl.
4. Stir in the eggs and 1/2 cup buttermilk with a wooden spoon. Add more buttermilk, slowly, until mixture has the consistency of a very thick cake batter.
5. Stir in the baking powder
6. Using 2 teaspoons, scoop a generous teaspoon of batter and carefully drop it into the oil, suing the second spoon to help scrape the dough off the first spoon. Repeat with several more teaspoons, but do not overcrowd the doughnuts or they will stick together.
7. Cook the doughnuts, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides.  Most of mine turned on their own.
8. Remove doughnuts from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on  paper towels.
9. Roll the doughnuts in the cinnamon/sugar mixture while still hot.
10. Cook the rest of the doughnuts in batches.
11. Doughnuts are best served warm, and can be reheated or kept warm in the oven.
Since I made these for the class, they were not warm, but the principal said they were delicious. This recipe makes about 40 small doughnuts.