Best ever baked donuts

You need a donut cutter to make these yummy donuts.

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Ingredients:

2 packages (1/4 oz each) yeast

1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)

1 1/2 cups warm milk

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

4 1/2 cups four

1/4 cup melted butter

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GLAZE

1/2 cup butter

2 cups confectioners sugar

5 tsp water

2 tsp vanilla extract

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In mixing bowl disolve yeast in warm water. Whisk. Add warm milk & shortening - mix for 1 minute. Add sugar, eggs, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and 2 cups of flour - beat on low speed until smooth. Switch to dough hook. Mix in the rest of the flour to form dough - add a bit more flour if necessary. Do not knead the dough! Cover with a dish towel and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour - it needs to be in a fairly warm spot in order to double in size.

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Punch the dough down and gently knead. Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness on lightly floured counter. Cut with donut cutter and put on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with butter.

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Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled - about 30 minutes (confession time here - I forgot to do this step in the batch in the photo which is why they look that way - but they are still very yummy, so the batch wasn't ruined, just a bit different.

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Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until light tan.

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GLAZE: In a small saucepan melt butter; stir in sugar, water and vanilla. Whisk over LOW heat until smooth. Dip warm donuts in glaze - it helps to have a pair of kitchen tongs to do this and place, glaze size up on a wire rack to cool. You might want to spread newspaper under the rack 1st to speed clean-up. Makes about 2 dozen, plus the donut holes!