When I was growing up there was no such a thing as doughnuts in Argentina. I didn't eat the light, syrup-covered commercial version of doughnuts until I came to this country. But my father would make this cakey homemade version once in a while - using this quite simple recipe he must have grown up with. They were good, but I actually prefer the commercial kind

Note that for this recipe you need to have a doughnut cutter - I've no idea where you can find them nowadays. My grandmother used a specialized, deep pot where she could fry four doughnuts at the time, but I think my father used a regular, deep saucepan.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3-4 eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 9 cups flour
• 10 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• a pinch of nutmeg
• flour for dusting
• lard for frying
• powdered sugar for drying

Directions

Beat sugar, milk and eggs together. Add the melted butter and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix well.

Lightly four a working surface and roll the dough until it's about 1/3" high. Lightly dust with more flour. Cut the dough with the doughnut cutter. Mix the left over dough, roll again and repeat.

Pour about 3" of lard into a deep saucepan and heat on high until bubbling. Add the doughnuts and cook for about a minute, until brown. Turn and repeat.

Place cooked doughnuts on thick paper towels or a kitchen towel and drain. Pour some powdered sugar into a small paper bag and add 2 or 3 doughnuts (depending on the size of the bag). Shake until well covered and serve.