HAPPY FASTNACHTS DAY

Came across this recipe for Fastnachts:

GERMAN FASTNACHTS (DROP DONUTS)

The Lutherans call these Fastnachts and are supposed to eat them on Shrove Tuesday; the Mennonites call them Raised Doughnuts and will eat them any time. They're wonderful, warm or cold, with maple syrup, or sprinkled with sugar

1 packet of yeast dissolved in
1/2 cup warm water with
1 tsp sugar

1 cup hot, mashed potatoes
1 cup sugar
1 cup water that the potatoes were boiled in (lukewarm)
1 cup all purpose flour

Mix potatoes, sugar, potato water and flour; add yeast dissolved in water. Let rise in a warm place for several hours.

Than add:

1 cup sugar
1 cup lukewarm water or milk
3/4 cup melted butter
3 eggs beaten
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups sifted flour for stiff dough (about)

Mix all together, cover and let rise in a warm place for an hour or two—till the dough has doubled in size. Knead lightly, adding more flour to make a stiff dough. Now, according to all my instruction, you're supposed to let the dough rise again for another hour or two, but that means you'd be fussing with these things all day; figure it out; this would be its third rising, with another to come; I think at this point I'd be reckless and divide the dough in thirds and start rolling it out. What matters if you do have a few large holes in your fastnachts? Take your choice, rise or roll. I'd try rolling the dough to about ¾ inch thickness.

Fastnachts have a traditional diamond shape; cut them into diamonds with a knife. Another essential is to cut a slit across the top of each fastnacht with a sharp knife.

Let the fastnachts rise, covered, in a warm place, till they're springy to the touch; when they're quite fat and puffy, drop them with the raised side down into fat that is hot enough to brown a bread cube—375 degrees. If you don't want that many fried cakes you might try baking some in a hot oven as rolls.