Cheap Tricks: Poor Man's Donuts

In a pinch, I made these "donuts" recently and was pleased at how nice they turned out. Served warm, they make a great treat for kids and hungry husbands.



A couple of extra tips.

• The sugar/cinnamon mixture is to your taste. I used a 1/4 cup granulated sugar and just enough cinnamon to turn it a light tint of brown.

• Fat. You can use any fat, but Crisco is my choice.

• Cook time. This can be tricky. Don't trust the color of the outside to tell you if the inside is ready. That's why it's important not to have the heat too high especially after the grease is quite hot. You won't have a problem with the small cans of refrigerated dough, but the bigger biscuits will take a few more seconds of cook time for the insides to be done.

Basically, this is a sweet fry bread. Greg loved it for breakfast, so much so, I will make them again. We always have a can of biscuits around.

One last tip: I don't waste shortening. Once cooled, you can spoon out the shortening into a plastic container and put it in the fridge for the next time you make these donuts. The beauty of solid shortening is that it's reusable. You don't have to put it in the fridge, but I do just to remind me I have it.