Original Salvation Army Doughnut Recipe used during WWI [1914 – 1918]
with some additions ;]
Ingredients:
5 C flour
2 C sugar
5 tsp. baking powder
1 ‘saltspoon’ salt (1/4 tsp.)
2 eggs
1 3/4 C milk
1 tub lard [enough to DEEP fry the doughnuts ]
Optional add either or both nutmeg / cinnamon START with ¼ teaspoon each and adjust to your tastes. Vanilla OR almond extracts 1 teaspoon adjust to taste works too.
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients (except for lard) to make dough.
2. Thoroughly knead dough, roll smooth, and cut into rings that are less than 1/4 inch thick. A variation would be to cut then into strips 2×4 inches or squares 2x2inches (When finding items to cut out doughnut circles, be creative. Salvation Army Doughnut Girls used whatever they could find, from baking powder cans to coffee percolator tubes and artillery shell cases.)
3. Drop the rings into the lard, making sure the fat is hot enough to brown the Doughnuts gradually. Turn the doughnuts slowly several times.
4. When browned, remove doughnuts placing them on a grate in a pan and allow excess fat to drip off [recover drained fat and reuse].
5. Dust with powdered sugar. Let cool and enjoy.
Yield: 4 dozen donuts depending on size and shape that you make them.
These were often cooked over an open fire and IF they were lucky sometimes a wood stove. The main purpose was to raise the soldiers’ spirits which it did and to provide a few extra calories. With this in mind in a disaster situation [there are few situations worse than war zones] that it should be very viable to cook nutritious and appealing meals in the field. It just takes a bit of planning.