Happy Hour Doughnuts on #marketfriday

Years ago when I was caring for a household with other people in it, my trips to the market were more frequent and regular. But when one is a widow, retired (or as a "pensioner" as they say in the UK), and living alone, market trips are more infrequent and can fall on various days of the week.

A couple of the markets in my area offer "Senior Discounts" for older folks, but those are often only one day each week and during early-morning hours, and I am not a "morning person!" Of course, for fifty years of my life when I was in the workforce world, I was obligated to be an early-riser for the commute to the office. If left to my own devices, though, I much prefer to stay awake into the wee-hours of the morning (2am, 3am, 4am, whatever) and then sleep until late morning or noon, then get up and start my day.

I digress — but that is how we get to know one another, correct...?

One of the markets in my area has a Bakery Department inside the store where goods are prepared fresh every day. They have an assortment of breads, cakes, pies, cookies, and one of my favorite things — doughnuts! One anthropologist "...traces its origins to the oliekoek that arrived in America with the Dutch settlers in the early 18th century." ^[2] So, big thanks to @brittandjosie and the Dutch people for this wonderful treat! 😋

During the early part of each day when the doughnuts are fresh from the bakery, the market price is usually USD $0.50 for each doughnut sold individually. A small discount is offered if the customer purchases a full dozen (12 doughnuts) to share with their coworkers or family.

For shoppers that arrive later in the day, a special price is offered after 6:00pm under the amusing name of "Happy Hour Doughnuts" (after the "happy hour" when people leave their jobs) when the doughnuts are offered at a price of 3 for USD $1. That is the best time to buy doughnuts, even though the selection of remaining varieties isn't as good as it would be earlier in the day.

Since doughnuts are usually fried in oil, they aren't as healthy as sweets that are baked, but elimination of trans fats helps somewhat. ^[2]  The fact that doughnuts are fried is the main factor which many people feel differentiates "doughnuts" from "pastries" which are usually baked, instead. ^[1]

Despite the supposed origins of the doughnut in my part of the world being derived from the Dutch, many other cultures around the world also have variations of sweetened, fried dough. Interested readers can click here for a descriptive list of some of them from all continents except Antarctica.

In my area of the world, there are two main classifications: yeast doughnuts and cake doughnuts. The former are made with yeast which causes the dough to rise with air-pockets inside to create a light, fluffy texture, while the latter are made with a special type of cake flour.^[2] Both of these are usually fried. Cake doughnuts can be made with additions to the batter, such as blueberries, sour cream, and other things. Yeast donuts are usually topped with a simple glaze, or perhaps chocolate or vanilla icing. Sometimes, yeast donuts are injected with a filling of fruit compote/jam (lemon and raspberry being popular flavors), whipped cream, or custard. Some doughnut shops, especially in larger cities, have more variety which can include caramel, peanut butter, crushed nuts, streusel, coconut, and many other varieties of icings and toppings.

When I was a child, there were no doughnut shops in my immediate area. Occasionally, we had to drive the 40-or-so minutes to the nearest city for things that could not be purchased in the small town nearest us. As we entered the outskirts of the city, there was a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop along the way. Most of the time, my father did not want to stop because of the extra time it would take or the extra money that would be spent, but he did sometimes stop to treat us. That was the only doughnut shop that I remember from my childhood, so the Krispy Kreme doughnut has always held a special place in my heart as well as my tummy. Years later when I began to encounter Dunkin' Donuts^® and other doughnut shops, their fare was good, but Krispy Kreme^® has always reigned supreme with me, at least when they are fresh.

Speaking of fresh... Many Krispy Kreme^® locations have a neon sign that says "Hot Doughnuts Now" and is lit periodically throughout the day when a fresh batch of doughnuts is being baked. When warm, they will melt in one's mouth and have a soft, creamy texture that fades slightly after the doughnuts have cooled. There's nothing quite like a warm, fresh Krispy Kreme^® 🤤

Sometimes, simplicity is best, as one of my favorites is a yeast doughnut with vanilla icing. Also ranking among the top choices for me are the lemon filled, and the so-called "Bismark" variety that is chocolate iced with a custard filling. Do you like doughnuts? What are you favorites?