This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 205.180.71.120 (talk) at 23:52, 29 November 2002 (Added Winchell Donuts, more possible links.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 23:52, 29 November 2002 by 205.180.71.120 (talk) (Added Winchell Donuts, more possible links.)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)A doughnut, or donut, is a deep-fried piece of dough or batter. The two most common shapes are the flattened sphere, which is injected with jam/jelly or another sweet filling; and the ring, which was traditionally formed by wrapping the dough around a stick.
Doughnuts can be made using a yeast-based bread dough, or a special type of cake batter. Cake doughnuts are generally iced with a brightly coloured glace icing designed to appeal to children. Some doughnuts are dredged in cinnamon sugar and eaten hot, while others are filled with jam or custard, briefly soaked in a sugary flavoured solution, or glazed.
Donuts have become a part of western culture. The cartoon character Homer Simpson is especially fond of doughnuts, while popular mythology has American police officers addicted to them. There are entire chains of retail stores devoted to the selling of hot fresh doughnuts to eager customers, eg. Dunkin' Donuts, Krispy Kreme, Winchell's Donuts, and many other chain stores.
Other sweet fried pastries very similar to doughnuts include churros and fritters.