Dear Sun Spots: I was wondering if you would be able to help me locate a recipe for bismarks?

I have looked in all my cookbooks and cannot find one. – P.J.P., Jay.

Answer: In addition to responses from readers, Sun Spots located the following recipe which hopefully you and your family will enjoy:

Filled Berlin Doughnuts (Bismarks) Ingredients: 1 packet or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast, ¼ cup water, 110-115ºF, ½ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup butter or regular margarine, 1 tablespoon orange juice, 2 teaspoons rum extract, 1 cup milk, scalded, unbleached flour (Use up to 4 cups of unbleached flour in this recipe), 2 large eggs, well beaten, fat, heat the fat to 375ºF. (for deep frying), jam or jelly.

Method: Soften the yeast in the warm water and let stand for 5 minutes or until it “blooms” or proofs. Put a ½ cup of sugar, the salt, butter, orange juice and rum extract in a large bowl. Pour the scalded milk over the ingredients in the bowl. Stir until the butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm. When cool, blend in 1 cup of the unbleached flour and beat until smooth. Stir in the yeast and add about half of the remaining flour, beating until smooth. Beat in the eggs. Then beat in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough (should be slightly sticky and light in weight).

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 to 10 minutes). Form into a ball and put into a greased bowl, turning to grease the top of the ball of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk. Punch the dough down, kneading lightly to remove all of the air pockets, and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll to ½-inch thickness. Cut the dough into rounds using a 3-inch biscuit or cookie cutter. Cover with waxed paper and let rise on the rolling surface away from drafts and direct heat, until double in bulk, (30 to 45 minutes).

About 20 minutes before frying, heat the fat. Fry the doughnuts in the heated fat. Put only as many doughnuts at one time as will float uncrowded in a single layer deep in the fat. Fry 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned; turn the doughnuts with a fork or tongs, being careful not to pierce the doughnut, when they rise to the surface. Do this several times during the cooking.

Lift from the fat, draining for a few seconds over the fat before removing to absorbent paper towel. Cool. Cut a slit through the center in the side of each doughnut. Force about ½ teaspoons of jam or jelly into the center and press lightly to close the slit. A pastry bag and tube may be used to force the jelly or jam into the slit. Shake two or three bismarks at one time in a bag containing granulated or powdered sugar. Your choice. Shake lightly to remove the excess sugar.

Dear Sun Spots: On June 12, members of Edward Little High School Class of 1940 will gather to celebrate their 65th reunion. Invitations have been sent to all known addresses, however the following members’ addresses are unknown:

Hazel Ball McGibbon, Phyllis Bartlett Wheeler, Lucille Coullard DeVito, Violet Bolduc Collins, Margaret Cronin Rollins, Jacob L. Davidson, Eleanor Faber Parker, Estelle Fogel Fixman, Donald G. Fraser, J. Glen Hughes, Mary Kolchakian Lavoie, Lillian Larrabee MacFarlane, Janet Stevens Hunnewell, Priscilla Stewart Miller, Maxine Trask Crane. Information on any of these members would be appreciated. I can be reached at P.O. Box 29, West Poland, ME 04291, or via phone at (207) 998-4389. – Marion Emery-Chesley, West Poland.

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