The Missing Doughnuts

   Here lately, I have been trying to "perfect" a doughnut recipe.  I have my aunt's, my grandmother's, my neighbor's recipes and tips but none tasted exactly how I wanted them to taste. They were either to oily, to heavy or too sweet.  Nothing was wrong but nothing was right.  I guess I just needed to find "my" recipe and stick with it.  So...in the past few weeks, I have made a LOT of doughnuts.  Usually, a batch makes about 3 dozen doughnuts depending on size.  Usually, those 36 last about 3 days around here.  Usually, I can pawn off doughnuts on the neighbors.  Usually...

  Last night, I had the bright idea to mix up a batch of dough and let it rise overnight.  After getting it all mixed, kneaded and oiled, I put it in Mom's big crockery bowl and set it on the back of the wood-burning stove.  There, it would stay nice and warm even when the fire died down for the evening.  4am rolled around and I was inspired to get those doughnuts shaped and on the second rise.  I wanted doughnuts for breakfast!  While the coffee brewed, I rolled and cut the dough then placed them on the back of the wood-stove again.  Since I was using slow-rise yeast, it took a while for them to rise but when Son rolled out of bed, I had a large cookie sheet full of freshly fried doughnuts...some regular some cream cheese filled.  Those filled ones were his request last night.  This time, 37 doughnuts were made and smelled so divine on this chilly morning.

  Fast forward to about 5pm.  I walked through the kitchen and noticed the platter of doughnuts had decreased dramatically!  Uh, oh!  Granted, I had given a dozen to my brother but there was only 14 left on the rack!  A simple math problem proved that 11 doughnuts had already been eaten! Of those, I had 2...two...a pair!  Where had the other 9 gone?  I had better grab a couple quick if I wanted any more.  I made a cup of tea and enjoyed another two...one of each.  As I was sitting there, Son came down the stairs, grinned and informed me that these were "close to perfection"!  I asked if he had eaten 9 doughnuts and he just smirked and reiterated..."Close to perfection!"   That fellow!  I shook my head as he quickly snatched 3 more doughnuts!  At least, my doughnut making skills must be improving.  I wonder if any of the remaining 9 will be still there come morning or will my coffee not be accompanied by doughnuts for breakfast?