[2] Grating a wedge of Parmesan will give you better cheese flavor than buying pre-grated cheese (photo © Wisconsin Cheese).

[3] Peel a garlic clove and smash it with the broad side of a knife (photo © Kyocera Cutlery | Facebook).

They’re delicious as an appetizer or a snack with wine, beer, or cocktails, with a salad, or with a burger instead of onion rings!

The recipe is easy! It’s from caterer Andrea Correale, founder of Elegant Affairs Caterers in New York City.

The donuts require very little prep time and are served with purchased or homemade tzatziki, fresh pico de gallo salsa, and/or spicy Thai cucumber relish.

You can purchase both pico de gallo salsa and tzatziki, a Greek cucumber relish, if you aren’t inclined to make them from scratch.

Before you get ready to bake, check out the history of doughnuts, including when the spelling of “donuts” arrived.

Recipe #1 is the doughnuts, and recipes #2 and #3 are for dipping sauces: pico de gallo salsa and spicy Thai cucumber relish.

Note that there are two National Doughnut Days. The first, celebrated on the first Friday in June, was established in 1938 in Chicago as a fundraiser for The Salvation Army. The origin of the November 5th National Doughnut Day is less known, but here are two stories relating it to both Veteran’s Day and the Vietnam War.

> Here’s the history of doughnuts.
 
 
RECIPE #1: GARLIC PARMESAN DOUGHNUTS WITH DIPPING SAUCES

Ingredients For 6 Doughnuts

 
 
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*You can purchase a savory seasoning blend or make your own. Here’s a recipe from McCormick: Combine 1-1/2 teaspoons oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Store in an airtight container.
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2. WHISK together the butter, egg, buttermilk, and garlic in a separate bowl. Slowly add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. It will be lumpy. Gently fold in the herbs and cheese.

3. SPOON the batter into the doughnut pan, filling it almost to the top (leave about a 1/8″ space).

4. BAKE for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

5. SERVE the donuts with tzatziki (Greek yogurt dip), fresh pico de gallo salsa (recipe below), and/or a spicy Thai cucumber relish (recipes below).

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. CHOP vegetables as finely as possible.

2. COMBINE ingredients in a bowl; season to taste. Refrigerate for an hour or more to allow flavors to blend.

[4] Serve these savory doughnuts with a choice of dipping sauces. Photo courtesy Elegant Affairs Caterers | NYC.

Ingredients

 
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†The Japanese cucumber is a long, slender, dark green fruit that has few seeds. If you can’t find one, substitute another variety with few or no seeds.
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Preparation

1. PLACE cucumber, shallot, and chile slices in a small bowl.

2. HEAT the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan, stirring, until the mixture reaches a boil and the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool to room temperature, and then pour over the cucumber mixture.
 
3. GARNISH with cilantro leaves and set aside until ready to use.