Raised Potato Doughnuts

Ingredients

 * ½ cup of milk
 * ½ cup of melted butter
 * 1 teaspoon of salt
 * 1½ teaspoon ground nutmeg or cinnamon
 * 1 package of yeast (or 2 tablespoons)
 * ¾ cup of sugar
 * 1 cup of mashed potatoes
 * 3 eggs
 * 1¾ cups of (potato) water
 * 6 - 6½ cups of white flour

Directions

 * 1) Peel, cut and boil 1 large or 2 medium sized potatoes in water, until the potatoes are very soft.
 * 2) Remove from heat.
 * 3) Drain, reserving the water.
 * 4) Smash the potatoes with a fork.
 * 5) Measure out one cup of mashed potatoes for the recipe.
 * 6) Measure out 1¾ cups of potato water (adding more water if necessary to make 1¾ cups).
 * 7) While the potatoes and the water are still warm, beat together all of the ingredients, except for the flour.
 * 8) Then, gradually stir in the flour.
 * 9) Stir in only as much flour as needed to make a workable dough.
 * 10) The dough should be very soft and a little sticky to the touch.
 * 11) Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for an hour to an hour and a half, or until the dough is nearly double in size.
 * 12) Punch down the dough.
 * 13) On a floured cookie sheet or large tray, roll out the dough ½ inch thick and cut into donut shapes.
 * 14) Remove the dough around the doughnut shapes.
 * 15) Roll out the remaining dough on another cookie sheet, in the same way.
 * 16) Cover the cookie sheets and allow the doughnuts to rise for 20 minutes (skip this rising if you are using "instant" yeast).
 * 17) Fry in deep oil for 3–4 minutes, turning soon after dropping in the oil and then again after a minute or two.
 * 18) Glaze the doughnuts as soon as they are cooked, if you like, with this glaze:.
 * 19) Mix 2 cups of powdered sugar with ½ cup of boiling water.
 * 20) Dip one side of the doughnut in the glaze.
 * 21) Place, glazed side up, on a plate and sprinkle with coconut, if desired.
 * 22) Serve.