Jelly Donuts the kind you remembered or maybe not.
 

Now, I can remember that besides empanadas there were other finger foods for early in the morning. Yes, all kinds of donuts and sweet buns. My favorite were the jelly donuts and the jelly filled buns. In the old Canal Zone jelly donuts and buns were available early at any clubhouse. Here is an old recipe. You might want to try it at home and then you might not but it just might be worth the try.
 
Jelly Donuts

3/4 cup milk or non-dairy liquid creamer
1/4 cup Butter or margarine
2 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
4 1/4 to 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt (a pinch)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup jelly or preserves (use cherry, orange, plum, apricot or raspberry) and a tab of whipped cream
1 to 2 egg whites, beaten
Vegetable oil

2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup hot water
2 teaspoons jelly or preserves (plum, apricot or raspberry)

In 1-qt saucepan heat milk over medium heat until just comes to a
boil (5 to 7 minutes), stir in butter until melted. Cool to warm
(105 to 115 degrees F). In large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water.
Add cooled milk mixture, 2 1/2 cups flour and sugar. Beat by hand
until smooth. Stir in eggs, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in
enough remaining flour to form soft, but manageable, dough. Turn
dough onto lightly floured surface, sprinkling additional flour on
dough if needed to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough
should be softer than bread dough). Knead lightly 2 minutes. Place
in greased bowl turn greased side up. Cover, let rise in warm
place until double in size (about 1 hour). Dough is ready if
indentation remains when touched.

Punch down dough. On lightly floured surface roll dough to 1/4-inch
thickness. With lightly floured 3-inch round cookie cutter cut out
rounds. Put 1/2-teaspoon jelly in center of half of rounds. Brush
edges with egg white, top with remaining plain rounds, sealing
edges well. Place on greased cookie sheet. Cover, let rise until
nearly double in size (about 45 minutes). Heat 3 inches oil in
deep fat fryer or Dutch oven to 360 to 375 degrees F. Place donuts,
no more than 3 at a time, into hot oil. Fry, turning once, until
golden brown (2 minutes). Drain well on paper towels. Sprinkle with
powdered sugar or cool and dip in glaze.

For glaze, in medium bowl stir together powdered sugar, hot water
and jelly until smooth. Dip donuts into glaze, place on cooling
rack to set.

YIELD: 1 dozen

the temperature of the oil is very important when frying donuts.
Use a thermometer to reach and maintain the proper temperature.

If glaze thickens, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons hot water.


Good luck and good eating!