June 7th is National Donut Day and what better way to celebrate than with your favorite frosted, jellied, powdered or glazed confection! One of my favorite memories as a kid was our weekly grocery shopping ritual. Every Saturday, my mom, sister and I would head to the grocery store. After the groceries were bought and the car was loaded up, we would walk next door to the stand-alone bakery and pick out a dozen donuts to bring back to the house. It was a small, family-owned bakery full of glass cases filled with delicious donuts, perfect pastries, and cakes for all occasions. I have always loved baking and seeing those perfect donuts all lined up in neat rows always delighted me.
If you are a donut enthusiast like myself, there are many ways that you 
can show your appreciation on National Donut Day. Perhaps you want to dust off your baking skills and make your own donuts. If you are looking for inspiration, there are a number of books you can check out to explore new donut recipes. “Donuts” by Elinor Klivans is a good place to start. This book covers the basics with recipes for glazed, jelly-filled, and sprinkled donuts. Or you could also try “Doughnuts: 90 Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home” by Lara Ferroni which includes a variety of donut recipes like rainbow cake, maple-bacon bars, red velvet, and classics like old-fashioned sour cream.
And is there anything cuter than mini donuts? These bite-sized treats are the perfect size to satisfy your sweet tooth. In “Mini Donuts”, Jessica Segarra, provides recipes for miniature versions of jelly, custard and cream-filled donuts. She also includes favorites like powdered sugar and chocolate cake, or unique flavors like pineapple upside-down cake, s’mores and chai tea. If you have a gluten allergy, try some gluten-free donut recipes. In “Baked Doughnuts for Everyone”, Ashley McLaughlin presents recipes like apple fritter, peanut butter crunch, vegan gooey chocolate and even savory jalapeno cheddar and Greek stuffed donuts, all gluten-free!
Not much of a baker? You could celebrate National donut day by picking up donuts from your favorite bakery and settling in with some fun donut-inspired fiction! There are lots of donut or bakery-themed cozy mysteries to choose from at the library. Author Jessica Beck has written a series of books that feature donut shop owner Suzanne Hart. In each book, Suzanne is confronted with mysterious murders that she must solve to bring peace to the quiet town of April Springs. In “Tragic Toppings” Suzanne is drawn into the mysterious disappearance of her customer Emily who turns up missing at the same time as her ex-husband Max. Odder still is the appearance of a corpse in the park. In “Drop Dead Chocolate,” Suzanne must clear her mother’s name when the opposing candidate for the mayoral election turns up dead.
Looking for a little murder mystery combined with wedding planning? In “Goodbye Cruller World” by Ginger Bolton, donut shop owner Emily is hired to create a donut wall for the owner of a clothing shop, but when she finds the groom of an upcoming wedding dead from poisoning she must work to solve the murder before her shop’s reputation is tarnished. Emily also stars in Bolton’s other book, “Survival of the Fritters” which includes the addition of her furry sidekick, a tabby named Deputy Donut.
However you choose to celebrate (presumably donuts will be consumed), have a happy National Donut Day!
