A Feast for V.C. Andrews

Today is the 31^st anniversary of the death of author V.C. Andrews, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Andrews is probably best known for her first successful novel, Flowers in the Attic, published in 1979. Her novels revolve around family secrets and forbidden love in an atmosphere of gothic horror, and were so successful that after her death from breast cancer, her estate hired ghost writer Andrew Neiderman to write more stories under her name.

In memory of Andrews and the Dollanganger family she created, here is a recipe for powdered-sugar donuts:

1 cup flour
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup milk
½ tbs vinegar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs melted butter
¼ cup melted and cooled butter

Preheat oven to 350 or preheat donut maker. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest if using, until well combined. In a one cup measuring cup, add vinegar and milk and let sit for 5 minutes.
In a separate, smaller bowl, beat egg until white and yolk are somewhat combined, then pour in milk/vinegar mixture followed by the melted and cooled butter and vanilla. Pour wet ingredient mixture over dry ingredient mixture, and whisk/stir until thick. smooth batter forms. Do not over-mix.
Pour mixture into a piping bag or ziploc plastic bag and snip off a 1/2 inch hole. Pipe donut batter either into greased donut pan or into preheat donut maker coated with cooking spray, filling cavities halfway.
Bake in oven for 5-7 minutes or in donut make for 4 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove donuts and let cool while you prepare a station for powdering.
Add powdered sugar to a brown paper bag or ziploc plastic bag, making sure there is enough empty space for donuts to move around. Add melted butter to a small bowl. Working two at a time, dip donuts in melted butter, then drop into bag filled with powdered sugar. Close bag and shake gently to coat in sugar. Remove and set on a plate to dry.
If needed, return donuts to bag and shake again until enough powdered sugar has coated the donuts. Do not dip in melted butter again, just shake in bag. (the butter will melt the powdered sugar!)

(Source: Food52)

Learn more:

The Complete V.C. Andrews

V.C. Andrews Official Publisher Page

The 8 Weirdest Things That Happened in V.C. Andrews Books