Maandazi (East African Donuts)

Ingredients 2¼ tsp dry yeast ½ cup warm water 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp ground Cardamom 3 cups all-purpose flour 2-4 tbsp extra sugar ¾ cups coconut milk 1 tbsp oil (optional) oil for deep frying Preparation Dissolve 1 tsp sugar in ½ cup warm water. Then, dissolve yeast in the same mixture. Cover with a plastic wrap until the yeast rises. Add into mixture the remaining sugar, oil, cardamom and ½ cup of coconut milk. In a bowl, mix flour into yeast mixture. If the dough is too hard to handle, add the remaining coconut milk, about a tbsp at a time. If it is too soft, add flour a little bit at a time. On a flat floured surface, continue to knead the dough for 10 minutes until it becomes elastic. Move the dough to a clean lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean cloth and let it rise. Once it has doubled in size, knead the dough for an additional 2 minutes. With a rolling pin, roll the dough to about 1/2 cm thin. Use a round cookie cutter or a similar utensil to cut the dough into regular shapes. Deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Serve at room temperature or warm in microwave for 10 seconds.