Its origin is a mystery. “My grandmother worked at a hospital — one of her patients gave it to her,” said Hattie. It’s been years since grandma Mary Jo Tervort of Salem started frying up Spudnuts during the holiday season.

However, Hattie’s mother, Pauline Smith, also of Salem, knows precisely how long she’s been joining her mother, Mary Jo, in the preparation.

“It’s been 30 years,” said Pauline. “I know because it was the first year I was married.”

So Hattie wasn’t even born when the Spudnut action began between her mom and grandma. Now she joins them when she can, but her two preschoolers pre-empt her participation at times.

Hattie’s male relatives sometimes lend a hand in the Spudnut assembly line. Aunt Denise Johnson of Salt Lake City even travels down and takes part now and then.

“It’s a tradition that my mom and grandma have done since I was little,” said Hattie. “They take turns. One year they do it at my grandma’s, the next year at Mom’s house.”

Hattie’s kids, ages 5 and 3, love the Spudnut cook-off because “grandma makes them Spudnut holes — glazed as well,” said the young mother.

Pauline and Mary Jo distribute the prized Spudnuts to close (and lucky) neighbors prior to Christmas.

“Grandma’s a very good cook,” said Hattie. Her favorite recipe from Mary Jo is a sugar cookie with a secret ingredient that makes them “nice and soft” — evaporated milk.

But Mary Jo doesn’t share her bread-making secrets. “Oh, I just put this and that in it,” she answers.

“How about a recipefi” Hattie asks her — to naught.

Meanwhile, enjoy good ol’ Utah Spudnuts from Mary Jo.

Spudnuts

3 cups milk

fl cup shortening

3 tablespoons yeast; dissolve in 1/2 cup warm water

12 cups flour

1/4 cup salt

1 cup sugar

4 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes

1 cup potato water (saved from cooking the potatoes)

1/2 teaspoon lemon flag

extra flour to create soft dough

While dissolving yeast in water, heat milk and shortening to lukewarm. Set aside. Into large mixing bowl sift flour and salt; stir in sugar.

Beat eggs in a separate bowl and add to flour mixture. Stir into flour loosely. To flour mixture add mashed potatoes that have been blended with potato water (see Cook’s Notes below). Add yeast mixture. Lastly, add the lemon flavoring.

At this point, the dough may be sticky, so sift in extra flour for a soft but not stiff dough. The dough may need as much as 1 extra cup of flour. “Don’t stir any more than you have to,” cautions Pauline.

Cover dough and let rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours.

Roll out dough to thickness of 1/2 inch on floured bread board or kitchen counter. Use doughnut cutter to form Spudnuts. Heat 64 ounces (amount depends on size of fryer) of vegetable oil to 375 degrees in deep fat fryer or electric skillet.

Fry Spudnuts in hot oil until golden brown. Flip over Spudnuts and fry on other side. Put finished Spudnut on plate to cool, then dip in glaze (recipe below). Hang glazed Spudnut on dowel over a pan so glaze can drip off. Lay on paper towels to dry; flip Spudnut over so it can dry evenly.

Enjoy. They are best eaten the same day as they are prepared, said Hattie.

Cook’s Notes: Hattie’s mother, Pauline Smith, cooks her potatoes the day before the Spudnut venture. She drains the potatoes but saves all the water. Next she blends the potatoes in a blender rather than mashing them with a potato masher. “I don’t like clumps,” Pauline said. “I just can’t get the texture I want without using a blender.”

She adds just enough potato water to the potatoes to make a thick puree in the blender. Warm up the mashed potato mixture slightly prior to adding them to the dough so any coolness doesn’t slow down the yeast action.

For the frying the Tervorts/Smiths bring out two deep fat fryers to keep the process going — especially when they have extra helping hands.

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon water

/ teaspoon lemon or vanilla (we prefer lemon; Grandma prefers vanilla)

Mix all together and drizzle over the doughnuts.

Cook’s Notes: It takes several of these recipes of glaze to do the above Spudnut recipe. Pauline and Mary Jo prepare the glaze as the Spudnuts are ready. The duo usually prepares two batches of Spudnuts. Pauline likes lemon flavoring in both the dough and the glaze for “the little teeny tang.”

Lobster Week: Greg’s Restaurant, the dining room for UVSC’s Culinary Arts Institute is offering its annual Lobster Week meal, Jan. 18-19 and 25-26 for $26.95. Reservations: 863-7054 from now to Dec. 14 and Jan. 2-24.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B1.