Homemade Doughnuts w/ Pomegranate Glaze!!!

** Before you START please read all the way thru... this recipe has to chill for @ least 4 hours **

For the Doughnuts:

4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 cup milk, lukewarm

1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided

2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast, room-teperature

1 tsp. salt

4 eggs

1 egg yolk

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 gallon vegetable oil

For the Glaze:

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

Combine 1/2 cup of flour, milk, 1 Tbsp. sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cover mixture; let it rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Whisk together the remaining 3 1/2 cups flour, remaining sugar, salt and then the yeast mixture. Whisk together eggs and egg yolk in small bowl; add to dough

Knead mixture w/ a dough hook on medium speed until ingredients are combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running add butter, 2 Tbsp. @ a time until mixture is well combined, about 5 minutes.

Cover dough; let it irse until double in size, about 2 hours. Fold dough over to release air. Again cover and let rise another 45 mintues. Again fold over. Cover & refrigerate dough @ least 4 hours or as long as overnight.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out chilled dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut dough using floured doughnut cutter.

Place doughnuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow doughnuts to come to room tempertature.

Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in large pot.

Fry 3-4 doughnuts @  a time, 1 1/2 mintues per side. Remove doughnuts from oil and place on a rack to cool. Repeat w/ remaining dough.

Whisk together the 4 cups powdered sugar, pomegranate juice and corn syrup in a container w/ a pouring spout. Pour glaze over warm doughnuts. Serve doughnuts after glaze has hardened.

** So I think next time I make these I will use DOUBLE the pomegranate juice, I think the favor was a little dull. Don't get me wrong this was a BIG hit @ home and @ work. But I wanted to taste the pomegranate. I also think that the kids would have LOVED just PLAIN glaze, so I will also be trying that. **