Treat yourself to a warm batch of Hedy Goldsmith's comforting old-fashioned doughnuts. Crisp on the outside and airy on the inside, this classic recipe starts with a simple dough and finishes with a generous dose of cinnamon and sugar. If you'd like, you can skip the doughnut holes and use a filling instead, such as a jam, jelly, pudding or curd.

Prepare a simple dough using sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. Once the dry and wet ingredients are incorporated in your stand mixer, change to a dough hook and mix on medium-high speed until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 15 to 18 minutes. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a sheet pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes to rest the dough. Then, cut out thirty 4-by-4-inch squares of parchment paper. Lightly oil each one or spray with pan spray. Have several baking sheets ready.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a work surface. Cut out doughnuts with a round cutter (or cut squares for a different look).