Mix together the following ingredients
5 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups buttermilk
5 1/2 to 6 cups flour
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Fill a doughnut maker with batter and drop small rings into hot oil. The doughnut maker does not touch the oil. I use antique donut makers and they can be found on ebay; I don't know if they are still sold in stores. You can make fritters with dropped dough but it's hard to ensure there is not uncooked dough in the center.
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Let them cook until the top has bubbles and looks partially cooked. It's similar to how a pancake looks before you flip it. Flip the donuts with a fork or tongs to cook the other side.
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Remove the doughnuts from the oil when both sides are brown.
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These are draining on a wire rack over a cookie sheet but you can drain them on paper towels as well.
The recipe makes quite a few so I like cutting it in half and I use 3 eggs. I think baked goods taste best fresh and a half batch makes a more comfortable quantity.