Ballymaloe Balloons (Cheat’s Doughnuts)

My mother-in-law, Myrtle Allen, made these for her children, then passed on the recipe to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They’ve also been a favourite of guest children at the Children’s Tea in Ballymaloe House for over 40 years. They cook into funny little shapes that are uneven in texture, which is a lot of fun – use your imagination to decide what they look like!