Instructions

To Make the Donuts

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 ½ cups of the whole milk over medium heat just until the milk begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and add ½ cup granulated sugar, salt, and butter. Stir well until melted. Set aside.
2. Pour the warm water into a small bowl; add 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and the two packets of yeast. Stir together and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. The yeast should foam up and create bubbles.
3. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the yeast mixture and the milk/butter mixture. Add the eggs and beat them together with an electric mixer.
4. Add 1 cup of the flour and mix into the wet mixture using the dough hook of a stand mixer (or follow the tip above). Add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time, mixing just until the flour is incorporated into the dough.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth. Add a little extra flour to the kneading surface as needed.
6. Place the dough into a well-greased large bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 60-90 minutes.
7. Punch down the dough, then cover again and allow to rise a second time for 60 minutes.
8. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and roll out with a rolling pin to 1-inch thickness.
9. Cut the donuts into circles with a donut or biscuit cutter, then cut out the center of the donuts with a small cutter.
10. Place the cut-out donuts onto large cookie sheets and set them aside while you prepare the oil.
11. Add vegetable oil to a large pot, Dutch oven, or deep fryer, to at least 2-inches depth. Heat the oil to 350F degrees.
12. Use a metal spatula to gently lower a donut into the hot oil. Fry the donuts one or two at a time on each side for about 1 minute until golden brown. Remove from the oil and cool on a cooling rack with a baking sheet underneath. 

To make the Glaze

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and ½ cup of whole milk. Set this donut glaze aside.
2. Dip the donuts into the glaze and return to the cooling rack for the glaze to set.
   

Decorating the Unicorn Donuts

Making the Flowerets with the Icing

1. To make the Icing: Mix your milk, powdered sugar, and corn syrup together. If it’s still too dry, add more corn syrup. You want thick icing – but not so thick that you can’t push it through a piping bag & tip. Add 1/2 Tbsp of milk or water if necessary to loosen up, and beat an additional 2 minutes.
2. Divide the mixture into 5 and place in separate small bowls.
3. To the first bowl, place a drop or two of peach food coloring. Blend well. A light-colored tint will do. But you can opt for a deeper blue color by adding more drops. Then place in a small piping bag with a star-shaped tip.
4. To the second bowl, place a drop or two of the blue food coloring. Blend well. Then place in a small piping bag with a smaller star-shaped tip
5. To the third bowl, place a drop or two of the purple food coloring. Blend well. Then place in a small piping bag with a small Drop Flower tip.
6. To the fourth bowl, place a drop or two of the black food coloring. Blend well. Then place in a small piping bag with a fine round hole tip.
7. To the fifth bowl, place a drop or two of the gold food coloring. Blend well. Then place in a small piping bag with a small round hole tip.
8. To make the flowers: These are for the icings in piping bags with Star-shaped tips and Drop flower tip. Hold the piping bag vertically above the macarons. Squeeze out the icing, touching the surface of the donut, then move your hand to twirl the piping bag a bit before lifting off and stop squeezing.
9. On one part of the surface of the glazed donut, place 1 peach flower, 1 blue flower, and 2 small purple flowers at the sides of the first 2 flowers. Arrange them as seen in the photos. 
10. For the eyes of the Unicorn, using the fourth/black-colored icing, pipe out and make 2 curved lines that resemble closed eyes below the flowers. Add a small line as the Unicorn's eyelash (see the photos).
11. To add the Horn and Ears. Use the gold-colored icing. Pipe some icing and place it on the 'head,' above the flowerets. Attach the horn in the middle and the 2 ears at the sides (see the photos). Then enjoy!