In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the milk, water, sugar, and yeast with a fork or spoon. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes till bubbly.

Put the bowl on the mixer with the whisk attachment and add the butter, egg yolks, and vanilla and mix till mostly combined.

Switch to the dough hook attachment and add the flour, salt, and baking powder and mix on low speed till the dough clears the sides. If you need more flour, add a tablespoon at a time till the dough is soft but not overly sticky. Knead for about 4-6 minutes.

Move the dough to one side of the bowl and spray the empty half with cooking spray. Move the dough to the side with spray and spray the side that hasn’t been sprayed. Place the dough in the middle of the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it double in size in a warm place. The time will vary depending on the warmth of your kitchen but should be about 1 hour.

Once risen, remove the dough to a lightly floured counter and gently roll the dough into a 10x12-inch rectangle.

Cut the rectangle in half, longways and then cut each side into 6 bars. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter. If desired, round the corners of the dough to make a pretty looking rectangle.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 6 bars on each tray, several inches apart and cover lightly with plastic wrap sprayed in cooking spray so the dough doesn’t stick. Let them rise again till doubled in size, about an hour.

About 15 minutes before the second rise is done, line a wire cooling rack on a baking sheet close to the stove and fill a heavy-bottomed pot or tall skillet with about 2-inches of oil. If you have a candy thermometer, clip it on the side of the pan. Turn the heat to medium and heat to 350 degrees F. This will take about 15 minutes to get to temperature.

Gently pick up a doughnut and fry the donuts no more than 2 at a time to not make the oil cool too much with over-crowding. Fry each side about 1 minute. When both sides are golden brown, remove to the cooling rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, in a shallow bowl or even a pie plate, combine the glaze ingredients. You want this to be somewhat runny. It should not be spreadable like a frosting, but dippable. If it’s too thick, add a teaspoon of milk at a time till desired consistency or ¼ cup powdered sugar at a time to make it thicker. Taste it and add more maple extract if you want it stronger, this is a personal preference.

Once your donuts are cool, dip one side of the donut (the most rounded side) in the glaze and let it drip off a bit before placing back on the wire rack.

Let them sit for about 10 minutes to let the glaze set a bit before eating.