We’ve all been there… that moment when sinking your teeth into a delicious doughnut seems to be just what the doctor ordered. You can’t go wrong with sweet, deep-fried dough, so here are a few recipes for some of the best homemade delicacies.
Yeast Raised Doughnuts
: 20g yeast, dried
: 130ml water, warm
: 500ml milk, warm
: 175g caster sugar
: 1 tspn salt
: 3 eggs
: 120g unsalted butter, melted
: 950g plain (all-purpose) flour for frying oil
For the glaze:
: 120g unsalted butter
: 375g icing (powdered) sugar
: 10ml vanilla extract
: 100ml milk, room temperature
- In a small bowl mix together the warm water, warm milk and the dried yeast. Mixto dissolve the yeast.
- Place the bowl in a warm area, covered,until the mix begins to froth and rise. Thisshould take about 40 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar,salt, eggs, melted butter, sifted flour andthe yeast mixture.
- Use the tips of your fingers to startmixing and then gradually combine all theingredients to form the dough.
- Remove the dough to a floured bench topand knead the dough for 2-3 minutes. If thedough is too sticky add more flour.
- Cover the dough and let it rise for 1 hour.
- Punch the dough down and knead againlightly.
- Roll the dough to about 2cm in thicknesson a floured board and cut out doughnutswith a 7cm round cutter.
- Use a smaller cutter to cut out the centre.
- Place the doughnuts onto a lightly flouredtray and cover. Allow it to rise for 45 minutes.
- To fry the doughnuts heat the oil to 180degrees Celsius. Use a deep saucepanto heat the oil, which allows for them to be flipped easily.
- Test a small piece of dough first beforefrying the whole batch.
- Carefully place the doughnuts in the oil. Donot overfill the pan for safety.
- Cook on each side for about one minuteand when golden brown flip the doughnutswith a fork.
- Remove from the oil and place on kitchentowel to drain.
- For the cinnamon sugar coated kind,roll the warm freshly fried doughnutsin a mixture of cinnamon and castersugar immediately after frying. For glazeddoughnuts, allow them to cool for 1-2minutes before dipping in the preparedglaze and setting on a wire rack to drain.Allow it to cool; serve.
To make the glaze:
- Melt the butter and stir in powdered sugarand vanilla until smooth.
- Add milk until desired consistency isreached.
- Glaze should coat the back of a spoon and not be too thin.
Pumpkin Doughnuts with Eggnog Frosting
: 250g flour
: 1 1/2 tspn baking powder
: 1/2 tspn salt
: 1 tspn cinnamon
: 1/2 tspn garam masala
: 80ml vegetable oil
: 110g brown sugar
: 1 egg
: 1 tspn vanilla extract
: 100g pumpkin purée, tinned
: 120ml milk
For the frosting:
: 120g cream cheese
: 120g powdered sugar
: 1 tbspn golden syrup
: pinch garam masala
: pinch clove powder
: pinch ginger powder
: pinch nutmeg
: pinch cinnamon
: 2 tbspn milk
- Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
- Butter individual savarin rings and set aside.
- In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and set aside.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixture and stir until just combined, careful not to overdo it.
- Carefully spoon the batter into the buttered savarin rings, filling each three quarters full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until doughnuts spring back when gently pressed.
- When baked, drop the doughnuts from the rings immediately onto a wire cooling rack.
- While the doughnuts are cooling, mix together all the ingredients for the frosting until smooth.
- Place the ingredients into a bowl and set over a saucepan of boiling water.
- Heat the frosting until it is warm and the cream cheese is liquid.
- Add the milk slowly to thin the glaze.
- Dip the doughnuts into the glaze and set onto a wire rack to drip and dry. Serve when cool.
Chive and Rosemary Doughnuts with Goat Cheese Frosting
: 120ml milk
: 2 eggs
: 2 tbspns vegetable oil
: 10g sugar
: 100g plain (all purpose) flour
: 120g polenta
: 1 tspn baking powder
: 1/4 tspn salt
: 1/4 tspn paprika
: 3 tbspns chives, finely chopped
: 1 tbspn fresh rosemary, finely chopped
For the frosting:
: 180g goat cheese
: 40ml milk
: 1/2 tspn black pepper salt to taste
: 1 tspn fresh rosemary, finely chopped
: 1 tbspn chives, finely chopped
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a bowl whisk together the milk, eggs, oil and sugar.
- Gently fold in the flour, polenta, baking powder, salt and paprika until just combined.
- Fold in the chopped chives and rosemary until just combined.
- Brush savarin rings with melted butter and fill three quarters full with the mixture.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes, or until they spring back when touched.
- When baked remove immediately and cool on a wire rack.
- Let it cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting:
- Let the goat cheese come to room temperature while the doughnuts are baking.
- Whisk in the milk slowly until it becomes smooth and spreadable.
- Add the pepper, salt and rosemary.
- When the doughnuts are cool, dip each one into the frosting and assist spreading with a knife if required.
- Sprinkle the tops with the chopped chives before serving.