Doughnut Extravaganza

By Addie

Fresh and delicious homemade donuts are a breeze with this easy to follow recipe by Chuck Hughes.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• Oil for deep frying
• Powdered sugar for garnish

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from foodnetwork.ca

Preparation

Step 1

Time to make the doughnuts:

1. In a food processor sprinkle yeast over the warm milk; stir to dissolve and let stand for 5 minutes. Add sugar, salt, beaten eggs and vanilla. Blend thoroughly. Add flour and then using a stand mixer with a dough hook, beat until smooth. You can also knead the dough by hand for about 5 minutes. Add butter and blend until thick. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.


2. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to 1/2-inch in thickness. Cut the dough into 1 inch-round doughnuts using a circular cookie cutter (or alternately, a can). Cover with a plastic wrap and let rest for an hour in a warm place. Deep fry at 360F (185C) for 1 to 1 and a half minutes until lightly browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

3. Fit a pastry bag with a 4 mm pastry tip and insert the tip into the side of the doughnut. Gently squeeze the bag as you slowly pull the tip out of the doughnut. Using this technique, fill them with lemon cream, raspberry mango jam and chocolate caramel ganache to taste. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Serve warm.



NOTE: Chilling the dough makes it easier to roll it (does not stick as much). The dough will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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FILLINGS:

DARK CHOCOLATE AND SALTED CARAMEL GANACHE

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup 35-percent whipping cream
1 cup chopped good quality dark chocolate


In a saucepan, melt the sugar with the water over low heat, until it becomes a caramel-colored liquid, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Add the butter and stir until it's all incorporated. Add the cream and stir until it becomes a thick and rich caramel. Add the chocolate and stir until it's melted and incorporated in the caramel. Remove from the heat. Let cool and reserve in an airtight container.


RASPBERRY-MANGO FILLING

2 cups fresh raspberries
2 cups fresh mango, cubed
1 cup sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Put the raspberries, mango, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil, skimming the surface of the jam regularly. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Let cool. Blend the mixture to reduce to a puree. Pass through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Reserve in an airtight container and keep refrigerated.


LEMON CREAM

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
3 eggs
Zest and juice of 3 lemons
Doughnuts

In a stainless steel bowl, mix the sugar, butter, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice together. Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water. Cook's Note: Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water, you do not want to scramble the eggs.



Note : You can also use any good quality jams to fill the donuts.

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COMMENTS:

Good tasting doughnuts. I came across the same error of adding 'butter' without it listed as an ingredient. Made them without the butter and they turned out just fine, although if just heating oil on the stove top, watch the temperature because they cook FAST. Also mine did not rise much at all, but again, they still tasted great (rolled in sugar and no filling.

Yum! The fillings are scrumptious and take this dish over the top! The texture of these donuts are the best I've found so far although I would like a lighter airy texture in the dough...if I could find it. Overall, the best! --> To previous reviewer - THE TV VERSION CALLED FOR 1/2 CUP BUTTER - follow the rest of the recipe as written.

Can't give it an fair review yet. I notice that in the ingredient list for the doughnuts, butter is not there. However, in the "how to" intructions it says to add butter...Was that a typo?