Doughnuts aren’t just for special occasions, boardwalks, or carnivals: they’re for everyone! Doughnuts have been inspiring and influencing cultures, regions, and religions around the world for centuries. In short, there’s nothing more satisfying than a doughnut.
But no need to limit yourself to the bakery counter! With HOMEMADE DOUGHNUTS [Quarry Books, February 2014, $24.99 US / $27.99 Can] chef Kamal Grant of Atlanta’s Sublime Doughnuts shows you how to make creative, delicious doughnuts in your home kitchen. Keep reading for 6 Homemade Doughnut RECIPES
#1 Lemon Curd Filling Doughnut Recipe
Everybody loves tangy lemon curd. You can never go wrong with this recipe. You can use it to fill a yeast-raised doughnut and then toss it in confectioners sugar and have a nice lemon-filled doughnut, or fill a pie-crust shell, add a little meringue, close it up, and create a Fried Lemon Meringue Pie. You can also spread this lemon curd on top of a scone or a biscuit. The possibilities are very diverse and very delicious.
Ingredients:
8 egg yolks
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup (120 ml) lemon juice
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
1/4 cup (112 g) cold unsalted butter, diced
Combine the egg yolks, lemon zest, 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the lemon juice, and the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, and heat until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not simmer. Remove from the heat, pour through a strainer into a bowl, and stir in the butter cubes, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice. Cover with plastic and chill before using. Yield: Makes 2 cups (640 g)
#2 VANILLA BAVARIAN CREAM FILLING Doughnut Recipe
This is Sublime Doughnuts version of the classic custard that you will find in inside a Boston cream doughnut. We call our version the Town Cream, because it represents our beautiful city, Atlanta. The vanilla Bavarian cream is essentially a pudding, so if you have your own special vanilla pudding recipe, you should definitely try it and place your own spin on this delicious tradition.
1 vanilla bean,
split 2 1/2 cups (590 ml) heavy cream
3 tablespoons (45 ml) milk
1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch
5 egg yolks
Place the split vanilla bean in a sauce pot, add the cream and milk, and slowly bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the bean and scrape the seeds into to the cream, then discard the pod. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks together. Slowly whisk the cream into the mixture. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until the custard reaches 170 °F (77 °C) on a digital thermometer and is very thick. Remove from the heat, then place the bowl in an ice bath and stir until the filling reaches room temperature. Cover with plastic and chill in the refrigerator before using.
Yield: Makes 3 to 4 cups (600 to 800 g)
#3 AROUND THE WORLD IN DOUGHNUTS CHURRO RECIPE
In Spanish-speaking countries, churros are often served for breakfast and dipped in hot chocolate or cafe con leche.
1 cup (235 ml ) water
1/2 tablespoons (31 g),
plus 1 /2 cup (100 g) sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (28 g)
unsalted butter
1 cup (120 g) all -purpose flour
1 quart (940 ml ) peanut oil , for frying
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, 2 B/c tablespoon s (31 g) of the sugar, the salt and the butter. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat. Stir in the flour until the mixture forms a ball. Pour the oil into an electric fryer or deep saucepan and heat to 375°F (190° C ). Place the mixture in a pastry bag with star tip. Pipe strips of dough into the hot oil, and cut the end with scissors dipped in hot oil . Fry until golden, about 2 minutes per side, then drain on paper towels. Combine the remaining B/c cup (100 g) sugar and the cinnamon. Roll the drained churros in the mixture and serve immediately.Yield: Makes 24 churros
#4 CHOCOLATE PASTRY CREAM FILLING Recipe
This is a great recipe with which to try a reverse Boston cream doughnut using a chocolate pastry cream on the inside and vanilla fondant on the outside. Chocolate pastry cream is similar to pudding, so you can use it for multiple baked goods.
1/4 cups (295 ml) whole milk
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons (3 g) cocoa powder
2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch
2 ounces (56 g) semisweet chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a small saucepan, warm the milk over low heat until it is just hot enough to steam. While the milk is warming, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cocoa powder, and cornstarch until the mixture is completely smooth. Once the milk is steaming, add the melted chocolate to it and whisk until it is fully incorporated into the milk. Add half of the chocolate milk, whisking constantly, to the egg mixture. Add the milk and eggs back into the hot milk, continue stirring, and heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until the custard reaches 170°F (77°C) on a digital thermometer and is very thick. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract, cover with plastic, and chill before using. Yield: Makes 3 to 4 cups (600 to 800 g)
#5 ALMOND Doughnut Recipe
Almonds are a source of good fat polyunsaturated fats that are essential to a balanced diet. Now, we’re not saying that doughnuts are a health food, but we’re happy to provide you with a scientific rationale for adding almonds to enhance your delicious doughnuts! Don’t get us started on the value of complex carbohydrates! When it comes to truly sublime doughnuts, you might want to hang on to these rationales so that you can justify just one more.
1 cup (200 g) sugar
3 tablespoons (45 ml) water
1 tablespoon (15 ml) corn syrup
2 cups (290 g) whole almonds
1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter
Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and stir until it resembles wet sand. Carefully, grab the pan’s handle and swish the ingredients to thoroughly dissolve the sugar. After the sugar has dissolved, place back on medium heat and allow it to sit until it becomes amber-colored caramel, about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and add the almonds. Stir to completely coat the almonds. Add the butter and stir until the butter is melted. Place on a greased sheet pan and carefully separate the almonds using two forks to avoid burning yourself. Let cool before using. Yield: Makes 3 cups (350 g)
#6 CAKE DOUGHNUTS OLD-FASHIONED RECIPE
When I think of an old-fashioned doughnut, I think of a denser doughnut because doughnut making hadn’t been perfected to the point of making light, airy doughnuts until 1920, when Adolph Levitt developed the first doughnut machine. The old-fashioned doughnut is similar to the ones that your grandparents may have made at home. People who are used to this type of doughnut are looking for a meatier, heavier doughnut that can hold up when it is dunked into a cup of coffee.
2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (100 g) sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons (4.5g) nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup (235 ml) milk
½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter, melted
4 cups (940 ml) vegetable oil, for frying
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, milk, and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Rest the dough for 10 minutes. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough comes together to form a ball. Roll out the dough to about D/e-inch (2 cm) thick. Cut the dough using a floured doughnut cutter or a round cookie cutter. Pour the oil to a depth of 3 inches (7.5 cm) into an electric fryer or deep saucepan and heat to 375°F (190°C). Place three or four doughnuts in the fryer and cook for 1 B/c minutes, then flip and cook the other side for 1 B/c minutes. Fry the holes separately, making sure they are submerged in the oil, about 2 minutes total. Remove from the fryer and place on paper towels or a rack to cool and drain. Yield: Makes 12 to 15 doughnuts
