Jelly Donuts

Call us donut freaks but we love eating these little yeasted bakes - with or without the holes! We take them anyhow it comes. I for one prefer the old fashion donut, no frills whatsoever and simply sprinkled with caster sugar or better still cinnamon sugar. Yum and with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, it's complete heaven to me. My hubby goes for the fancy types ... jam filled or those glazed with more sugary stuff, not forgetting chocolate of course! I personally think it's a whole lot of sugar load in one-go.

With a free afternoon and the house all to myself ... oops not exactly! I forgot my two fur doggie boys! I decided to try my hand at some jelly donuts (small version ones). I've been putting off making donuts for a long time as the idea of frying had not really appealed to me at all. In fact I was chatting over yahoo chat with my sister who is currently residing in Melbourne about donuts. She too was keen to try out the recipe and like me, frying was the deterent! She asked for a baked version instead. Anyway these jelly donuts lived up to expectations but you really have to eat it fresh. I had a few left over for the next day but the donuts tasted a bit heavier .... definitely not so nice once stale!



Jelly Donuts
Adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe
Makes 20

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water, (100 degrees to 110 degrees)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup castor sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups vegetable oil, plus more for bowl
1 cup seedless blueberry jam
Icing sugar for dusting

Method:

1) In a small bowl, combine yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.

2) Into your mixer bowl, add the flour, eggs, yeast mixture, orange extract, sugar, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Attach your dough hook and turn to low to mix the ingredients for about a minute. Then turn your mixer one speed higher and continue to mix for about 8 minutes. Add a little more flour if necessary. By the end of the 8 minutes your dough should be smooth, soft and bounces back when poked with a finger (it should not be sticking to the sides of your bowl).

3) Roll the dough into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

4) On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2" cutter and cut out about 20 rounds. If you don't have a round cutter, use any other utensils that will give you a similar shape. Cover with clingwrap and set aside to rise for another 15 mins. (Do not be alarmed if the rounds do not seem to rise much. Once you fry them in the hot oil, they will puff up nicely.)

5) In medium saucepan or pot over medium heat, heat oil until a deep-frying thermometer registers 370F. Carefully slip 4 rounds into oil (do not over crowd). Fry until golden brown, about 40 seconds. Turn doughnuts over; fry until golden on other side, another 40 seconds.

6) Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Continue frying the remaining dough.

7) Fill a pastry bag fitted with a #4 tip with jam. Using a wooden skewer or the end of a chopstick, make a hole in the side of each doughnut. Fit the pastry tip into a hole, pipe about 2 teaspoons jam into doughnut. Repeat with remaining doughnuts.

8) Dust the donuts with icing sugar and serve whilst still warm.