I should be deeply ashamed of myself for posting this Easter recipe so late! I have no defense, though I could make something up… the coronavirus blues, family commitments, sheer laziness… or all of the above. That said, you don’t have to wait till next Easter to make these decadent doughnuts – they’d be good any time of the year!
Usually at Easter I make my stock-standard Easter Hot Cross Buns (or the spelt version), but given Hot Cross Buns are so readily available at supermarkets these days (and some of them are actually pretty good), I honestly couldn’t be bothered this year. Instead, I was seduced into making these Easter bun slash doughnuts (bun-nuts?) from Olivia Galletly when I spotted them in the April 2020 Dish magazine.
What are they exactly, you might ask? Basically, they’re your typical spicy, fruit laden Easter buns… deep-fried – i.e. a bread interior with a crisp, sugar-laden shell. Got your attention? Yeah I thought so! And, yes, I can confirm that they were pretty darn good, especially when slathered with cream and marmalade.
This recipe makes 12 orange sized doughnuts – one’s more than enough for the average person, though some might disagree (not looking at anyone in particular!). We certainly didn’t eat all 12, so I froze the remaining doughnuts (sans cream and marmalade) for another day. Then it was simply a matter of thawing them again and microwaving them on high for about 20 seconds to make them nice and soft, before adding the cream and marmalade.
And, just a BTW… I made my buns with spelt flour. While it’s a better alternative to wheat flour (for those with low tolerance to gluten), spelt doesn’t give the same level of crumb-tenderness and lightness that standard flour provides. So, as nice as these were, I’m sure they would have been even better with the appropriate flour. I guess what I’m saying is that if you have no issue with wheat flour, go for that instead.
These rather sinful Easter doughnuts might not be exactly traditional, but they’re a fun alternative to the stock-standard Easter bun. You’ve got to try them at least once, right? Enjoy!
EASTER DOUGHNUTS WITH CREAM & MARMALADE
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Electric Deep Fryer with Automatic Setting Optional
Ingredients
- 6.4 fl oz water (lukewarm)
- 2.1 oz superfine sugar (caster sugar)
- 0.28 oz dry active yeast
- 19.4 oz all-purpose flour (I used Spelt flour)
- 0.35 oz salt
- 3 tsp mixed spice
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup mixed peel
- Zest of 1 orange
- 3 eggs
- 2.8 oz butter , cubed and softened
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
For the filling:
- 16.0 fl oz cream
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- Orange marmalade
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the water, caster sugar and yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes or until yeast begins to foam.
- In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the flour, salt, mixed spice, cinnamon, raisins, mixed peel and orange zest. Add the eggs and yeast mixture and combine using either your hands or a dough hook.
- Knead the dough for a further five minutes before slowly incorporating the butter. Continue to knead until dough becomes glossy and smooth. Leave to rest for two hours, or until doubled in size.
- Once dough has doubled in size, cut into 12 even portions (though you could make them smaller portions if you prefer). Shape into balls, cover loosely with clingfilm or a damp tea towel and leave to prove for a further 2 hours.
- Fill a large heavy bottomed pot with at least 4cm (2 inches) of oil and place over a medium to high heat until the oil reaches 180°C (360°F) – I used an electric deep fryer which has an automatic frying setting.
- While the oil heats up, take a cooling rack and place two layers of paper towels on top. Combine white sugar and cinnamon on a tray.
- Gently lower the doughnuts two at a time into the oil and fry until golden brown on one side, this should take around 2–3 minutes. Carefully turn the doughnuts and fry for an additional 2–3 minutes. Once cooked, lift the doughnuts from the oil using a slotted spoon, give them a quick shake to get rid of excess oil, then toss immediately in cinnamon and sugar (the sugar sticks to the wet oil so you need to act fast). Place on the cooling rack lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining doughnuts.
For the filling:
- Once doughnuts are completely cool, whip cream and vanilla until soft peaks form.
To assemble:
- Make a large cut into the top of each doughnut and fill with whipped cream and a dollop of marmalade.
They look delicious!!!
Thanks Shaz!! Didn’t last long!