Description
These sweet pillows of goodness are light as air and ever so slightly crisp on the outside. Bonne Maman Wild Blueberry Preserves serves as the perfect filling, and pairs beautifully with the bright lemon zest that dots the dough. Serve these doughnuts for your next weekend breakfast, or special occasion, alongside a vanilla mascarpone dipping sauce, and you’ll have some happy eaters on your hands.
Ingredients
Scale
for the dough:
- 2/3 cup whole milk (warmed to 105 to 115°F)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 4 tablespoons ½ stick butter, melted and cooled
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
- 2 tablespoons 25 g sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 ¼ cups 270 g bread flour, plus more for dusting
- vegetable oil (for frying)
for finishing the doughnuts:
- ½ cup Bonne Maman Wild Blueberry Preserves
- ½ cup granulated sugar
for the vanilla mascarpone sauce:
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese
- 5 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
- seeds from ½ vanilla bean
Instructions
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the milk and the yeast. Stir gently to combine and allow to sit until foamy, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Add to the foamy yeast and milk mixture and stir to combine. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour until incorporated. Once the mixture forms a dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl, increase the mixer speed to medium-low and beat until the dough is smooth and only slightly sticky, about 5 – 7 minutes. (If you find your dough to be too sticky, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until incorporated).
- Lightly oil a large bowl with some of the vegetable oil and add the ball of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Once risen, gently punch the dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll into an approximate 10 to 12-inch circle, so that the dough is about ½-inch-thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter (or upside-down glass), cut 6 to 8 circles from the dough, discarding any scraps. Place the circles on a lightly-floured, large baking sheet, spaced at least 2-inches apart and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, or until slightly puffed.
- Meanwhile, spoon the Bonne Maman preserves into a pastry bag fitted with a small tip and pour the sugar onto a plate or shallow bowl. Set both aside.
- In a dutch oven fitted with a candy thermometer, add about 3 inches of vegetable oil and heat to 350°F. Working in batches of 2 to 3 at a time, gently add the doughnuts to the oil and cook, flipping once halfway through, for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through. Transfer the doughnuts to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Once the doughnuts have cooled slightly, roll them in the sugar, one at a time, until completely coated. Using the tip of your pastry bag, poke a hole into the side of each doughnut and gently squeeze in about a tablespoon of the preserves. This process takes a bit of patience — if you find yourself having trouble, you can use a knife to help create a pocket before filling, or simply cut the doughnuts in half and spread the preserves onto one cut half and sandwich them back together.
- To make the vanilla mascarpone sauce, whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. If you find the sauce to be too thick, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
- Serve the doughnuts warm with vanilla mascarpone sauce on the side for dipping.