Doughnuts!

Is there anything better than a good doughnut? You are all probably imagining your favorite right now. One of my absolute favorite doughnuts is what is often called the Boston Cream Doughnut. It is a yeast doughnut with cream filling - the custard, pastry cream and not the white stuff - and a chocolate glaze on the top.



My mouth is watering just thinking about these!

I recently came across a doughnut recipe from a famous bakery, Flour. I couldn't resist making them!

Here is the recipe, which I found online and also have in the cookbook. I checked this cookbook out from my local library, but I think I might purchase it. It is fantastic!

I didn't make mine exactly like the recipe, since I wanted my Boston Creams. So, I did not put the sugar on the outside of mine. Instead, I made a thin dark chocolate ganache and dipped the tops of the doughnuts in after filling them. Then let them set before enjoying. See below to learn how to make the ganache.

Also, I baked my doughnuts instead of frying them. This was an experiment of sorts for me. I wanted to see if it would work. I am not opposed to frying in general, but I do try to avoid it for the most part. If done properly, I don't think that frying really adds that much fat and calories to your food. But it does make your kitchen very messy and smelly!

I followed the recipe exactly up until the end. After cutting my doughnuts, I placed them about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I covered them with plastic wrap and let them rise as directed in the recipe. When the cut doughnuts were nearly done rising, I heated my oven to 425 degrees F. Then instead of frying, I just slid the baking sheet into the oven and baked for 8 minutes.

They baked well but didn't brown as completely and evenly as if I had fried them.



They also didn't have the same slightly crispy exterior. But I kind of liked that. They were soft and tasty.



But... Yes there is a but, which means more experimenting for me! But these doughnuts weren't as light an airy as the fried variety. I suspect that when the doughnuts hit the hot oil, they get a little extra rise that they didn't get in my 425 degree oven. I also suspect that I can play around with my technique a bit to get the same light and airy result without frying.

The other problem posed by the lack of airiness is that there wasn't as much space in the interior of the doughnut to hold the filling. Less air = fewer holes inside the doughnut = less delicious cream inside the doughnut. I like my doughnuts with a lot of this cream inside, so I need to figure out how to fix this little problem.

I will definitely be playing around with these and will keep track of the changes. I'll be sure to post updates!

Don't they look good?



Now despite these minor glitches, these doughnuts are still very tasty and not at all hard to make. Try some and let me know how it turns out!

Here is my super simple recipe for the chocolate ganache glaze:

5 ounces good-quality dark chocolate
5 ounces heavy cream

Heat the cream in a small saucepan over low heat until it begins to steam. Do not boil. While the cream is heating, chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a large bowl. When the cream is ready, pour it over the chopped chocolate and let it set for a few minutes. Then whisk it together until all the chocolate pieces are melted and the ganache is smooth. Allow to cool a little before dipping your doughnuts. If it starts to firm up too much, microwave it for 10-15 seconds to warm it again and loosen it up.

This is also really good drizzled over cupcakes or ice cream, so make extra and store it covered in the refrigerator. Yum!