Easy Homemade Donuts (Doughnuts

SINK YOUR MOUTH INTO ONE OF THESE BEAUTIES

All the talk about donuts this week on the CBB Facebook page really inspired me to create this homemade donut recipe that started with a look-alike Boston-Cream donut from Tim Hortons.

The best part about this easy donut recipe is that once you make the donut dough you can create just about any yeast donut flavour or topping variation you like.

Donut or Doughnut?

Donuts also spelled Doughnuts mean the same thing although traditionally the spelling is doughnut. It simply depends on which spelling appeals to you the most.

I believe the ‘donut’ spelling leans more towards the commercialized versions we get at fast food restaurants such as Tim Hortons, Krispy Kreme and other various bakery shops even the grocery store bakery.

What do you say donut or doughnut? I want to know, leave me a comment.

Boston Cream Look-alike donut

Last week Mr. CBB challenged me to make this look-a-like Boston Cream donut and well, I love a good challenge so I took it on.

Like most Canadians I’ve been to many donut shops particularly Tim Horton’s for coffee and donuts.

Over the years we have seen the homemade in-store Tim Hortons donuts become mass-produced outside of what was once called a bakery shop that people would go to for coffee, tea and other hot and cold beverages.

The business has since evolved and with that we’ve seen a variety of new products and Tim Horton’s donut prices have gone up.

We used to be able to buy 20 donut holes or Timbits for $1.99 but that’s not the case these days.

So, making homemade donuts and a pot of coffee at home will save us money in our budget PLUS we get to add as much glaze and cream filling as we like.

No one has ever turned away a cream or jam-filled donut that was stuffed to the max before in my family.

Donut Varieties

I have made donuts before but I’ve only ever made baked donuts. For this challenge I went ahead and created a yeast donut that needs to be deep-fried.

It’s really a simple donut dough mixture which I cut out with a cookie cutter and then deep-fried in the fryer.

You can even buy actual donut cutters if you search online or your local kitchen store.

If you are the plain type of donut lover this is a delicious donut to dunk in your coffee.

Many people do the breakfast dunk although I think creating a coffee donut might be just as delicious.

Just remember this isn’t a cake donut so adding a topping or filling will make these donuts burst with flavour.

Nothing goes to waste…

I used the donut holes as well and fried them up just like you would a Timbit and added glaze, cinnamon sugar or sugar as soon as they came out from the fryer.

One of the most important things to do is make your creams, custard, glaze and other toppings ahead of time especially if it needs time to chill.

Another idea is that you place two fried donuts together before frying like I’ve done then fill the centre with jam.

You can also use a piping bag to fill a single donut up afterwards, whichever you prefer. I did it both ways to show you that the jam-filled donut will hold up in the fryer plus if you don’t have piping skills this is the alternative way you can fill your donut.

The Boston Cream look-a-like donut I filled with a piping bag using either a whipped cream or vanilla custard.

Don’t deep-fry 2 donuts filled with cream as it will just melt but the jam is fine.

My family likes everything I create and when it comes to flavours I like to give them variety. For this donut recipe I created, custard, whipped cream, sprinkled donuts, cinnamon sugar, lemon meringue, lemon glaze and strawberry jam filled.

If you are wondering how to make donut glaze it’s very simple.

The look-alike Boston Cream Donut Chocolate icing consists of

• 4 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate squares
• 1 tablespoon soft salted butter
• 1 tablespoons of light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoons cold water
• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar

Directions:

In a heavy pan add water, syrup and sugar and on a low heat stir continuously until everything has melted.

Bring up to a rolling boil (when you see lots of bubbles) take off the heat add chocolate. Again wait until it’s fully melted then add the butter. It will look really shiny when finished and quite thick in texture.

You can also use the lemon glaze that I’ve used on my lemon shortbread cookies or glazed finger buns which does the trick for me.

Mr. CBB has a lovely lemon glaze he used on his Close to Starbucks Lemon Pound Cake.

You just want to make sure you make the glaze a bit thicker and glaze when the donut is cooled unless you want to glaze it hot.

If you do the glaze with melt around the donut like you’d see in a chocolate glaze donut from Tim Horton’s.

If you want to make a simple vanilla glaze all you do is add 2/3 cups of powdered sugar, teaspoon of vanilla and a dash of water.

I’d try a tablespoon at time until you get the consistency you need for your donut. Remember you can always add but you can’t take away.

Once you have your donut glaze you can dunk your donut then dunk it again in the sprinkles of your choice.

If you like coconut you add a sweet coconut to the outside of the donut or toasted coconut which is delicious.

I also like to make my cinnamon sugar which is 1/2 cup sugar and a few tablespoons of cinnamon.

It’s up to you how strong you want to taste your cinnamon. When the donut comes out from the fryer quickly roll in the sugar so it sticks to the donut.

You can’t do this once it’s cooled.

If you want to make a powdered sugar donut you can fill your donut with jelly, custard or whipped cream, chocolate etc. then roll in powdered sugar once cooled.

Don’t do this when the donut is hot or it will melt the icing powder.

The beauty of this donut recipe is that most ingredients are already stocked in your pantry cupboard or fridge.

I can’t specify enough how a well stocked pantry can go along way into baking and creating new recipes.

Discussion:: What are your favourite donut or doughnut flavours?

How to make donuts (doughnuts)

• Makes around 20 homemade donuts
• Prep time 1hr including rising time for dough
• Cook time 10 mins or until golden brown
• Deep Fryer Temp: Bring your oil temp to 190 degrees C or 370F to 380F.
• If you have it too high they will burn or too low they will absorb too much oil.

Donut Making Tips

• Don’t over-mix the donut dough or you will have tough donuts
• Always flour your work surface when rolling out the donut dough
• If the donut dough is too soft put in the refrigerator for a bit to firm up

Well if you made it this far congratulations now get into the kitchen and start creating some of your own donuts gone wild!

-Nicky x

Share to...