Vanilla Custard Donuts - Chef Recipe by Cherie Bevan and Tass Tauro

Ingredients

1 quantity brioche dough
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Diplomat crème
1/2 cup raspberry jam
sifted icing sugar, to coat

Brioche dough:

250 ml full-cream milk
2 tsp dried yeast
1/3 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
3 1/4 cup plain flour
1 tsp salt
75 g butter, cut into small pieces, softened

Diplomat crème:

650 ml chilled Vanilla or Chocolate Pastry Crème
300 ml thin cream, whipped

Raspberry jam:

1 vanilla bean
1 kg raspberries, fresh or frozen
2 1/4 cups caster sugar
1/2 cup water
Juice of 1 lemon

Method

Lightly grease a baking tray.

Empty the brioche dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12 portions, and roll each portion into a taut bun.

Place on the prepared tray, leaving plenty of room between them so they don’t stick together while proving. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place to prove, approximately 30 minutes until the dough has almost doubled in size.

In a deep-fryer or a medium saucepan, heat 5 cm of vegetable oil to 160°C, using a thermometer.

Gently remove the buns from the tray, taking care not to deflate the dough. Do not overcrowd the deep-fryer – fry only 3 or 4 at a time for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove the donuts from the deep-fryer and drain well on paper towel. Set aside and allow to cool completely before filling.

Fill a piping bag fitted with a wide 1.5 cm, plain nozzle with the diplomat crème.

Roll each donut in icing sugar.

With a small serrated knife make a cut halfway through the donut. Fill with a dollop of jam, and generously pipe diplomat crème into each donut. Dust with extra icing sugar.

Best eaten within 3–4 hours.

Brioche dough:

Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat until it is lukewarm, then stir in the yeast, sugar and eggs.

Put the flour and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the wet mixture to the flour and mix until a loose dough has formed. Increase the speed to medium–high and mix for 5 minutes. Add the softened butter and mix until it is incorporated and the dough becomes smooth and elastic, approximately 5 minutes.

Place the dough in a large greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until it has doubled in volume, approximately 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Empty the dough from the bowl into a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle, approximately 25x48 cm, and around 1 cm thick.

Diplomat crème:

Loosen the chilled pastry crème by whisking in a bowl until smooth. Gently fold the whipped cream through the pastry crème. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the diplomat crème to prevent a skin forming on the surface.

Store in an airtight container. Keeps for 3–4 days refrigerated.

Raspberry jam:

Split the vanilla bean in half length-ways, then scrape the seeds from the halves using the tip of a sharp knife.

In a heavy-based saucepan, put the raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla bean and seeds, and water. Stir constantly over low heat until the sugar is dissolved, approximately 5 minutes.

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for approximately 20–25 minutes until the mixture will jell when tested on a cold saucer.

Discard the vanilla bean. Stand the jam for 10 minutes to settle before pouring into hot sterilised jars.

Equipment

Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Baking tray
Deep fryer or medium saucepan
Thermometer
Piping bag
Small serrated knife
Small saucepan
Electric mixer fitted with dough hook
Large bowl
Heavy-based saucepan
Sterilised jars

Credits: Recipes and Images from The Cook & Baker, by Cherie Bevan and Tass Tauroa published by Murdoch Books

Photo Credits: Recipes and Images from The Cook & Baker, by Cherie Bevan and Tass Tauroa published by Murdoch Books