Doughnut or donut?

Donut seems a bit Americanised. Where do all those redundant letters go? There’s a whole ‘ugh’ that gets lost somewhere in our rush to get to the ‘nut. But all bets are off once you add the word hole, so for this recipe ‘Donut Holes’ it is.

My first attempt at making these mini donuts began with frying little balls of pretzel dough. They were very nice, but not quite spherical enough for me, plus they needed to be fluffier in the centre and smaller in the diameter.

These are made from a much softer dough and are of a size altogether more ladylike to stuff in your mouth in one go. Perfectly bite sized.

I remember eating something similar on holiday in Greece once where the chef cooked fresh batches of the little golden ‘loukoumades’ all evening. They served them with syrup and cinnamon. I put on half a stone that holiday. It was great.

As these have yeast in the mix you have to remember that they grow as they prove and cook, so I reckon a ½ tablespoon scoop gives you the requisite size. Don’t be scared by the yeast, or by the frying. If you use instant yeast, and a little pan for frying it’s a joy to watch them brown, then flip themselves over one by one as they puff up and cook.

I love a sugar-coated doughnut, and am even happier if a bit of cinnamon is involved, so I made sure I made a batch of cinnamon-sugar dusted balls.

Then I wanted to try something similar to a ‘Krispy Kreme’ glaze, so I made some with a vanilla glaze, some with chocolate orange and just look at the blood orange ones! Who’d have thought that a few spoonfuls of blood orange juice, and icing would make such a pretty pink ball of doughnut loveliness?

I was concerned about the vast quantity that I made and considered offering some to the neighbours; just a small batch of dough makes around 45 holes. I needn’t have worried. It seems that everyone who walks through the kitchen stuffs one into their mouths as they are passing and there are only a few left. Some even made their way into George’s pack-up.

I can imagine serving a tower of these for a kids party, but they are at their best hot from the pan.

Check out the whole range.

Things{we}make Donut Holes

300g Plain Flour
1 sachet (2 tsp) Instant Yeast
1 pinch of salt
70g melted butter
1 large egg
2 tablespoons (30g) of sugar
120ml warm milk
A small pan of sunflower oil for frying

1. Measure the flour into a mixer bowl and stir in the salt and yeast.
2. In a jug, warm the milk and stir in the sugar, whisk in the egg.
3. Melt the butter and add this to the jug too.
4. Gradually add the liquid to the flour whilst mixing.
5. Knead for 8-10 mins – preferably in a mixer with a dough hook, it’s a soft, sticky dough.
6. Cover with cling film and prove for 1-2 hours.
7. Scoop ½ tablespoons (15g) of dough, roll into balls and place on a floured tray.
8. Cover with clingfilm and prove for another hour if possible.
9. Heat a small pan of sunflower oil – test it by dropping a cube of bread in, it should sizzle and brown in 20-seconds.
10. Gently drop in 4-5 balls at a time, they may flip themselves, or flip them with a fork
11. Scoop them out once they are a rich golden brown.
12. Drain on paper or a rack.

Cinnamon Dusted

Mix a small bowl of sugar with some cinnamon. Roll the hot donut holes in the sugar to coat them, cool on a rack or stuff straight into your donut hole.

Vanilla Glaze

Mix a small bowl of icing sugar with a teaspoon of vanilla paste and a splash of milk. Dip the cooled balls in the glaze and drain on a rack.

Chocolate Orange Glaze

Mix a small bowl of icing sugar with a teaspoon of vanilla paste and a splash of orange juice and some orange zest and a tablespoon of cocoa. Dip the cooled balls in the glaze and drain on a rack.

Blood Orange Glaze

Mix a small bowl of icing sugar with a teaspoon of vanilla paste and some blood orange juice. Dip the cooled balls in the glaze and drain on a rack.