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Gingerbread-spiced apple doughnuts
Makes about 16 Desserts and puddings
Ingredients
- 6cm plain cookie cutter
- sugar thermometer
- large piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle
For the filling
- 1 Bramley apple, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 small eating apples, peeled and roughly chopped
- juice of 1⁄2 lemon
- 2tbsp caster sugar
- 15g unsalted butter
For the doughnuts
- 175ml full-fat milk
- 50g light muscovado sugar
- 10g active dried yeast (not fast-action/easy-blend)
- 450g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1tsp ground cinnamon
- 1⁄2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 generous pinch ground cloves
- 1 good grating of nutmeg
- 1⁄2 tsp sea salt
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 rounded tbsp dark treacle or molasses
- 75g unsalted butter, softened
- 1.5 litres sunflower or groundnut oil, plus extra for oiling
- 125g caster sugar
- juice of 1⁄2 lemon
- 3-5tbsp icing sugar
Method
Put all the filling ingredients into a large saucepan, half cover and cook over a low–medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes until the apples become a soft pulp. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until thickened. Remove from the heat and leave until cold.
To make the doughnuts, heat the milk until warm to the touch, add 1tsp muscovado sugar and the yeast and whisk to combine. Leave in a warm place for about 5 minutes until a thick foam has formed on top of the milk.
Tip the flour, remaining muscovado sugar, spices and salt into the bowl of a free-standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. Make a well in the centre and add the yeasty milk, whole egg, egg yolk, treacle or molasses and butter. Mix steadily for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic – it will still be slightly sticky. Shape into a smooth ball and place in a large, lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover with cling film and leave to prove in a warm, draught-free place for at least 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Tip onto a work surface and knead gently for 30 seconds to knock out air bubbles. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and roll the dough out to a thickness of 1.5-2cm. Using the cutter, stamp out 16 discs and arrange on two lightly floured baking trays, leaving plenty of space between each one. Cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave to rise again for 30-45 minutes.
Pour the oil into a large pan so that it comes at least 10cm up the sides and heat to 180- 190C. Cover a large baking tray with a triple thickness of kitchen paper and tip the caster sugar into a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice and icing sugar until smooth.
Fry the doughnuts in batches – 4 at most – for about 2 minutes on each side or until deep golden brown. Remove and drain well on the kitchen paper before tossing in the caster sugar or brushing with the lemon glaze. Make sure the oil returns to temperature between batches. Cool on a wire rack.
Make a small incision in the side of each doughnut. Fill the piping bag with apple mixture and pipe it into the middle of each doughnut.
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