This is probably the prettiest post I have done so far on The Glutton Diaries. I remember dipping the first doughnut into the blueberry glaze and thinking, “Yep, I’ve done it. I love my job.”
I made this post in honor of National Doughnut Day. I didn’t get the chance to head over to a local doughnut shop day-of, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I will admit that the base of this post is not a new idea. Want to know what the key ingredient was in this recipe? Pre-made biscuit dough. In case you guys have not already noticed, I am an avid fan of making simple food look fancy. I am also a fan of making semi-homemade food go the extra mile. In this case, biscuit dough is the most versatile ingredient I have ever worked with.
In the past I have steamed it for an easy steamed meat bun recipe, I have baked it into pizza, I have filled it with chocolate and rolled it in graham cracker crumbs for a s’mores ball, and I have wrapped it around a baked Scotch egg. I love that you can take such a neutral material and create so many things with it. So, when I wanted to make doughnuts, it did not take long to note that biscuit dough is a common cheat method.
The trend popularized on Pinterest. I saw that many people have taken pre-made dough and simply cut a hole in the center then fried it. However what I did notice was that people weren’t getting creative with their toppings. Almost all the pins I clicked on had the doughnut rolled in cinnamon sugar. While this is an easy (and awesome) way to go, I felt that it could get old easily. So, I fancied the method up a bit. In this post I will show you guys three options: fresh blueberry glaze (pictured in the collage below), chocolate ganache with a cookie crumble, and a simple half dip in chocolate with sprinkles.
While I know that these options are not as fast as a quick roll in sugar, I urge you guys to be taken in by the photography and give one of the options a go. Have a girl’s weekend soon? Make these! They are cheap and look fancier than they are.
Ingredients:
- 1 can pre-made biscuit dough
- enough oil to fill one inch of depth in a large frying pan (I used peanut oil)
Blueberry glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup mashed, fresh blueberries (you can also use frozen)
- 2 tbs. water
Chocolate cookie crumble:
- 3 tbs dark chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 tbs cream
- 1/2 cup crumbled graham crackers
Chocolate half-dip (this is to replicate the look of a black and white cookie)
- 3 tbs dark chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 tbs cream
- sprinkles
Step 1: Using a 1 in. diameter circle cookie cutter, cut out the middles of the pre-made dough. While you are doing this, heat your oil in a large frying pan on high heat.
Step 2: Use a doughnut hole to test the temperature of the oil. When the air above the oil surface heats up, dip the edge of a doughnut hole into the oil. The area around the dough should immediately start to bubble rapidly. If it does not, set the dough aside and wait. If it does, start to gently drop your doughnuts in one at a time. Give them a nudge when they are in to make sure they do not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Step 3: Cook a couple minutes on each side. They should be golden brown and puffy before you flip. When the doughnuts are done, pull them out of the oil and have them cool on a cooling rack resting on top of a few sheets of paper towel.
Now on to the decorations:
Blueberry: Heat the mashed berries and water in a saucepan on high until it boils. Cook a couple minutes until the liquid thickens into a consistency similar to thin maple syrup. This cooking time will strengthen the flavors of the berry juice and develop more color.
Take 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid and pour it into the powdered sugar. You can pass it through a strainer first if there are a lot of chunks. Mix the sugar and juice vigorously. It will initially not look like enough liquid. However the more you mix, the more the sugar will dissolve into a thick, jewel-toned glaze. When you are ready, dip your doughnuts one-side-down into the glaze. Return them to the cooling rack glaze side up.
Chocolate/cookie: Microwave the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 20 seconds. Stir. Repeat. At this point, start heating the chocolate at 10 second intervals while stirring in between until everything is melted. Mix in the cream. Now you have your ganache (also known as truffle filling). Pour the cookie crumbs onto a small plate. Take a doughnut and dip one side into the ganache. Then, press it into the cookie crumbs. Return it to the cooling rack to set.
Chocolate half-dip: Repeat the ganache steps from above. Dip half the doughnut into the mix. This should look more like a black and white cookie in style. Set the doughnut back onto the cooling rack. Sprinkle the sprinkles (or any other topping you like) on top of the chocolate.
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