The Coffee Donut!

Finally! Coffee AND donut in ONE HAND!

Now your other hand shall be freed to use your cell phone, hairbrush, to gesture at other drivers, or perhaps even steer your vehicle in a somewhat safe fashion. How about that? 

If you have the ambition and necessary equipment to make donuts, then this recipe is for YOU! Ready? Here we go!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 packages active dry yeast (do not use sluggish yeast)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 6 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground espresso powder
• 8 ounces chocolate covered espresso beans (ground or pounded until powdery-ish)

PREPARATION:

Scold (whoops!) SCALD milk in saucepan; stir in sugar, salt, and butter. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Measure warm water into a large mixing bowl; sprinkle in the yeast and stir until dissolved. Stir in lukewarm milk mixture, eggs, and half of the flour; beat until smooth. Stir in lemon peel and remaining flour to make a soft dough; mix well.

Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. (The dough, not your arms.) Place in a buttered bowl, turning to grease all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, for about 45 minutes, until doubled in bulk. Punch down and turn onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll out half into a large round, 1/2 inch thick. Cut with floured donut cutter, with center section removed. (‘Cause we don’t want holes in these donuts, we are going to fill them!) Place donuts on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining half of dough. 

Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Fry in deep hot fat, (365 degrees) until golden brown, turning once. (The donut, not yourself.) Drain on paper towels; cool thoroughly before filling.

While donuts are cooling, make the filling below. Refrigerate for at least 5 to 10 minutes. Spoon filling into a pastry tube with wide nozzle and pipe into cooled donuts. Sprinkle filled donuts with confectioners’ sugar and ground chocolate espresso beans. Refrigerate until devoured!

COFFEE FILLING:

• 1 teaspoon coffee crystals
• 1/4 cup milk or cream
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 5 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Blend everything together until smooth; pipe into donuts as instructed above. Yummy!

Applegary.com would greatly appreciate your feedback on how your donuts turn out and how much you enjoy them. Keep us posted here, and hey! Keep at least one hand on the wheel! 

G. Applegary

P.S. This recipe has not been attempted by professionals, as none of the local bakeries or franchises would accept outside recipes. Feel free to ask your local donut provider to bake a batch of these, and again, let us know how it turns out!