Caramel Doughnuts with Chocolate and Caramel Icing

This month is hosted by Chele at Chocolate Teapot and the special ingredient is caramel! Again, last month’s entries were amazing and it was so good to see loads of different little things that had me practically drooling over my keyboard!

I have wanted to make proper fried doughnuts for a long time.  I filled that want with mini baked doughnuts in September but the feeling of want has come back with a vengeance and I don’t think baked doughnuts are going to cut it.  So why not just make proper doughnut?  There is one thing that has massively stood in my way.  I hate hot oil.  Fine with other people using it but I’m personally scared of it.  Probably from those terrifying adverts from when I was a kid.  You know the ones with the chip pan fires? Especially when they throw the water over the fire? *shudder*

So, I decided I needed to face my fears and if I could face my fears and have something tasty at the end of it I’d feel a lot better about doing it…

Ingredients

Caramel Filling

175gr butter

110gr golden caster sugar

2tbsp golden syrup

400gr can of condensed milk

Caramel Doughnuts (Adapted from here)

450gr strong white bread flour

50gr butter

25gr golden caster sugar

Pinch of salt

1 x 7gr sachet dried yeast

1 egg

175ml lukewarm milk

2 tsp Monin caramel flavour syrup (optional)

Toppings

100gr milk chocolate

1tbsp caramel filling (see above)

1tbsp icing sugar

1tbsp milk

Method

1, Make the caramel filling by adding the butter and sugar together in a large heavy based pan.  Melt them together over a medium heat stirring gently. 

2, When the sugar has dissolved, add in the rest of the caramel ingredients and slowly bring to the boil.

3, As soon as it hits the boil, reduce the heat down to medium and simmer for three to four minutes.  This is the same recipe I would use for making Millionaire’s Shortbread but I would let it boil for six to seven minutes so it really firmed up when cool.  Three to four is the right amount to make a pipeable filling. 

4, Remove the filling from the heat.  Its best to pour it into a heatproof jug to get it to cool quicker.  It needs to be room temperature before use.  When it is cool enough spoon it into a disposable piping bag and secure the top with an elastic band.  Set to one side while making the doughnuts. 

5, To make the doughnuts, sift the dry ingredients together and stir them well. 

6, Rub in the butter quickly. 

7, Make a well into centre and pour in the egg, warmed milk and the caramel syrup if you are using it and mix together until it forms a dough

6, Knead the dough for 10 minutes or until the dough is very smooth and in no way sticky.

7, Place into a greased bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to raise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. 

8, Knock back the dough and give it another knead for about 5 minutes.  Form it into 20 even balls for mini doughnuts or 10 big ones.  I opted for little ones.

9, Place on a lined baking tray and cover loosely with clean film and return to the warm place for 45 minutes until they have doubled in size. 

10, Heat some sunflower oil in a large saucepan to 180o/c.  I used around 1litre in a wok and measured the temperature with my sugar thermometer. 

11, Gently place the doughnuts into the oil and fry until golden brown.  Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain them on plenty of kitchen paper.

12, Leave them until they are cool enough to handle safely. 

13, Insert a sharp knife halfway into the doughnut and give it a little twist to open up the hole. 

14, Snip off the end of the piping bag filled with caramel and insert it into the doughnut hole and give it a firm squeeze.  Place onto a baking sheet covered with clingfilm

15, Leave to one side and make the toppings by melting the milk chocolate and drizzle it over the top and stirring the remaining ingredients together to a smooth icing and drizzling that over too.  

16, Eat semi warm or leave them to cool before packing into an airtight container.  They will only last a day or so.