Puff Pastry Glazed Donuts Recipes

CLASSIC GLAZED DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Heat the milk until it is warm but not hot, about 90 degrees. In a large bowl, combine it with the yeast. Stir lightly, and let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, beat the eggs, butter, sugar and salt into the yeast mixture. Add half of the flour (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons), and mix until combined, then mix in the rest of the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time, if the dough is too wet. If you're using an electric mixer, the dough will probably become too thick to beat; when it does, transfer it to a floured surface, and gently knead it until smooth. Grease a large bowl with a little oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, and cover. Let rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and roll it to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out the doughnuts with a doughnut cutter, concentric cookie cutters or a drinking glass and a shot glass (the larger one should be about 3 inches in diameter), flouring the cutters as you go. Reserve the doughnut holes. If you're making filled doughnuts, don't cut out the middle. Knead any scraps together, being careful not to overwork, and let rest for a few minutes before repeating the process.
• Put the doughnuts on two floured baking sheets so that there is plenty of room between each one. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until they are slightly puffed up and delicate, about 45 minutes. If your kitchen isn't warm, heat the oven to 200 at the beginning of this step, then turn off the heat, put the baking sheets in the oven and leave the door ajar.
• About 15 minutes before the doughnuts are done rising, put the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and heat it to 375. Meanwhile, line cooling racks, baking sheets or plates with paper towels.
• Carefully add the doughnuts to the oil, a few at a time. If they're too delicate to pick up with your fingers (they may be this way only if you rose them in the oven), use a metal spatula to pick them up and slide them into the oil. It's O.K. if they deflate a bit; they'll puff back up as they fry. When the bottoms are deep golden, after 45 seconds to a minute, use a slotted spoon to flip; cook until they're deep golden all over. Doughnut holes cook faster. Transfer the doughnuts to the prepared plates or racks, and repeat with the rest of the dough, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil at 375. Glaze or fill as follows, and serve as soon as possible.
• Whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. When the doughnuts are cool enough to handle, dip into the glaze; if you like, flip them so the tops they're completely covered. Put on racks to let the glaze harden.

EASY DOUGHNUT PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper cups.
• Place flour, sugar, milk, vegetable oil, egg, baking powder, salt, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a bowl. Mix dough by hand until well combined but some lumps remain. Fill muffin tin with dough.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, but color is not yet golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Pour melted butter into a bowl. Mix 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon nutmeg together in a separate bowl. Dip muffins in the butter coating; immediately roll in the cinnamon dusting.

PUFF PASTRY DONUTS (CRONUTS)

Steps:

• Sprinkle flour on a clean flat kitchen surface. Take one puff pastry sheet and place on top of the floured surface. With a pastry brush, brush the inside of the puff pastry sheet with egg and fold into thirds (like you would a letter). Repeat the same process with the other puff pastry sheet and place both sheets into the freezer for 15 minutes to set.
• Begin to heat the oil to 350 Degrees in a deep fryer. Remove the puff pastry from the freezer and using a doughnut cutter about 1 1/2-2 inches in width, and begin to cut out doughnuts on the puff pastry. Do not open the puff pastry sheet. Leave as is. Save the scraps to make doughnut holes.
• Place the doughnuts in the hot oil and fry for 5 minutes while flipping on each side until golden brown and puffed. Use a slotted spoon and remove from oil and turn to a plate lined with a paper towel. Repeat process for all doughnuts.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, salt, and vanilla exact until smooth. Dip each finished doughnut into the glaze and place on a cooling rack until ready to serve.