Lara's Gluten Free Maple Glazed Doughnuts

If you follow this blog, you know we love doughnuts in our house. Pumpkin hazelnut, cherry blossom and coconut are just some of the doughnuts that I have documented here and there are many more that have not made it to these pages.

So you can imagine how anxiously I have been waiting for my friend Lara's new doughnut book. I'm not exaggerating if I say it sat in my pre-order Amazon shopping cart for almost a year. Yes, that excited.



Lara needs little introduction as she is one of the veterans in the food blogging community. Cook & Eat, Still Life With, Spare Room... All blogs that have really influenced me since the beginning. I met Lara last year in Boston and we have stayed in touch all these months. I visited her amazing studio in Seattle over the summer and just caught up with her in San Francisco once again.

I can never rave enough about her as she is, not only one of my favorite photographers, but also a pool of endless information, ready to share and help out anytime I have a question.



This is a fun book filled with beautiful photographs (of course!), a ton of recipes for all kinds of doughnuts, glazes and fillings. Chocolate peanut butter, strawberry shortcake, red velvet, chai, cocoa nib... Is your mouth watering yet? There are even vegan and gluten free recipes, which is what I baked for this post. Gluten-free raised doughnuts with maple and toasted hazelnut glaze. Amazing.

I had J's best friend over for a play date yesterday and this is what she thought of the doughnuts. Happy face. Just like Lara's video.



Please visit other fellow bloggers in this doughnut blog tour to see their creations. We are having fun for sure!

Oct 12—CakeSpy
Oct 13—Wasabi Prime
Oct 17—The Sophisticated Gourmet
Oct 22—Use Real Butter
Oct 25—Cream Puffs in Venice

Thanks Lara for letting us share these recipes!

Gluten Free Raised Doughnuts

from Lara Ferroni's "Doughnuts" cookbook

reprinted with permission from Lara Ferroni

makes 8 to 14 doughnuts
1/3 cup (50 grams) chia flour or brown rice flour
1 1/2 to 2 cups (215 to 290 grams) Gluten Free baking Mix for Doughnuts
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp guar gum
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 Tbs (11 grams) active dry yeast, divided
1/4 cup whole milk, heated to 110F
1/4 cup lukewarm water
3 Tbs (45 grams) superfine sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs ( 1 oz) unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
vegetable oil for frying

1. Whisk together the flour, gluten free baking mix, xanthan gum, guar gum and baking powder and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, dissolve 1 Tbs of yeast with the milk. Add 1/4 cup of the flour mixture and stir to create a paste. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the remaining yeast and the water. Add the flour paste with sugar and salt. Mix until smooth. Beat in the eggs, egg white, vanilla and vinegar. Turn off the mixer and add 1/2 cup of the flour mixture. Mix completely and knead on medium for 30 seconds. Add the butter and mix to combine. Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl. It will be soft and moist, but not so sticky that you can't roll it out. You may have flour left over.

4. Cover the bowl and let it rest in warm spot for 20 minutes. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. With a doughnut or cookie cutter, cut out 3 inch diameter rounds with a 1 inch diameter hole.

5. Line a baking sheet with a lightly floured non-terry dish towel. Place the doughnuts at least 1 inch apart and cover with plastic wrap. let it sit in a warm spot for 20 to 30 minutes until nicely rounded on top.

6. While doughnuts are proofing, heat a heavy-bottomed pot with at least 2 inches of oil until a deep-fat thermometer registers 340F. With a metal spatula, carefully place th doughnuts in the oil. Don't overfill the pot. Fry for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon. Place on a wire rack and let cool slightly before glazing.

Gluten Free Baking Mix for Doughnuts

1 cup (175 grams) potato starch
1/4 cup (100 grams) potato flour or sweet sorghum
1/2 cup (60 grams) tapioca flour
1/2 cup (60 grams) sweet rice flour

Maple Glaze

1 1/2 cups (150 grams) confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 Tbs maple syrup
2 Tbs milk or water

Mix all ingredients to make a pourable glaze.

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Lara's Gluten Free Maple Glazed Doughnuts

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https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2010/10/lara-gluten-free-maple-glazed-doughnuts.html

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A Craving for Gluten Free Coconut Doughnuts

A few weeks ago, my best friend Jill and I were texting back and forth at insane hours of the morning trying to design the perfect doughnut. She told me about the chocolate and blueberry doughnut she once had at The Donut Mill and I told her plain is good enough for me. "How about a super coconut charged doughnut?", I texted. Coconut flakes invaded my brain and that's when I told myself this would be the next baking project.



I have never been much of a fried dessert kind of person, but it was about a year ago during my last trimester, when I started to have those cravings again. Fried dough and perhaps something to dunk it in.



I am really trying to be good about limiting the amount of sugar I eat these days. In fact, according to my doctor, I should have none. Zero. I am also trying to be a better, mindful eater, so when I ate these on Saturday, I enjoyed every single bite.

My little J. and I sat outside in the sun and ate the doughnuts in silence. And when does that ever happen?



All this got me thinking of how amazing it would be to run a doughnut shop or any shop for that matter. I had thoughts of my childhood when we sat on the step in front of the pastry shop and just watch people come in and out all afternoon long.

Who knew doughnuts could inspire so much, but they do as one of the goals for my upcoming trip to Seattle will be to see how many doughnut recipes I can get out of Lara. As you might know, she is coming out with a book entirely dedicated to them. How beautiful will this book be! It's already pre-ordered in my shopping cart.



I know you will be disappointed when I tell you I'm keeping this recipe for something I'm working on. I promise it will be good and worth the wait. Something special. They are indeed gluten-free and dairy-free with lots of coconut flour, coconut milk, coconut extract and shredded coconut.

Consider this a sneak peek.

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A Craving for Gluten Free Coconut Doughnuts

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https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2010/06/craving-for-gluten-free-coconut.html

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Cherry Blossom Doughnuts and the Smells of Spring

Spring is only days away and I can feel it in the air. Longer days spent outside, trees blooming, the anticipation of egg hunts and beautiful produce in our market mark the beginning of one of my favorite times of year. Even though we are lucky to have gorgeous winter weather, I always look forward to Spring and its bounty.

I remember the park in my hometown lined with rows of endless blooming tress. Pinks, purples and greens so vibrant with crisp mornings and morning dew.



A few days ago, I received a wonderful package all the way from Japan from fellow food blogger Chika of the beautiful She Who Eats. It was filled with all things cherry blossom. Sakura extract, sakura sugar, freeze dried sakura, preserved sakura... I am not a big fan of floral scents and flavors, but this sakura extract is surprisingly mild and fresh.

Chika was telling me about how the japanese love their sakura confections. I have always wanted to travel to Japan, but that particular conversation really revived my curiosity. Japanese patisserie is really turning into something very, very exciting that I would like to experience soon. Soon, I hope.



This is a gluten free doughnut recipe based on my pumpkin and hazelnut doughnuts that I posted a few months ago. They are scented with lemon zest and cherry blossom extract and rolled in cherry blossom sugar while warm. I am keeping this one for another day after I tweak it a little bit more, but I also found a great looking recipe over here.

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Cherry Blossom Doughnuts and the Smells of Spring

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https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2010/03/cherry-blossom-doughnuts-and-smells-of.html

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Pumpkin and Hazelnut Doughnuts and a Clafoutis

It has been all about pumpkins in our family lately. Pumpkin patches, pumpkin carving, baking with pumpkins, books about Halloween and the meaning of it all... I never thought I would say this, and forgive me if I sound like a cliche, but children's enthusiasm for holidays can really be very, very contagious. Life through their eyes takes on a complete new meaning and to be able to experience it makes my heart flutter sometimes. Of course, I am also in a constant hormone-induced emotional state, which doesn't help either, but I love this time of year more and more.



I have never been a big fan of any fried dessert, but ever since Lara started on her doughnut cookbook project, I have become increasingly curious about testing new recipes myself. Then earlier last week, I stumbled upon an old cake doughnut recipe we used to use at work. "We are making pumpkin doughnuts today!", I told my little boy. His face lit up and immediately went to drag his step stool into the kitchen. Big mistake on my part as a meltdown soon followed when he found out he couldn't stand in front of the hot frying pan. "Why not?", he asked.



I know I should have probably roasted my own pumpkin, but this time I cheated and used canned pumpkin puree. Some pumpkins are too watery to use in such preparations so if you are going to roast your own, make sure to use a cheese pumpkin or even butternut squash which are meatier. I also added some hazelnut flour into the doughnuts and coated them in a hazelnut cinnamon sugar mixture while hot.

I had some leftover puree and immediately thought of Claudia Fleming's pumpkin and hazelnut clafoutis. Comfort and rustic food at its best. And no need to mention that both of these should be eaten right away. Love that.



Pumpkin and Hazelnut Doughnuts

375 grams flour
55 grams hazelnut flour
10 grams baking powder
8 grams baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
10 grams salt
110 grams pumpkin puree
60 grams whole milk, room temperature
40 grams sour cream, room temperature
100 grams sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
60 grams butter, melted

Canola oil, for frying

400 grams sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
50 grams hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and finely chopped

In a large bowl mix together the flour, hazelnut flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin, milk, sour cream, sugar, eggs and melted butter. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and fold until it comes together. Don't worry if it's lumpy.

Dust your work surface with a bit of flour and dump the dough on it. Knead lightly until it comes together. Dust the top lightly with flour and roll to 1/2" thick. Using a doughnut cutter or two round cookie cutters, cut out the doughnuts and place them on a sheet pan with a silicon mat or parchment and dusted with some flour.

To fry the doughnuts, fill a pan up to 2" of canola oil. Heat the oil until it reaches 375F. Do not over-crowd the pan with doughnuts. Fry about 5 at a time (depending on the size of the pan). They will sink to the bottom but then float to the top. Turn them over and let them cook for an additional 2 minutes or so.

Drain them on paper towels and while hot, coat them with the cinnamon-hazelnut sugar.

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Pumpkin and Hazelnut Doughnuts and a Clafoutis

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https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/10/pumpkin-and-hazelnut-doughnuts-and.html

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Time to Make the Doughnuts

Who doesn’t love sweet fried dough?

As soon as I saw that Tartelette announced the “Time to Make the Doughnuts” event, my brain started spinning; yeast doughnuts, filled doughnuts… And then I thought to myself… “Wait a minute, I have never made doughnuts before!”. How could that be? I love doughnuts!

I have plenty of doughnut recipes and I love discovering new ones, but I have never made them. When I was in culinary school, I must have skipped that lesson. Oh, oh… So this was the perfect opportunity to take on the challenge.

These doughnuts have no yeast in them. They are actually made from fried choux paste. Instead of the traditional pastry cream, I decided to fill them with chiboust, which is pastry cream lightened with meringue. I thought the chiboust complements the light beignets much better than the thick pastry cream. As for the flavor… there I go with the caramel again! Bananas that are slowly cooked in a light caramel and then folded into the cream. Winter brings out all my caramel cravings!



Caramelized Banana Beignets with Chocolate Soup

Beignets

Makes about 4 dozen small beignets

250 ml water
Pinch of salt
150 grams flour
110 grams of unsalted butter
3-4 eggs
Canola oil to fry
Cinnamon sugar to dust

In a saucepan, place water, salt and butter and bring to a boil.
Add the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon. We want to cook the dough for a couple of minutes to cook out the starch flavor.
Transfer dough to a bowl and stir until it cools down a bit. Add the eggs, one at a time incorporating them into the dough.
Spoon small mounts of dough into the 350ºF canola oil and fry until golden brown.
Roll in cinnamon sugar and fill with the caramelized banana chiboust.

Caramelized Bananas

2 bananas
100 grams sugar
25 grams butter
50 grams heavy cream

Cut bananas in half and split each half down the middle, so you have eight banana quarters.
Make a dry caramel with the sugar and add the bananas to this caramel.
Add the cream and the butter and let the bananas simmer in the sauce for a few minutes until they are soft. Set aside.

Vanilla Chiboust

320g whole milk
½ vanilla bean, split
4 egg yolks
25 grams sugar
25 grams cornstarch
4 egg whites
35 grams sugar

In a medium saucepan, boil the milk and the vanilla bean.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch.
Temper the hot milk into the yolk mixture. Pour this custard back in the saucepan and cook until it thickens. Remove from pan and place in a clean bowl.
Add the cooked bananas into the warm pastry cream. I didn’t add most of the caramel, just the bananas . We want to keep some small pieces of banana.
While the pastry cream is still warm, we are going to make an Italian meringue with the egg whites and the sugar.
Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer. Turn the mixer on slow speed so the egg whites have a chance to develop some volume while we cook the sugar. We want the egg whites to be almost fully whipped when we add the hot syrup.
Place the sugar with a couple of tablespoons of water in a saucepan and cook until it reaches 240ºF or soft ball stage.
Pour the hot syrup over the whipped egg whites while the mixer is on low speed. Continue whipping until it has whipped into a meringue.

Carefully, fold the meringue into the warm pastry cream trying to keep as much volume as possible.

Place the caramelized banana chiboust into a pastry bag and pipe into the beignets.

Chocolate Soup

200 grams milk
100 grams heavy cream
100 grams 70% bittersweet chocolate

In a saucepan, bring cream and milk to a boil. Pour over chopped chocolate and stir until chocolate melts. Serve warm.



My parents are visiting from the Basque Country and my mother has been my devoted recipe taster. She particularly liked these beignets because she loves the light chiboust.

Eskerrik asko Ama!

And also... don't you think this is a pretty sexy Valentine's Day dessert too?

On Egin!

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Time to Make the Doughnuts

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https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2008/02/time-to-make-doughnuts.html

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