Apparently it is Doughnut Week in the UK from 11th to 18th May, so I was asked to do some recipes! I tried to find the easiest recipe for my readers, but they are all quiet involved. Still, whether you fill your doughnuts with jam, pour icing on the top, or just cover them in sugar, they are certainly worth the struggle. I like the Spanish doughnuts, Churros and dipping them in chocolate is my favourite treat.
Of course, I couldn’t make doughnuts for my diabetic husband, so I have added some pancake ideas for those people who can’t have sugar! He loves the apple pancakes which I do without any sugar and use artificial sweetener instead.
Buen Apetito
Doughnuts
Glaze
Make the dough
Coat a large bowl with oil and set aside. Gently warm 1/2 cup milk and oil in a small saucepan. Combine the water and yeast in a large bowl, stir to dissolve, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the warm milk and oil to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the remaining sugar, eggs and salt. Stir to combine. Add the flour gradually. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Place it in the prepared bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume — about 2 hours. Punch dough down, re-cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 or up to 12 hours. Turn the dough out onto a generously floured work surface. Lightly flour the dough and roll it out to about 3/4 inch thick. Cut doughnuts out using a 3-inch doughnut cutter and transfer them to a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes. Heat about 4 inches of vegetable oil in a large deep pan, medium-high heat. Fry the doughnuts until golden — about 2 minutes per side. Remove doughnuts and drain on paper towels. Repeat.
Make the Glaze
Cream the butter and combine the remaining milk, vanilla essence and powdered sugar in a small bowl and stir until smooth. While doughnuts are still hot, dip them in the glaze and transfer to a wire rack until glaze is set and doughnuts are cool. Serve immediately.
Basic Recipe for Pancakes
Combine the flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the egg. Whisk or stir well whilst adding the milk a little at a time. Mix until there are no lumps. The mixture can be stored in a fridge for up to six hours. Heat a small amount of oil in a suitable pan, ensuring it covers the entire pan. Pour the mixture into the pan and quickly move it around so it spreads evenly. Once one side is cooked toss the pancake and cook the other. To tell if the pancake is cooked look for small bubbles forming on the side. Serve with lemon and sugar, jam, maple syrup, honey, chocolate spread or your favourite topping.
Banana and Toffee Pancakes
Make the batter as above and then leave to stand for half an hour. Put the broken toffee and the milk in a heavy saucepan. Stir constantly over a low heat until the toffee has melted and the sauce is smooth. Fry the pancakes and stack up them and keep them warm while you cook the rest. Place slices of banana down the middle of the pancake and pour over generous amounts of toffee sauce. Fold over each side of the pancake into the middle. Stack up or lay out on a plate and serve with more sauce.
Potato Pancakes
Grate raw potatoes into water to which lemon juice has been added. Place potatoes in a strainer and drain off liquid. Beat raw and cooked potatoes with egg, milk and salt to form a batter. Using the heated oil, cook 3 to 4 pancakes at a time in a large frying pan. Brown both sides and drain on a paper towel.
Apple Pancakes
Cream the butter and sugar. Add the beaten eggs, the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Finely chop the apple and add to the mixture. Gradually add the milk to make a medium batter. Cook as for ordinary pancakes and serve either as savoury dish or with a main course such as pork chops. Cooked apple or apple sauce can be used in the batter in same way.