Ingredients
Method
Make the donut dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl, whisk together the warm milk, yeast, and 2 Tablespoons of the sugar. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let sit for five minutes. The mixture should develop a frothy layer on top. If not, then your yeast is dead and you should start over with new yeast.
- Add the remaining 3 Tablespoons sugar, butter, eggs, salt, lemon zest and juice, vanilla extract, and 2 cups of all purpose flour. Mix with a paddle attachment, or by hand with a wooden spoon (which will be difficult!) on low speed until just combined. Add 2 more cups of flour, and beat on medium low speed until a dough forms and is beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough seems too sticky, add up to ¼ cup of extra flour, one Tablespoon at a time. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead it with your hands for two minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a large greased bowl. Cover with cling wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm environment for 1 ½ - 2 hours or until at least doubled in size.
While the dough rises, make the pastry cream
- In a large saucepan, heat the half and half over medium heat until simmering. While it heats up, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the flour, the mixture will be thick. Stirring constantly, slowly pour ½ cup of the simmering half and half into the egg yolk mixture. Then, whisking constantly, slowly pour that back into the remaining simmering cream and lower the temperature to medium low. Cook, stirring constantly for 7 minutes until very thick. It will begin thickening very quickly, but let it keep cooking. Turn the heat back up to medium and cook, stirring vigorously for 2-3 minutes until very thick. Remove from the heat and add the butter, St. Germain, and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously to combine and avoid splitting. Put the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps of cooked egg (this might be a little difficult because it is so thick). Cover the mixture with cling wrap, making sure it is touching the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming, and chill in the fridge for 2 hours. It will thicken even more as it chills.
Shape the donuts
- Punch down the risen dough to release the air and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into chunks, about 2 ounces in size, and roll into balls. Set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cover with a clean kitchen towel to allow it to rise while we heat up the oil.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy duty pot ( I use a dutch oven) over medium heat to 330℉. While you cook the donuts, check the temperature frequently. It shouldn't get any lower then 330℉ or any higher then 350℉.
While the oil heats up, make the lemon sugar
- In a medium bowl, rub the lemon zest and sugar together with your hands for 30 seconds. Set aside.
Fry the donuts
- Carefully drop a donut in, or use a metal spoon to lower it in. Cook for 3 minutes, flip, then cook for another 3 minutes on the other side. Use a slotted metal spoon to remove the donut from the oil, and transfer to a wire rack to cool for about two minutes before rolling in the lemon sugar. Once you get more confident with frying, you can cook up to 4 donuts at a time.
- Allow the sugar coated donuts to cool completely before filling.
Fill the donuts
- Fill a large bag fitted with a small round tip (I use Wilton #10) with the chilled pastry cream. Using a toothpick or the end of a thermometer, poke a hole in the sides of the donuts. Insert the end of the piping tip into the donut and squeeze the bag. You will be able to feel the donut filling with the custard, and should be able to tell when to stop. Repeat this process until all of the donuts have been filled.
- Donuts stay fresh for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Whole Milk: I recommend whole milk as opposed to a dairy free or lower fat milk for the best results.
Half and Half: We use half and half instead of your usual heavy cream to give the pastry cream an even smoother and butterier flavor.
Egg Yolks: It is very very important that your egg yolks are at room temperature. If you use cold egg yolks, the addition of the warm half and half will shock the eggs and cause them to scramble, giving you a lumpy custard.