Dulce De Leche Doughnuts Food

DULCE DE LECHE DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Place the yeast and 1 tablespoon each of caster sugar and flour into a medium bowl.
• Gently heat the milk until lukewarm, add to the yeast mixture and stir well. Leave in a warm place for 10 to 15 minutes, or until starting to bubble.
• Place the softened butter and remaining sugar and flour into a large bowl, then briefly rub in the butter.
• Pour in the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes together into a rough dough. Shape into a ball with your hands, adding a little more flour if it's too sticky, then knead for a few minutes on a flour-dusted surface until smooth.
• Place into a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• Once doubled, turn out the dough onto a flour-dusted surface, knock it back, then divide and roll into 12 equal-sized balls. Flatten slightly with your hand, then divide between 2 large baking trays lined with greaseproof paper.
• Cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place to prove for a further 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Place a medium pan over a high heat, pour in the oil and allow to heat up. To test if it's hot enough, drop a piece of dough into the pan - if the dough floats to the surface, sizzles and turns golden, it's about right.
• Reduce the heat to medium then, using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the dough balls into the oil - they'll need to cook in an even layer so you won't be able to add all of them at once.
• Fry for around 5 minutes, or until golden, turning halfway, then transfer to a double layer of kitchen paper to drain.
• Meanwhile, warm the dulce de leche over a low heat until softened, then transfer to a piping bag with a small nozzle.
• Combine the cinnamon sugar ingredients and ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt in a shallow bowl.
• Insert the piping bag nozzle into the side of each doughnut and squeeze in the dulce de leche (you'll know you've squeezed in enough when it starts to ooze out).
• Roll the doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar, then tuck in.

CHILEAN DULCE DE LECHE DOUGHNUTS (BERLINES)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir the yeast into the 2 tablespoons warm (not hot) water. The mixture should turn foamy after a few minutes. Set aside.
• Add 3 cups of the flour, brown sugar, and salt to the bowl of a standing mixture. Use the dough hook to mix well.
• Add the melted butter, eggs, yeast mixture, vanilla, anise (if using) and buttermilk to the flour mixture. Knead with dough hook until mixture is smooth, shiny and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 to 8 minutes, adding the extra 1/4th cup of flour if dough seems too wet.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl (the dough will be sticky) turning the dough to coat it lightly with the oil. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about an hour. Punch down the dough and chill it for several hours in the refrigerator (or overnight) to make it easier to handle.
• Roll dough out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 3/4 inches. Cut 2-inch rounds of dough with a biscuit cutter and place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper that has been dusted with flour. Re-roll scraps of dough and cut more rounds.
• Cover dough rounds loosely with plastic wrap and lets them rise until puffy (while the cooking oil is heating).
• Stir the 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.
• In a heavy skillet or pot with tall sides, heat several inches of oil to 350 F. Drop the rounds of dough into the hot oil (working in batches), and fry them until they are puffed and golden brown on both sides, turning them as needed (about 3 to 4 minutes).
• Remove the doughnuts from the oil with a slotted spoon and cool briefly, then roll each cooked doughnut in the cinnamon sugar mixture. (alternatively, you can dust doughnuts with powdered sugar).
• Warm dulce de leche gently in the microwave to soften it. Place dulce de leche in a pastry bag fitted with a piping tip with about a 1/4 inch diameter opening. Make a small hole in the side of each doughnut with the piping tip, and squeeze a couple of teaspoons of dulce de leche into the middle of the doughnut. Roll doughnuts once more in the cinnamon sugar and serve.
• Note: Doughnuts can be reheated in a 300 F oven to restore freshness.

DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Put the sugar in a large saucepan. Turn the heat to a medium temperature and carefully melt the sugar. Gently tilt the pan as the sugar melts, rather than stirring, as it will adhere to a spoon or spatula.
• When the sugar is melted, add the butter and stir into the sugar. It will bubble, so take care. Next, add the milk a little at a time, stirring continuously.
• Finally, add the can of condensed milk and stir well until it is fully incorporated. Keep stirring as the dulce de leche bubbles and thickens over a medium heat. It will need a further 5-10 mins of cooking. It will turn a darker shade of brown and take on a slight orange-red hue as it darkens. It should be thick enough to leave a clear channel in the pan when a spoon is run through and then add a pinch of salt. It will firm up as it cools. The dulce de leche can be stored in a jar in the fridge and will keep for up to a month. If not storing in a jar ensure it's covered so a skin doesn't form.