Molly Yeh Donut Food

MATCHA MOCHI DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• For the starter: Mix the rice flour and milk in a small microwave-safe bowl until smooth. Microwave for 20 seconds and stir (the mixture will be very thick). Microwave for 10 seconds, then stir. The mixture should now be very sticky (it will pull like a rubber band when stretched upwards with a spoon) and have gone from white to translucent. If not, microwave for 10 seconds more. Set aside to cool slightly.
• For the doughnuts: Combine the rice flour, granulated sugar, matcha powder, baking powder and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment on low just to combine. Whisk together the milk, butter, vanilla and egg in a spouted measuring cup. Add to the mixer bowl and beat on medium to combine. Scrape in all of the starter and mix until the dough comes together. Mix on high speed until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. (The dough will not clean the sides of the bowl and be slightly sticky to the touch.)
• Dust your work surface with rice flour and empty the dough onto the counter. Knead until soft and smooth (almost like Play-Doh). Cut 12 (4-by-4-inch) squares of parchment. Roll the dough to a scant 1/2 inch and cut as many circles as you can with a 1 1/4-inch ring cutter. Reroll to cut more circles. Group 6 dough rounds on a piece of parchment in the shape of a circle, with the pieces touching and a hole in the middle. Pat gently to seal the pieces together. Repeat with the remaining circles to get about 12 doughnuts.
• Meanwhile, heat about 2 inches of oil in a large Dutch oven to 340 degrees F.
• To fry, slide the doughnuts, still on the paper, into the hot oil in batches of 4. Let fry about 30 seconds, then remove the papers and discard. Continue to fry until cooked, 5 to 6 minutes total per batch. Let cool completely before glazing.
• For the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar and matcha in a small bowl to combine. Whisk in the lemon juice, vanilla and 3 tablespoons of the milk to make a smooth, thick glaze. (Gradually add 1 tablespoon more milk if needed.) If the glaze is still too thick (it should run leisurely from a spoon), add more milk a teaspoon at a time to reach the desired consistency.
• Dip the top of each doughnut in the glaze and then into the sprinkles if using. Place on a baking rack to dry and harden.

BAKED DONUTS WITH BLOOD ORANGE, RHUBARB AND BLUEBERRY GLAZE

Steps:

• To make the donuts: preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 12-cavity donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk together the egg, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and water in a medium bowl. Whisk the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir to combine. Fill a piping bag with the batter and pipe the batter into the donut pans, filling each cavity halfway. This could get a little messy.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove to a rack and cool completely.
• To decorate the donuts, dip them halfway into the glaze and then allow excess glaze to drip off. Sprinkle the tops with sprinkles and enjoy.
• Combine the confectioners' sugar, honey and 4 tablespoons of the juice in a bowl. Add more juice little by little until the mixture is spreadable (you might not need the full remaining tablespoon). It should be quite thick yet spreadable.
• Put the rhubarb, granulated sugar and 1/2 cup water into a small pot on a stovetop. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the sugar is dissolved and the rhubarb is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Pour into a blender and puree until smooth, then transfer to a bowl. Add confectioners' sugar as needed for taste and consistency.
• Put the blueberries, granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water into a small pot on a stovetop and cook over medium heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the berries have burst and the sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Pour into a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a small bowl, straining if necessary, then add the confectioners' sugar. Whisk to combine, adding more confectioners' sugar as needed for taste and consistency.

RASPBERRY ROSE-FILLED DONUTS

Steps:

• For the dough: In a medium bowl, combine the milk, water, yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar and give it a little stir. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it becomes foamy on top.
• Meanwhile, in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together the flour, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, orange zest and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla and yeast mixture and mix to form a very very stiff dough. It will seem like the dry ingredients aren't all going to get incorporated, but try as best you can. Knead for a few minutes and then with the mixer on, begin gradually adding the butter, tablespoon by tablespoon. This, too, will seem like it isn't going to incorporate into the dough, but keep on mixing for 8 to 10 minutes more, scraping down the dough hook occasionally, until your dough is smooth and slightly sticky. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature (or in the fridge, see notes) until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Turn the dough out onto a work surface and roll it out to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out 2 1/2-inch circles and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment. When re-rolling scraps, first press them together and then allow the dough to sit for about 10 minutes before proceeding. Cover the circles with plastic wrap or a dish towel and let rise for another hour, until doubled.
• In a large heavy pot fitted with a thermometer, heat 3 to 4 inches oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the donuts in batches of 3 or 4, for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the jam and rosewater. Taste and adjust as desired. Fill a squeeze bottle or piping bag with the jam.
• For the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt until smooth. It should be the consistency of a slightly thicker glue; if it's too thick, add a little more milk, and if it's too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. Dip the cooled donuts into the glaze and let any excess drip off (if the glaze has a hard time sticking to the donuts, that means it's too thick and that you should add more milk). Stick the squeeze bottle straight down into the center of each donut, wiggle it around to make space and fill up with jam. Top with a sprinkle of pistachios and rose petals and enjoy!

BROWN BUTTER BUTTERMILK DONUTS

Steps:

• For the donuts: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Let it cook on low heat, swirling occasionally while it crackles and hisses, until the crackling stops and the milk solids in the butter smell toasty and nutty and have turned golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the stove and let cool to room temperature.
• Combine the cake flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl, whisk together and set aside.
• In a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the melted butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest. Add the almond extract, whole egg and egg yolk and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk and mix just until a soft dough forms. Remove onto a piece of plastic wrap, flatten out to a disc, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight if you want to make the night before and finish in the morning).
• Unwrap the dough onto a liberally floured surface and pat out with your hands (or you can use a rolling pin) to 3/4 inch thick. Using a 3- to 4-inch glass or round cutter, punch out as many dough circles as you can and place on a baking sheet. Reroll until all the dough is cut. Using a small bottle cap or a round pastry tip, cut a hole in the center of each donut (you can use these pieces to test the oil or to have as snacks). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. It is important that the dough is cold when frying (chilled dough is easier to handle and results in a nicer crust with well-defined cracks).
• Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 350 degrees F.
• For the glaze: Right before frying the donuts, combine the powdered sugar, buttermilk, almond extract, salt and lemon juice in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
• When the oil is hot, carefully drop the donuts in the oil (2 to 3 at a time; do not crowd the pot). They will sink to the bottom but pop up after 15 to 20 seconds (don't disturb them during this time). Fry, flipping frequently, until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oil onto a rack.
• While still warm but cool enough to handle, drop each donut into the glaze, flip to coat the entire thing, then let set on the rack. These are the best right away, but they actually keep pretty well for a day or two because they are very moist.

CHOCOLATE DONUTS WITH COFFEE GLAZE

Steps:

• For the chocolate donuts: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Spray a 12-cavity donut pan with cooking spray and set it aside.
• Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk together the coffee, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and egg in a separate medium bowl until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
• Transfer the batter to a piping bag. Fill each cavity with batter until it comes about three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pan.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Cool the donuts in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a rack and cool completely.
• For the coffee glaze: Mix together the confectioners' sugar, coffee and milk in a bowl until smooth. If it seems too thick, add more coffee little by little.
• Dip each donut halfway into the glaze, then allow excess to drip off. Sprinkle the tops with hazelnuts and sprinkles. Let set, about 30 minutes.