I love doughnuts and I love raspberries; then, when you put them together in one dessert, it is a combination made in heaven. I haven't made any doughnuts in a while since it's quite a time consuming business. But ever since Valentine's when Dev from https://devamadeo.com/blog posted her heart shaped doughnuts, I couldn't wait for the day when I had the time to make my own little raspberry hearts, and there is no other more appropriate celebration than the International Women's Day. Thank you for the inspiration Dev.
For the dough I used a recipe that I always use when making doughnuts. They come out so fluffy and delicious. As for the raspberry jam, I used frozen raspberries this time. I would rather work with fresh ones, but they aren't in season now. I love to pick my own raspberries from farms around my house. They are so fragrant, and nothing compares to the taste of freshly picked raspberries.
RECIPE
for the dough:
1 1/2 cups milk, warm (not hot)
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
7 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon rum
4 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
the zest of one lemon
for the frying:
4 cups vegetable oil
for the coating:
2 cups granulated sugar
for the raspberry jam:
1 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 vanilla sugar
the zest of one lemon
INSTRUCTIONS
In a bowl, place the yeast on top of the warm milk (not hot, since it will inactivate the yeast). Add the sugar and mix until incorporated. Set aside and let the yeast rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. When the yeast is bubbly and risen, it is ready.
In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks and salt for about 3 minutes, then add rum, and set aside.
In a larger kneading bowl, add the 4 cups of flour. Make room in the middle of the flour and pour the yeast mixture. Let the yeast rise in there for another 5 minutes, then add the egg yolk mixture, the melted butter, and the lemon zest.
Begin kneading the dough, and knead it until it forms into a ball (at this point the dough will be very sticky and soft). To make the kneading easier keep flouring your hands with the remaining 1/4 cup of flour, until you have used all the flour. Knead for another 10 minutes, and then cover the dough bowl with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a proofing bag, set in a warm spot and let it rise for one hour.
Meanwhile make the raspberry jam. Place the raspberries in a saucepan, top with the sugars and lemon zest, then boil on low heat until desired consistency is reached. Set aside to cool.
When the dough doubled in size, roll it into a 3/4ths of an inch thick sheet by the help of a rolling pin (if the dough is too sticky, add a little bit of oil to your rolling surface; also, don't press too hard on the dough when rolling; you want to have a soft well-raised dough). Cut heart shaped doughnuts (I used Wilton heart shaped cutters that come in different sizes).
Set the cut doughnuts on a tray, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for another half an hour in a warm location.
Meanwhile pour the vegetable oil in a frying pan (you want a deeper pan to prevent the oil splashing everywhere when frying the doughnuts). Warm the oil to 365 degrees F.
After the cut doughnuts rested and raised, place them in the hot oil. Let each doughnut brown for about a minute on each side, or until golden brown.
Remove the fried doughnuts from the oil and set on paper towels in order absorb all the extra oil.
Place the 2 cups granulated sugar in a bowl and roll each doughnut in it so as to cover the doughnut surface completely.
When the doughnuts have cooled, fill them with the raspberry jam (I used a piping bag fitted with a star tip to fill them).
