Another post in celebration of Donut Day… but first let me share my first and most vivid memory of a donut; back in Melbourne, at Queen Victoria Market, off a donut truck that sold 6 of hot sticky, chewy donuts; deep fried and piping hot and filled with smooth raspberry jam, all for $2. The sweet yeasty dough just melts in the mouth as you chew, and along with the warm raspberry centre, this buttery and sugar-coated donut creation was none but heavenly. I won’t even try and pretend that I can re-create it, but i’ll never ever be able to forget it.
Now, some 25 years later, I still catch myself thinking every now and then about how I can transport those old truck-donuts back to Cairo without going stale, in light of the 27-hour journey. I’ve personally come to no conclusion, but I’m totally open to suggestions :D
In light of that little donut story, I DO make my own non-fried donuts here instead. Remember the lemon chia-seed cake story I posted a while back? Well these donuts are made off of that idea, except this time using actual poppy seeds I picked up from Geneva in January (shh.. don’t tell the authorities ;)). I’m not sure what it is about the combination of lemon and poppy that works together so well but they can literally be adapted to almost any form of bakery — cakes, muffins, cake pops, truffles, etcetera. So why not donuts? Why not indeed :). Enjoy this dainty little recipe xox
Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
2 tbs heavy cream
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tbs melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Icing:
The juice of 1 lemon
1 tbs melted butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Sprinkle of poppy seeds
Method:
Grease a regular donut tray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, add both wet and dry ingredients together until combined.
Gently scoop into a piping bag, and pipe batter into donut tray until 3/4 full.
Bake in a pre-heated oven (on 180 decrees) for 12 minutes or until spring back when poked.
Leave to cool for about 15 minutes, then turn out of the tray and onto a dry, heat-proof surface to cool completely before icing.
For the icing:
Mix all icing ingredients in a medium bowl until combined. Dip each donut face down into icing, and and leave to set.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
