Jam & Pastry Cream Filled Donuts

I'm going to be honest with you: this recipe is a process. You'll make the dough, you'll make the pastry cream, and right around assembly time you might want to quit, but don't, it's 100% worth the effort. Because there are few things better than a freshly baked donut on a slow morning (like this one):  

Ingredients

Donuts 

• Warm Milk: 3/4 cup
• Active Dry Yeast: 2 1/2 teaspoons (1 packet)
• Sugar: 1/3 cup 
• Egg Yolks: 2
• Almond Extract: 1/2 teaspoon
• Softened Butter: 2 tablespoons
• Flour: 2 1/3 cup
• Coarse Salt: 1/4 teaspoon
• Jam: 1/3 cup
• Powdered Sugar: For dusting

Pastry Cream

• Egg Yolks: 4
• Sugar: 2/3 cup
• Milk: 1 1/2 cups
• Vanilla 1 teaspoon

 *Adapted from the Gourmet Cookbook (Volume 2) + Smitten Kitchen's Jelly Donut Recipe 

Yield: 15 Donuts

The How To (Donuts)

1. Combine 3/4 cup milk, 1/3 cup sugar, and 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit until frothy (about 5 minutes).
2. Whisk in 2 egg yolks, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, and 2 tablespoons softened butter.
3. Add 2 1/3 cups flour and 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt.
4. Mix with a dough hook until smooth (about 4 minutes).
5. Remove the dough and set it on the counter, lightly coat the bowl with vegetable oil, return dough to bowl.
6. Let dough sit on the counter, covered with plastic wrap, for one hour.
7. Remove dough from bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface.
8. Roll it out to 1/2 inch thickness and cut into 2 inch rounds.
9. Cover donuts lightly with a kitchen towel and let rise for another 30 minutes.
10. While donuts are rising, heat about two inches of vegetable oil to 340 degrees in a cast iron pan.
11. Fry donuts, five at a time, until golden brown (about a minute on each side).
12. Drain on paper towels.

The How To (Pastry Cream)

1. Whisk 4 egg yolks and 2/3 cup sugar in a small saucepan.
2. Mix in 1/4 cup flour, just until combined.
3. Over medium-low heat, slowly add 1 1/2 cups milk, whisking continuously.
4. Whisk vigorously until the mixture thickens (this will take a few minutes, don't freak out).
5. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
6. Cool completely.

The How To (Assembly)

1. Cut the corner off two Ziploc bags (or use pastry bags if you're fancy) and fill one with pastry cream and the other with jam.
2. Poke a small hole in the side of each donut (I use a butter knife for this), and fill each donut with pastry cream.
3. Squeeze a small dollop of jam after the pastry cream.
4.  Roll each donut in a bowl of powdered sugar.
5. Eat as soon as physically possible.

A Few Notes:

• Use any type of jam you like! I used STAGG Jam's Banana Jam for this batch.
• Feel free to swap out the almond extract for a teaspoon of vanilla extract or a few gratings of lemon or orange zest.
• Pastry cream can be cantankerous. Just keep whisking, and don't worry - it will thicken!
• I use a small-ish glass cup to cut out the donuts. You could also use a biscuit cutter.
• It's okay if you don't have a candy thermometer! You can eyeball it and test with some of your leftover scraps. On my gas stove the medium-high setting is just about 340 degrees.

Pairs Well With: