Cream-Filled Donuts

Is there anything better than a cream-filled donut? 

No, there really isn't. 

These donuts are my dream donuts. They're fried...

...tossed in sugar...

...and filled with pastry cream. 

How could you even go wrong with those elements? Fried, sugared, and filled??? Sign me up! 

These donuts are yeasted, which makes them perfectly chewy-- it also makes them take a little bit longer with the rise time. There are two options for the recipe: you can make the dough the night before, or you can make it the day you want to fry them. 

The sugar on the outside gives them the perfect sweet crunch, and the whipped pastry cream adds a delectable rich filling without being overly sweet. 

Cream-Filled Donuts

Yields: 12 donuts

Time: 2 hours (or overnight)

Donuts:

1 tbsp active dry yeast

2/3 cup milk, warm

3 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp salt

3 eggs

7 tbsp butter, softened and cut into cubes

Pastry Cream:

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

3-4 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp salt

4 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

6 tbsp heavy cream

Oil for frying (enough to go 3 inches up the side of your pan)

1 cup sugar for coating

1. Combine milk, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Let it sit for 5 minutes to activate. Add flour, sugar, salt, and eggs. Using a dough hook, mix until combined, about 3 minutes. 

2. Add the butter, a little bit at a time, and knead (in the mixer, if you want) for 5-6 minutes, or until combined. At this point, you can wrap the dough and let it sit overnight. If you want the donuts sooner, let the dough rise, covered, in an oiled bowl in a warm place. Let rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes. (I turn on my oven and put the dough bowl on top of the oven to get some heat). 

3. Make the pastry cream: Put the milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. While it's heating, combine sugar, flour, salt, and egg yolks until thoroughly combined. Once the milk is simmering but not boiling, remove the milk from the heat and spoon a few tablespoons into the egg yolk mixture while stirring. Continue to add the milk slowly. Once it's all been added, return it to the saucepan. Cook until it comes up to a boil and reaches the desired consistency. Add the vanilla and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap. 

4. Roll out the risen donut dough and cut into 3" circles. Place on a greased cookie sheet, cover, and let them rise in a warm place until almost doubled in height. They will be pillowy when they're ready.

5. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees fahrenheit. Put the coating sugar in a shallow bowl to dip the donuts after they're fried. Use a spatula to get the donuts off of the cookie sheet into the oil. I did them one at a time. Flip after 2 minutes or so. Place the donuts on a paper towel-lined plate. 

6. Once the donuts are still hot but cool enough to handle, dip them in the sugar and place on a cooling rack. I would have one in the oil at all times, and while another was cooking I would dip another in sugar. Don't let them cool too much or the sugar won't stick well. 

7. Whip the cream until very stiff. Combine it with the cooled pastry cream. Poke a hole in the donuts with a chopstick and fill using a pastry bag and a round tip (or a bag with the corner cut off). 

They're best the same day (but definitely still tasty on day two). 

Boston Cream Pie Donuts

I have a confession to make: I've never actually had Boston Cream Pie. Am I the only one? Where could one even get a Boston Cream Pie? Maybe it's a Northerner thing. Being from Texas, I'm more used to seeing Bluebell and peach cobbler at restaurants.

Does anyone remember the show Arthur? The animated one with the aardvark (A-A-R-D-V-A-R-K)? I remember there was one episode where there was this delicious looking Boston Cream Pie, and ever since then, I've wanted to try it.

Last year, I made Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes. This morning, I decided I wanted Boston Cream Pie, but in donut form.

These are no ordinary donuts. These will leave you wanting another... and another... until you've eaten the whole batch. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Boston Cream Pie Donuts

Yields: 12 donuts (I made 10 + about 12 donut holes)

For the Pastry Cream
1 cup half & half
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla

For the Donuts 
2 tbsp warm water
1 tbsp yeast
3/4 cup warm whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3 tbsp butter, softened
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
Vegetable oil (for frying)

For the Glaze
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp butter

Pastry Cream
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the half & half until simmering. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and flour.

2. Add about 1/4 cup of the simmering milk to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until it's smooth. Then, while stirring constantly, add the egg mixture to the milk on the stove. Cook until it begins to thicken, then turn heat down to low for about 1 minute. Cook until desired consistency is reached (I wanted mine to me about like yogurt).

3. Pour pastry cream into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap (actually touch the plastic wrap to the top of the pastry cream to prevent it from drying out).

Donuts
4. Mix together the warm water and yeast. Let sit for about 5 minutes, or until activated.

5. Pour yeast mixture in the bottom of a stand mixer. Add milk, sugar, salt, egg, butter, and 1 cup of the flour. Mix with a regular paddle attachment for about 2 minutes.

6. Switch to the dough hook and add the remainder of the flour. It should come clean off the sides of the bowl when you've added enough flour.

7. Grease a bowl and put the dough in. Cover with a damp towel. Let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour. (I let mine rise in my oven after turning it on for 3 minutes to warm it up a bit).

8. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, until it's about 3/4 of an inch thick. Cut into 3" circles. Put on a floured cookie sheet, cover with a damp towel again, and let rise until doubled (about 30 minutes).

9. Heat up your oil until it's 350 degrees fahrenheit. Use a spatula to put 2 donuts at a time in the oil. They take about 45 secs-1 minute on each side. Put on a plate covered with paper towels.

Glaze
10. Combine cream, sugar, and butter and microwave for about 30 seconds. Pour over chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Add more chocolate, sugar, or cream to your taste or desired consistency.

Assembly
Use a chopstick to poke a hole in the side of the donut. Pipe the pastry cream using a piping bag and an open circle tip. Dip the tops in the ganache glaze.