Semi-Homemade Donuts

Me being the lovely, amazing wife that I am... I decided to get up early this morning and make donuts for my husband before he had to go to work.  These donuts are only semi-homemade, I guess you could say, because if I had to get up any earlier to make them... well, it would just not be good.  I don't function very well at early hours of the day.  So these were perfect, and tasted pretty good too!  And my husband had bought a donut cutter a few weeks back, I felt like I needed to put it to use!

Donuts

• 1 roll (or however many rolls you want) biscuits; I used Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits
• 8 cups vegetable oil

Heat oil in a large pot with high sides over medium-high heat until temperature is at 350°F. Oil should be 1- to 1 1/2 inches deep.  Open biscuits and gently pat them down to even them out.  Cut out center using a donut cutter.  You can fry the centers up as donut holes.  Or if you want to fill your donut later, just leave them as is.

Add half of the doughnuts and half of the doughnut holes and fry until the bottoms turn golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes for small donuts and 2 to 2 1/2 minutes for large donuts.  Using chopsticks or a butter knife, turn the doughnuts and holes and fry for until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Transfer doughnuts to a paper towel-lined plate and allow to cool slightly, 1 to 2 minutes before dipping in glaze. Serve warm.

Chocolate Glaze Topping

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp. light corn syrup
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

 Combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted.  Decrease the heat to low, add the chocolate and whisk until melted.  Turn off heat, add powdered sugar, and whisk vigorously until smooth.  Dip donuts into glaze immediately and let cool on wire rack for about 30 minutes so it will set (if you can wait that long... umm... I don't think waiting is necessary! ;)

Vanilla Pastry Cream (for Boston Cream Donuts)

• 1 1/2 cups  milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp. heavy cream

Place milk in a medium-sized saucepan and set over med-heat; heat the milk until bubbles just start to form around the edges.  Meanwhile, place the sugar, flour, and salt into a small bowl; stir together to combine. Place the eggs in a medium-sized bowl, whisk until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to egg yolks and continue to whisk until thick and pasty.

Remove the milk from the heat and gradually add to the egg mixture, whisking constantly.  Return the mixture to the saucepan, place over medium heat.  Bring to the boil, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes.  Boil, whisking constantly, for 10 seconds, remove immediately from heat.  Add the vanilla extract and whisk until well combined.  Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming.  Let cool and then refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to assemble Boston Cream Donuts, using a hand mixer, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.  Remove vanilla pastry cream from fridge and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream.  Put it into a pastry bag and, using a bismark tip, poke a hole in the side of the donut to the center and gently fill.  Then dip into chocolate glaze.  Enjoy!