PUMPKIN-CRANBERRY DONUTS
My love affair with my pumpkin dough continues and now I've brought cranberry into this delicious sordid business. I don't know when I'll stop playing with this dough. I'm not entirely sure that I can stop. But hell, it just keeps getting better so why worry?
The latest? Pumpkin dough donuts filled with cranberry pastry cream. Thanksgiving never tasted so good.
PUMPKIN-CRANBERRY FILLED DONUTS
(makes 12-13 donuts)
For the dough
The pumpkin dough recipe you can find HERE. To make the donuts, roll the dough about 1/4" thick. Cut 3" rounds from the dough. Place the rounds on a parchment lined sheet pan and cover with plastic wrap and allow to proof until almost double in size, about an hour. Fry for about a minute on either side in 350ºF oil, flipping when one side is golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to cool.
For the filling
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1 (15 ounce) can Ocean Spray jellied cranberry sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
pinch salt
5 egg yolks
zest and juice one lemon
In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, milk and jellied cranberry sauce. Stir over low heat until the cranberry sauce has melted (small chunks are ok).
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the sugar, corn starch, salt, yolks, zest and lemon juice. Whisk on high to combine.
Slowly pour the heavy cream/cranberry mixture down the side of the mixing bowl with the mixer running on medium-low speed. Mix until combined and then transfer the mixture back to the saucepan. Whisk on medium-low heat constantly until the mixture thickens to the consistency of mayonnaise. Transfer to a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic touches the surface of the cream to keep a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool, about 1-2 hours.
This makes a decent amount of pastry cream. Depending on how much you use to fill the donuts, you'll likely have some left over. It's a wonderful pudding, so transfer the rest to small serving glasses and top with whipped cream for a fun dessert.
To finish
Poke a small hole in the side of each donut with a wooden skewer. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a medium/small piping tip with the pastry cream. Insert the tip into the donut and gently fill each donut with about 2 tablespoons filling (don't go crazy. A little goes a long way).
For the glaze
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cranberry juice
2 tablespoons hot water
Stir together until smooth.
Dip the tops of each filled donut in the glaze. Serve immediately.
