Hot Cross Doughnuts

hot cross doughnuts

I love the idea of transforming classic sweets into a completely different form, and these days my choice of form seems to be doughnuts. After my Lamington Doughnuts were such a success for Australia Day, I wanted to try my hand at Hot Cross Bun Doughnuts for Easter. Yes, I am shameless, but can you blame me? They’re so cute! And trust me, they taste even better.

hot cross doughnuts

I made a batch of my usual go-to doughnut recipe, and then filled them with a spiced custard and brandy-soaked currants before finally dipping the tops in dark chocolate and piping the signature cross in white chocolate. They were a tiny bit fiddly I’ll admit, but I reckon they’re completely worth it. And assembling these for Easter dessert is made much easier if you make the custard and soak the currants in advance.

hot cross doughnuts

I can’t get over how much they actually taste like hot cross buns thanks to the fruit and that awesome custard, which is flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and cloves. I hope I don’t have to do too much convincing to get you guys to try these ๐Ÿ˜‰

I hope every one of you has a fabulous Easter break! I’m heading over to Perth early tomorrow, where I hear the weather is going to be lovely. See you next week!

hot cross doughnuts

Hot Cross Doughnuts
Makes about 20

Doughnuts
(adapted from Gourmet Traveller)
โ€ข 125ml (1/2 cup) pouring cream
โ€ข 60ml (1/4 cup milk)
โ€ข 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
โ€ข 225g (1 ยฝ cups) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
โ€ข 1 tablespoon dried yeast
โ€ข 30g caster sugar
โ€ข Vegetable oil for deep frying
โ€ข Dark chocolate, for dipping
โ€ข White chocolate, for piping crosses

Spiced Custard (adapted from Dorie Greenspan)
โ€ข 1 cup whole milk
โ€ข 1 cup cream
โ€ข 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
โ€ข 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
โ€ข ยฝ teaspoon ground nutmeg
โ€ข ยฝ ground cloves, optional
โ€ข 6 large egg yolks
โ€ข ยฝ cup sugar
โ€ข 1/3 cup cornflour
โ€ข 3 ยฝ tablespoons butter, cut into bits at room temperature

Booze Soaked Currants
โ€ข 1/4 cup currants
โ€ข 3 tablespoons brandy

To make the spiced custard, bring the milk and cream to the boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat, spices, cover and allow to infuse for 45 minutes. Reheat to just before boiling point before continuing.

Meanwhile, in a large heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks together with the sugar and cornstarch until thick and well blended. Still whisking, pour about ยผ cup of the milk mixture through a sieve into the egg yolks โ€“ this will temper or warm the yolks so they wonโ€™t curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remainder of the milk through the sieve. Pour back into the saucepan and place over a medium heat, and whisking vigorously and constantly (making sure to get into the edges of the pot) bring the mixture to a boil.

Keep at a boil, still whisking for 1-2 minutes until thickened, then remove the pan from the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in the butter, stirring until they are fully incorporated and the pastry cream is smooth and silky. Scrape into a bowl and press a plastic wrap against the surface of the cream to create an airtight seal. Refrigerate until cold. It can be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For the booze soaked currants, combine currants and brandy in a bowl. Cover and allow to soak at least overnight.

For the doughnuts, combine cream, milk and vanilla in a small saucepan and warm over low heat until lukewarm (30 seconds – 1minute). Meanwhile, combine flour, yeast, sugar and a pinch of fine salt in a large bowl. Add cream mixture and stir to combine. Turn onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth. Transfer to a lighly oiled bowl, cover and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (35-40 minutes).

Knock back the dough and roll out on a floured surface to 2cm thick. Cut out 5cm circles, place on trays lined with baking paper, cover with a clean towel and stand for 30 minutes or until risen. Preheat oil in a deep fryer or deep-sided saucepan to 180ยฐC (350ยฐF). Deep fry zeppole in batches, turning occasionally until golden and cooked through (3-4 minutes). Drain on paper towel and allow to cool slightly.

Make a small hole and pipe in spiced custard into each of the doughnuts. Through the hole, add some currants, pushing them inside with a chopstick. Melt the dark chocolate in a small bowl, and dip the top of each doughnut into the chocolate. Place in the fridge for 10-20 minutes to set. In the meantime, melt the white chocolate and place into a piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip. Pipe crosses onto each of the doughnuts and place in the fridge for another 10-20 minutes to set.

One Comment on “Hot Cross Doughnuts”

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