Eton Mess Doughnuts

1. In a free-standing mixer combine your flour, yeast, water, sugar, eggs, salt and milk until a dough is formed (this dough will be a wetter consistency!).

2. Once the dough is formed, slowly add in your cubed butter bit by bit. Mix for 5 minutes until the dough is elastic and bounces back when you touch it. Place a tea towel over the bowl and leave in a warm, dry place for 2 hours or until this has doubled in size.

3. Whilst your dough is rising, we can make our custard filling. Pour 400ml of your double cream into a saucepan with your vanilla paste. Place on a low heat and slowly bring up to the boil.

4. In a separate bowl, mix your 100g of caster sugar, egg yolks and cornflour until well combined.

5. Using a whisk, continually stir your double cream as it comes to the boil. Once this starts to boil remove it from the heat immediately. Pour a quarter of this hot cream into the egg yolk mixture – whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs.

6. Pour the egg and cream mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream. Return to a medium heat and whisk until thick and boiling. Make sure you are constantly whisking to avoid a lumpy custard! Once thickened, remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.

7. Once your dough has risen and doubled in size, tip out onto a well-floured surface. Knead your dough by hand for 2 minutes – this is called the knocking back process.

8. Divide your dough into 50g portions – you should get around 16+ doughnuts from this. Once divided, roll your dough balls in your hands to create a perfect ball shape.

9. Place these on floured trays, well separated to avoiding them rising and sticking together. Leave to rise for 1.5 hours or until doubled in size. Whilst your dough balls rise, whip the remaining 400ml of double cream in a mixing bowl until firm peaks are formed.

10. Once your custard is cold, add a quarter of your whipped cream to the custard. Combining together well until the mixture is without lumps.

11. Now add the rest of your whipped cream into your custard, this time folding the cream through the custard very gently. We want to keep as much of the air in the cream as possible! Once folded in completely, transfer your filling into the fridge to chill.  

12. After your doughnuts have double in size, empty your 2 litres of oil into a large saucepan and place on a medium heat. We are aiming for 175-180°c – this is the perfect temperature to achieve a golden doughnut! Any hotter than this your doughnut will be much darker and will risk being underdone in the middle. Any cooler than this, you risk your doughnut absorbing oil.

13. Whilst your oil heats up, place your 150g of caster sugar in a shallow bowl ready to roll your doughnuts in. Once your oil in up to temperature, place 1 or 2 of your doughnuts into the hot oil – watch your fingers this is very hot! Fry for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and place into the sugar bowl. Rolling these in the sugar using tongs, the remaining oil should help this sugar stick.

14. Repeat this frying and tossing in sugar process for all of your doughnuts. Make sure you keep an eye on your temperature, keep it within 175-180°c for the perfect doughnuts! Once finished cooking, allow your doughnuts to cool completely to avoid any melting when you add the filling.

15. Transfer your custard filling into a piping bag with a large nozzle. Fill each of your doughnuts, by pushing your piping nozzle into the side of the doughnut and piping your filling into the centre. When you have finished filling all of your doughnuts, make sure to leave some filling to use to pipe on top.

16. Stand all of your doughnuts up in a dish, with the hole you filled your doughnuts with pointing up. Pipe a small drop shape of the filling over the hole on each doughnut. Break up your Giant Meringue and stick a shard into the custard on top of the doughnut. Do the same with your strawberries (see pictures for reference).

17. And you’re done – you’ve created some delicious Eton Mess Doughnuts! Now tuck in – they’re best served fresh!

Don’t forget to tag us in your bakes! We love to see them even if we can’t taste them!!