makes
10
prep
40 minutes
cook
20 minutes
difficulty
Easy
makes
10
serves
preparation
40
minutes
cooking
20
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 125 ml (½ cup) milk
- 240 g plain flour, sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 75 g caster sugar
- 40 g unsalted butter, finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 medjool dates, seeded, finely chopped
- 30 g (¼ cup) toasted walnuts, finely chopped
- vegetable oil, to deep-fry
- 150 g pure icing sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp apple juice
Resting time 20 minutes
Instructions
Place milk in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to just below boiling point. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place flour, baking powder, nutmeg, sugar and ½ tsp salt in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mixing on low speed until combined. Add butter and combine over medium–low speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
In a separate bowl, combine egg, yoghurt, vanilla and 60 ml warmed milk. With mixer running, slowly pour wet ingredients into flour mixture, mixing for 20 seconds, then add remaining 65 ml milk, a little at a time, until batter is thick and spoonable. Stir in dates and walnuts, then cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 20 minutes.
Half-fill a deep-fryer or saucepan with oil and heat to 180°C (or until a cube of bread turns golden in 10 seconds). For traditional-shaped doughnuts, fill a piping bag fitted with a 1½ cm nozzle with batter. Grease 10 x 10 cm squares of baking paper and pipe an 8 cm ring of batter onto greased side of each square. Working in batches, carefully place doughnuts in oil, baking paper-side up, removing baking paper with tongs. Cook for 1–2 minutes each side or until golden, then drain on paper towel. To make drop doughnuts, carefully drop tablespoon-size dollops into hot oil and cook for 1 minute each side or until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
To make glaze, combine icing sugar and apple juice in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Place doughnuts on a wire rack set over a tray, then pour glaze over doughnuts. Alternatively, dip doughnuts into glaze.
Photography by Lara Ferroni.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
