Jelly Filled Doughnuts

I feel sort of bad for these doughnuts because I had a rotten attitude towards them from the beginning. I wasn't sure if I was making them right or not, or if they were turning out. I just recently started baking with yeast. It seems that every recipe's ingredients are somewhat similar, but the outcome is so drastically different. I'm just inexperienced in the dough making field I guess. Well, turns out I had nothing to worry about because they worked great, but I was a jerk towards them until I was able to taste one. I like having spoilers for a few things in my life. I like spoilers during bad romantic comedies, action movies and I like them while I'm baking with yeast. I enjoy knowing what's coming next, especially when I have invested 6 hours into one recipe. 

These doughnuts looked soooo easy in this month's issue of Food Network Magazine. Some guy, named Chuck, said to, 'Try this at home...'. I'm sure Chuck is a really nice guy, but I don't totally trust him yet. His instructions were very vague and I kept worrying throughout the process if what I was doing was right. There was no reassurance with Chuck's instructions, and I guess that's what I needed. There were many pictures along with his recipe, but I like words. Just sayin'. I truly enjoy all the extra fluff some people put into their recipes. You know, the drawn out paragraphs and such. I think that's why I really love Cook's Illustrated Magazine.  They write down every possible step there ever could be. I realize that for some recipes that it's unnecessary, but when you're dealing with a gallon of hot grease on your stove top, you should probably know what the hell you're doing. I may or may not try this recipe again. Maybe now that I know what to expect, I'll be a little more excited to make these.  I'm going to leave you with Chuck's parting words dealing with this recipe, "Try these with whatever fillings you have on hand, like peanut butter and jelly. Or use Nutella-it's the bomb." Oh, OK Chuck. I'll do that.

Jelly Filled Doughnuts

Recipe from Chuck Hughes, Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:

1 cup warm milk

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 to 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened

Vegetable oil, for brushing and deep-frying

Jelly or jam, for filling

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast on top and stir to dissolve; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the sugar, salt, vanilla and eggs to the bowl and whisk until blended. Add 2 cups flour and mix with the dough hook to combine, stopping to scrape down the bowl. (The dough will be stick; if it's too wet, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour.) Add the butter and mix until smooth.

3. Brush a large bowl with vegetable oil; add the dough and cover with plastic wrap. let rise in the refrigerator, at least 4 hours or overnight.

4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and dust with flour. Dust a clean surface with flour; turn out the dough onto the surface. Dust the dough with flour, then gently pat it out to make it easier to roll. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch rounds with a cookie cutter; transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Re-roll the scraps and cut out more rounds. Dust the dough rounds lightly with flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rest 1 hour in a warm place.

5. Heat 2 to 3 inches vegetable oil in a large pot until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360 degree. I used a candy thermometer, worked out fine. Working in batches, fry the doughnuts, turning, until golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes total. Using tongs or a skimmer, remove to paper towels to drain.

6. Fit a pastry bag with a 1/8-inch round tip; place the bag in a glass and cuff the open end over the glass. Fill the bag with jelly. Insert the pastry tip into the side of a doughnut and gently squeeze to fill repeat with the remaining doughnuts. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve warm.

*I used my homemade strawberry jam for the filling, but you can use any flavor you'd like. Also, I skipped the jam for some of them and just used confectioners' sugar to roll them in. I'd almost say just the sugar ended up tasting the best, but that's just me. Enjoy!

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