Jelly and Custard Doughnuts

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American, French, Jewish

Keyword: Custard, homemade doughnuts, Jelly, Jelly-filled doughnuts

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 20

Proofing: 2 30

Total Time: 3 50

Servings:

Calories: 404kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

These Jelly and Custard Doughnuts are just so fresh and unbelievably delicious. Set aside a few hours, and you will honestly produce some of the best (if not THE best) doughnuts you will ever try. Delicious!

Print Recipe

Equipment

A deep fryer, or sturdy pot with candy thermometer

Ingredients

FOR THE DOUGHNUTS

3 tsp active dry yeast
1½ cups whole milk heated to 105° to 115°F
1 cup sugar divided
4 tbsp unsalted butter softened, plus more for greasing
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp Kosher salt
1 whole egg
3 egg yolks
4¾ cups flour measured, and then sifted
vegetable oil for frying

FOR THE STRAWBERRY JELLY FILLING

2 lbs strawberries fresh, hulled and roughly chopped
3½ cups sugar
¼ cup lemon juice

FOR THE VANILLA CUSTARD

2 cups whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg lightly beaten
2 eggs yolks
¼ cup corn starch
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

TIME TO MAKE THE DOUGHNUTS

Sprinkle yeast over the warmed milk and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Once foamy, stir to dissolve.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together ½ cup sugar and butter until fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add yeast mixture, vanilla, salt, egg, and yolks and beat until combined.
With the motor running, slowly add flour and beat until all ingredients are incorporated. At this point, the dough will be somewhat sticky. If too sticky to handle, add more flour, 1 tbsp at a time, until it the dough just starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl with the mixer running.
Remove the dough and replace the paddle attachment with the hook attachment, return the dough to the bowl, and mix on medium for 4 to 5 minutes. The dough will still be somewhat sticky, but more elastic. Remove from bowl, and with slightly wet fingers, form the dough in a ball.
Transfer to a lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic and set in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1½ to 2 hours.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into 1 14" round about ½" thick.
Using a 3" ring cutter, cut dough into rounds, gathering up scraps, and re-rolling to cut more rounds. You should end up with 16 to 20 rounds.
Transfer rounds to parchment paper-lined baking sheets, about 1" apart.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and/or dry kitchen towel, and set in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 more minutes.
Heat 2 to 3-inches oil in a 6-qt. Dutch oven until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°F. Or, heat your deep fryer to 350°F.
Working in batches, carefully place the doughnuts in the hot oil and fry, flipping every 20 to 30 seconds, until puffed and golden, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Quickly add the fried doughnuts into a bowl with the remaining ½ cup of sugar and toss to coat. Place the doughnuts on a baking pan or platter.

MAKE THE STRAWBERRY JELLY FILLING

Place the strawberries in a medium-large saucepan and use a masher to crush them until almost all liquid.
Add the sugar and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil.
Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220°F on a candy thermometer.
Pour into a heat-proof bowl and refrigerate until using. (Can be made a day in advance).

MAKE THE VANILLA CUSTARD

Stir together the milk and ¼ cup of the sugar in a large saucepan.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and beaten egg.
In another small bowl, mix together the remaining sugar (¼ cup) and corn starch. Now, stir them into the egg until smooth.
When the milk comes to a simmer, remove from heat and slowly drizzle it into the egg-mixture bowl in a thin stream - mixing as you pour to fully combine.
Return the mixture to the saucepan on the stove, and slowly bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. If lumps appear, keep whisking and stirring, they will smooth out.
When the mixture thickens, remove it from the heat.
Stir in the butter and vanilla, mixing until the butter is completely blended in. Pour into a heat-proof bowl and chill until ready to use.

FINISH THE DOUGHNUTS

Once doughnuts have cooled, fill a piping/pastry bag, or plastic baggie with the corner snipped, with the jelly or custard.
Insert the tip into the end of each doughnut and pipe approximately 1 -2 teaspoons filling into them. You can also use a small knife and spoon to do this step, too. Store in air-tight container until ready to serve!

Video

Notes

If using instant rise yeast, no need to activate the yeast in the warm milk. Just mix everything together in your stand mixer (including the warmed milk), and proceed with the recipe as is. You'll still need to allow the dough to double in size, but it most likely will not take 2 hours.

If you don't have a warm area (not too warm, though), to allow the dough to proof (rise), no worries, the dough will still rise, it will just take longer. Anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. Or overnight in the refrigerator.

The jelly and the custard can be made 1 to 2 days in advance.

Thawed frozen strawberries can be used if fresh are not available.

If you don't have a pastry bag, you can take a freezer baggie and snip the corner. If you have a cake tip, then place it in the corner and pipe the filling in. If you don't have a tip, then simply puncture a small hole in one side of the doughnut and use a small spoon to insert the filling.

The doughnuts will keep in an air-tight container for up to 4 days, although we feel these are best served the same day they are fried.

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