One of the dangerous things about Netflix is that it encourages binge watching. Binge watching is when you look at series or shows episode after episode after episode. I have been known to binge watch.
Recently I got hooked on Twin Peaks – a serial drama. The show had a cult-like following in its day, back in the early 1990s. One of the things that was always present in almost each episode was doughnuts. Doughnuts of all varieties, flavours and toppings were featured in the show. Big, light, pillowy soft fried dough that was glazed, sprinkled, dusted, dotted or injected with some sweet accompaniment.
(Photo by Cynthia Nelson)
Generally I don’t have a sweet tooth, however, as I was binge watching the show, I suddenly started to crave doughnuts! I contemplated going out and buying a doughnut but I knew that that was not an option because I was not sure where to go to get the perfect doughnut that would satisfy my taste. The doughnut would have to have right texture with just a simple glaze. I even thought of making some doughnuts myself but felt that that would have been too much work, and besides, I only need one doughnut. I thought, “If I was in Guyana, I’d go to Salt and Pepper and get me a doughnut.” Do they still make doughnuts? The last time I had one of Salt and Pepper’s doughnuts would have been 20 years ago.
Anyway, our Portuguese-style pancakes popped into my head. Perfect! They are after all a type of doughnuts called Malasadas. The dough is generally not sweet so I made a syrup in which to douse the balls first and then rolled them in castor sugar. Castor sugar is fine grain of regular white sugar. For this recipe, just use regular white sugar, don’t bother to go out and buy castor sugar.
The syrup I made was an orange syrup, just because I wanted the flavour of orange in the doughnut. However, you can make any kind of flavoured simple syrup.
INGREDIENTS
For syrup & dusting:
● 1 cup unsweetened orange juice
● 1 cup white sugar
● ½ cup castor sugar or white sugar, for dusting
For batter:
● 2 cups all purpose flour
● 1 tablespoon sugar (brown or white)
● A pinch of fine (table) salt
● 1 heaped teaspoon instant yeast
● ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
● 3 eggs, room temperature
● 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
● ¾ cup warm whole milk (110 – 115 degrees F)
● Neutral oil (vegetable, Canola) for deep-frying
DIRECTIONS
For syrup:
1. Add orange juice and 1 cup sugar to a small pot and place over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture come to a boil, reduce heat to low, cook for 1 minute and then remove from heat and let cool completely. If any froth/foam forms when boiling, remove with a spoon and discard.
For batter:
2. Mix together in a large bowl: the flour, sugar, salt, yeast and cinnamon.
3. Lightly beat eggs and essence together.
4. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the egg mixture along with the milk. Mix well to form a smooth batter.
5. Cover the bowl with the batter and let rise in a warm place for 1 ½ hours or until doubled in volume.
6. Heat oil in a deep frying pan until hot (about 350 degrees F). The oil should not be smoking.
7. Drop tablespoons of batter into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Let the balls brown nicely on one side and then flip over, some of them turn over by themselves once cooked. The entire cooking time should be about 1 and ½ minutes.
8. Repeat until all the dough is fried.
9. Drizzle generously with syrup while still hot and roll in castor sugar. Place on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
