Passport
Baker
Jill
Location
Hollandale, WI
Baking Challenge
10 Jam Doughnuts
Give your creation a name – and tell us about your recipe.
Wisconsin Wildberry Jam Doughnuts – made with blackcaps, blackberries and raspberry jam. I would like to tell Mary Berry that I made this jam and that yes, there are advantages to being older (thanks Brendan!) – but I made jam earlier in the month of July and used it as the filling in my doughnuts. I found a recipe online (NYTimes.com) because none of my cookbooks have fried doughnuts in their contents. I made the dough – it puffed up really nice – and then punched it down and used a large biscuit cutter to cut out the rounds. I let them raise on 2 different cookie sheets so they wouldn't stick together. Then I heated up the canola oil. This was my first time frying doughnuts successfully. I tried years ago and it was such an unmitigated disaster. However, this time I had a candy thermometer ensuring that my oil temp was at 375-degrees. I put only 3 in at a time, 45 seconds per side, then drained them on a paper-towel lined plate. Once they were barely cooled, I tossed the doughnuts in a bowl of refined sugar, then prepped my cake decorating tools. I filled a pastry bag with homemade jam. I initially put on too large a tip – which I realized after filling the first doughnut incorrectly – then used a smaller icing tip. I cut slits in all the doughnut (not too big) – and then piped in about a tablespoon of jam into each.
When I took the first bite of that fresh doughnut I realized that this is what heaven is like. I don't know if I can ever purchase store-bought jelly doughnuts ever again. I gave a half-dozen to my friend and she was equally impressed.
Now that you’ve survived this challenge, what words of wisdom can you share?
Make sure that the oil is at the correct temp, otherwise the dough will absorb oil instead of cook in it, and that's just yucky.
Tell us about how you added a Wisconsin twist.
I used my own jam grown from berries and wild blackcaps here on my Wisconsin farm. You can't get more Wisconsin than that. Oh, and share with your favorite neighbor over some fresh coffee!
How did you do?
Rocked it.
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