Gluten Free Doughnuts with Raspberry Rose Cream Filling

Makes around 15

I've wanted to create a doughnut recipe for a while now; I don't often indulge in something sweet but the idea of missing out on a treat because of being on a gluten free diet can sometimes seem unfair. So here they are, fluffy, crisp and filed with a beautiful lightly rose scented cream.

If you buy a large block of fresh yeast online, you can get it on amazon, divide it into small sandwich bags and freeze it. Even in my busy kitchen, I wouldn't be able to use a large black before it starts to grow mould. The freezer does impact its potency so you have to double the amount of frozen yeast to fresh. Also, salt will kill yeast, so when making any yeasted dough be careful that the salt and yeast don't come into direct contact.

Rose water can vary hugely in strength so smell or taste yours and adjust accordingly.

Ingredients:

For the dough-

150ml water

500g gluten free white bread flour (I used doves farm)

1 tsp xantham gum

60g golden caster sugar

15g fresh yeast/ 30g if its been frozen

4 medium eggs

2 tsp fine salt

Zest of 1 lemon

125g butter

Oil for deep frying

Caster sugar and zest of 1 lemon to coat

For the filling-

800g frozen raspberries, defrosted

1 tsp rose essence

250ml full fat milk

3 egg yolks

80g golden caster sugar

50g gluten free flour

200ml double cream

80g icing sugar

Method:

1. Start the day before you want to fry the dough: Combine all the ingredients for the dough, except the butter, in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook fitted. Mix the dough on a medium high speed for at least 5 minutes, scraping down the sides if necessary. You want all the ingredients to be well combined but as this recipe is gluten free you aren't kneading it to stretch gluten strands like in a normal dough recipe. Add the butter to the mixer, about a tablespoon at a time, until well combined. Scrape down the mixture and transfer to a clean bowl, cover it with cling film and allow to prove for around an hour.

2. At this time knock the dough back and knead with your hands briefly, cover again and set in the fridge overnight. This slow prove will improve the flavour of the final dough.

3. The following day, cut yourself at least 15 squares of parchment and lay out on a large chopping board. With well floured hands and work surface, take a section of dough, around 60g, and roll it into a ball and place it on one of the squares of parchment. Repeat for the remaining dough and cover them all with lightly oiled clingfilm to prove.

4. For the filling, start by making a raspberry puree; put the raspberries in a pan on a low heat and add a couple of tablespoons of water. Cook down to a rough mush, stirring regularly so it doesn't catch and press through a fine sieve to extract the seeds. Set aside.

5. To make a custard base, warm the milk gently on the stove and whisk the egg yolks, sugar and flour together in large bowl. Add the warmed milk to the yolk mixture and pour the lot back into the pan. Put it on a medium low heat to cook out, whisking constantly to prevent it splitting. Once its the consistency of a thick custard, strain through a sieve into a clean bowl, add the raspberry puree and set it aside to cool. You'll want to place a piece of cling film on the custards surface to stop a skin forming.

6. After around 2 hours of proving at room temperature, the doughnuts should have roughly doubled in size but this can take longer, depending on how cold your fridge was and how room your room is. Heat a deep fryer, filled with the oil, to 150C or use a deep pan and a cooks thermometer. Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl ready to toss the the doughnuts in.

7. Using the parchment to pick up the doughnuts (so you don't knock the air out) and drop them into the hot oil. Work in batches so you don't crowd the fryer and reduce the heat of the oil too much, 2 or 3 at a time. Use a spoon to flip the doughnuts over once the first side is nicely golden, frying should take somewhere between 6-8 minutes. Drain the cooked doughnuts briefly in the basket or with a slotted spoon before tossing in the sugar and setting aside to cool.

8. To finish the filling, sift the icing sugar into the cream and beat to until you get a stiff whipped cream, a little more that you would usually want. Fold in the raspberry custard and decant the lot into a piping bag.

9. Once all the doughnuts are cool, take the 'wrong' end of a teaspoon and insert into each, wiggling it slightly to create a pocket. Snip the end off the piping bag of filling and insert into the hole. Gentle pipe it into the doughnut until you can feel its full and repeat for the remaining doughnuts.