The Baking Book you Need Now + BONUS Doughnut Recipe

No surprises here in the EziBuy office but I’ve been drooling over what’s come across my desk and it’s to do with baking.

Mysteriously The Great New Zealand Baking Book has arrived in the post for me all to flick through the pages. Okay truth be told, I specifically order it so I could see the yummy, delicious, tasty, old-fashioned recipes given a delightful modern spin.

Growing up I was able to enjoy my Mum and Dad’s baking – all home made food from tomato sauce, sausage rolls, pumpkin soup, cheese and onion scones, pikelets, pavlova, to belgium biscuits and more. It’s great to see these given a friendly nudge back into the spotlight in the this beautifully designed hardcover book.

So here we are, The Great New Zealand Baking Book “The ultimate collection of kiwi baking. Over 60 of our finest bakers share their sweet and savoury favourites.”

Let’s get right to it and share a recipe to get those tastebuds craving OR get right to it and shop the book now.

Doughnuts with Crème Diplomat

Recipe by Kim Evans from Little and Friday
Makes: About 15 / Prep Time: 1½-2 Hours / Cook Time: 30 Mins / Skill Level: 2 (Moderate)

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

Brioche Dough

• 550 ml milk
• 60 g fresh yeast (crumbled) or 3 tsp dry yeast
• ½ cup sugar
• 6½ cups plain flour
• 3 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 140 g unsalted butter

Crème diplomat (makes 2½ cups)

• 250 ml milk
• ½ tsp vanilla essence or paste
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 150 ml cream

To finish

• oil, for frying
• raspberry coulis or jam
• a large bowlful of icing sugar, for dusting

[/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

1. For the dough: heat milk over a medium heat until lukewarm. Remove from heat and pour over

   yeast, stirring until yeast has dissolved.

2. Place dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer with a dough hook, mix at

   low speed (or mix by hand) to combine fully. Add milk/yeast mixture and eggs to the bowl,

   continuing to mix at low speed until a sticky dough forms. Stop the mixer.

3. Scrape down the dough and then turn the mixer speed on to medium for 10 minutes until an

   elastic, shiny dough forms and pulls away from the bowl. If doing this by hand, knead the dough

   on a lightly floured surface.

4. Cut butter into small pieces and gradually knead into the mixture until well combined. Cover the

   bowl with a tea towel and allow dough to rise until almost doubled in size. Tip dough onto a

   floured surface – it is now ready to use.

5. For the crème diplomat: while the dough is rising make the crème diplomat. Combine milk,

   vanilla and half the caster sugar in a saucepan, and bring to the boil. In a separate bowl, beat

   together remaining caster sugar, egg yolks and cornflour until pale and thick. Slowly pour half

   the milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.

6. Return remaining milk mixture to the heat. When it has reached boiling point, leave on the heat

   and quickly add the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Keep whisking vigorously until it returns

   to the boil, then remove from the heat. Pour into a bowl and place a circle of baking paper on

   top, to stop a film forming on the surface. Cool, then chill. (This is called crème pâtissière.)

7. Whip cream until firm. Beat chilled crème pâtissière until smooth and fold gently through cream

   with a metal spoon. Can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days.

8. For the doughnuts: roll dough out on a floured surface to 4 cm thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut

   into circles. Allow to prove for 10–15 minutes – it is ready when a dry skin forms on the dough.

9. In a large saucepan, add oil to 2 cm deep and heat to 180°C. It is best to use a thermometer to

   get the temperature just right. If you are not using one, heat the oil over a medium heat – once

   it starts smoking, it is too hot. Drop a few doughnuts into the hot oil at a time. You do not want

   them to touch, or they will stick together. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, until they are quite

   dark and crisp. Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack covered with baking paper.

10. Once cool, poke a hole into each doughnut, creating a cavity. Fill a piping bag with raspberry

    coulis or jam and squeeze about 1 teaspoon’s worth into each cavity. Next, use a clean piping

    bag full of crème diplomat to fill each doughnut until it starts to expand. Dust each doughnut

    generously with icing sugar.

[/directions]

Let us know if you have tried one of the recipes from the book and what the results tasted like in the comments below.