It’s only been a few days, but I’m already missing Miami and the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. During my stay in South Beach, I drew inspiration from all of the incredible chefs I met and the dishes they served. At the Today Food Broadcast & Breakfast event, they served bite-sized Cronuts, which was the inspiration behind these Toasted Coconut Donuts. The donuts have this perfect cake-like texture with subtle hints of coconut flavor, but the sweet glaze and toasted coconut topping is what really makes these confections. The coconut cream glaze is deliciously sweet and well, what’s better than toasted coconut? They’re a little bite of coconut heaven, and you’ll feel like you’re laying in the sun, in a tropical paradise.
I know… why make your own donuts when you can go to the store and buy some? Because… these are so so so much better! And I’m not just saying that. They’re significantly lighter, airy and much more flavorful. So although kind of time consuming, they’re worth it. I save these for a weekend project and eat them warm, right out of the fryer.
Ingredients:
Coconut donuts
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 g) natural cane sugar
1 1/4 cups (310 ml) unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons coconut extract
1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut oil, melted
1 1/4 cups (175 g) superfine brown rice flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (110 g) almond flour
1/2 cup (80 g) potato starch
1/2 cup (60 g) coconut flour
1/4 cup (30 g) tapioca starch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil, for frying
Coconut glaze
2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (75 ml) unsweetened coconut milk
Pinch of salt
2 cups (165 g) sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Directions:
Make the doughnuts
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the first six ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the superfine brown rice flour, almond flour, potato starch, coconut flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until the dough comes together. Knead it with your hands a couple of times. It will be soft.
2. Dust a work surface with a generous amount of superfine brown rice flour. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and dust another bit of flour on top of the dough. Pat the dough down a bit. As the dough sits, it will start to get a bit more compact and will be easier to work with. If it feels too soft, you can refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes. Roll the dough to a 3/4-inch thickness.
3. Dust a 2-inch cookie cutter or doughnut cutter with additional flour. Cut out circles and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you are using a cookie cutter, cut out 1/2-inch holes from the center of the disks. You can re-roll the scraps once to make more doughnuts.
4. Chill the doughnuts in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a shallow cast-iron pan with 2 inches of vegetable oil. Heat the oil until it reads 340°F (170°C) on a candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer.
5. Carefully add the doughnuts to the oil in batches; do not overcrowd the pan. The doughnuts will sink and then rise when they are almost done. Cook to golden brown, turning the doughnuts once. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Repeat the frying process with the doughnut holes. Let them cool slightly.
Make the glaze and finish the doughnuts
In a medium bowl, whisk together all the glaze ingredients. Dip the doughnuts in the glaze and cover with the shredded coconut.
Recipe from: From Small Plates & Sweet Treats: My Family’s Journey to Gluten-Free Cooking by Aran Goyoaga.
