doughnut diaries: tiramisu
If you’ve been following my Doughnut Diaries posts for the last year now, hello again. And thank you so much for following!
If you’re unfamiliar with my Doughnut Diaries posts - here’s a brief rundown. I started playing with doughnuts back in October of 2022. Last Spring, I began sharing my own experiences with creating a doughnut recipe of my own. In these posts, I include recipes for everything I’ve tested, so each post has a recipe that is a slightly different version from the previous one.
All the recipe tests I share, I have had success with. I do not share the recipes tests that did not go well because that’d be a huge waste, of course! It’s been so fun experimenting with building a brioche doughnut recipe, and more recently, a classic doughnut base. I also recently got a countertop fryer, which has been a major game changer.
I think I am actually getting close to the end of this series, which makes me sad. I won’t stop posting doughnut recipes, of course, they will just be more “official”. If y’all have enjoyed these posts, I would be so thrilled to continue the same style of recipe testing with another type of pastry (maybe croissants?).
As always, thanks for reading and experimenting with me!
I owe this post to my sister, who recently requested tiramisu doughnuts. I severely underestimated how delicious a tiramisu doughnut could be. Why? Because often times, for me, tiramisu inspired desserts just don’t live up to actual tiramisu.
I almost over-complicated this recipe before I even started testing, which led me to a bit of a spiral. It was like I completely forgot what a tiramisu actually is, lol.
I was like, should I add ganache? Coffee custard? WHOLE COFFEE BEANS?
But then I remembered that tiramisu is simple. And it’s also delicious because it is so simple.
About this recipe…
The doughnuts are filled with a yolk based custard that has been folded in with mascarpone and whipped cream. I know traditional tiramisu does not call for heavy cream (and rather, whipped egg whites) however, for this recipe, I find it necessary for structure.
The egg yolks are not cooked, just whisked with cane sugar until thick and it “ribbons” off the whisk. It’s then folded in with mascarpone cheese, and placed into the fridge to set overnight.
We prepare the dough and let it rest in the fridge for 12 hours. The next day, the dough is fried and rolled in cocoa sugar.
Espresso is poured directly into the doughnuts. You can pour in 1 tablespoon without the dough becoming too soggy. How you prepare your espresso is entirely up to you, just make sure it’s black, unsweetened and either room temp or chilled. If you want to use cold brew or another type of roast, I won’t judge. Been there.
The doughnuts are then filled with the custard, and lastly - dusted with a light coating of pure cocoa powder.
These doughnuts are, dare I say, sophisticated fun.
DOUGHNUTS: TIRAMISU
Makes: 16-18 doughnuts| Cook Time: Varies | Chill Time: 6-12 hours (overnight)
Dough
240 ml whole milk
15 grams active dry yeast
50 grams granulated sugar
550 grams all-purpose flour
30 grams milk powder optional
100 grams eggs about 2 large
13 grams sea salt
113 grams salted butter
Mascarpone Custard
ingredients (1)
3 large egg yolks
80 grams cane sugar
400 grams mascarpone cheese, cold
ingredients (2)
200 grams mascarpone cheese, cold
200 grams heavy cream
20 grams confectioners’ sugar
Cocoa Sugar
150 grams granulated sugar
2 grams Cocoa Powder
Espresso
about 1 cup (8 ounces) for 1 tablespoon per doughnut chilled or room temperature, not hot
Garnish
Dutch-Process Cocoa for Dusting
Mascarpone Custard (ingredients 1)
In a medium bowl, combine 3 large egg yolks with 80 grams cane sugar.
Beat using a whisk until the eggs have become pale and voluminous and the sugar has mostly dissolved. The mixture will ribbon gently off the whisk when ready.
To the yolk mixture, add 400 grams mascarpone cheese, cold. Whisk together well until fully combined.
Cover securely using plastic wrap and place into the fridge.
Prepare the Dough
To the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 240 grams whole milk (warm to the touch; 100-110 F) with 15 grams active dry yeast and a pinch of sugar. Allow to rest until foamy, about 3-5 minutes.
To the same bowl, add 2 large eggs, 50 grams cane sugar, 550 grams all-purpose flour, 30 grams milk powder, 113 grams cold salted butter and 12 grams kosher salt.
Using a dough hook, mix the ingredients on low speed until a shaggy dough has formed. Increase the speed to level 2, and allow the dough to knead about 20-25 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. The dough should pass the windowpane test.
Transfer the dough to a clean and lightly oiled bowl. Allow the dough to rest and rise until doubled, 1.5 - 2 hours.
Expel the air from the risen dough. Cover securely with plastic wrap and place the dough into the fridge for a 12 hour rise.
Shape the Dough (the next day)
Transfer the dough to a clean and lightly floured surface. Use your hands (or a rolling pin) to gently expel any air from the dough.
Divide and shape into roughly 16-18 dough balls. I was able to get 16, weighing 60 grams each.
Transfer the doughnuts to a parchment lined sheet pan. You should be able to fit about 12 doughnuts on each sheet of parchment. Once all the doughnuts have been shaped, carefully cut the parchment so that each doughnut rests on its own individual square of paper. This will make transferring the dough to the frying oil much easier to handle.
Allow the doughnuts to rise for 45-60 minutes, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
Prepare the Cocoa Sugar
In a medium bowl, combine 150 grams granulated sugar with 2 grams cocoa powder.
Whisk together well until fully combined and set aside.
Fry the Dough
Fill a bottom heavy pot with a neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable. The oil should be 3-4 inches deep. The smaller the pan, the deeper the oil will be in case you’re low on oil.
Place a thermometer into the oil and set over medium heat, slightly leaning toward medium high.
While the oil is heating, set a tray of dough beside the pot. A true sign that your dough is ready to fry is when you press gently into the dough with the tip of your finger, and an indent remains.
Uncover the dough so that it can start to develop a slightly dry, almost “protective” coating, which will benefit the shape of the dough as it fries.
Once the temperature of the oil has reached 340-350 F, place a test doughnut into the oil gently along with the parchment (you can remove the parchment from the oil using chopsticks or tongs). Fry for 2 minutes each side.
Fry the remaining doughnuts, trying to not to overcrowd the pan. I personally prefer 340 F for frying, however the oil temperature will fluctuate. Just make sure it doesn’t start creeping up to 360 F, or below 335 F.
As you remove the doughnuts, shake them for about 10 seconds to remove excess oil. Allow the doughnuts to cool on a sheet pan lined with parchment and a cooling rack, so the oil can properly drain.
Coat each individual doughnut with cocoa sugar. I like to let the doughnuts rest for about 5 minutes before coating them. Do not exceed 10 minutes, if the doughnuts become too dry the sugar won’t stick as well.
Mascarpone Custard (ingredients 2)
To a large, cold bowl combine 200 grams cold heavy cream, 200 grams cold mascarpone cheese and 20 grams confectioners’ sugar.
Using a whisk or an electric hand mixer, beat the ingredients together on medium high speed until medium stiff peaks have formed.
Remove the egg-based mascarpone custard from the fridge, and pour it directly over the whipped cream. Combine well with a rubber spatula using a folding motion, careful to not deflate any air.
Transfer to a large piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle attachment. Place into the fridge until ready to use.
Assemble
Using a small offset spatula, stab holes into the sides of the doughnuts with the blade end. Stab in the handle end of the spatula to create a wider hole for the piping bag nozzle to fit into.
Pour 1 tablespoon of chilled espresso into each doughnut. This process is best accomplished if you use a small cup with a spout, such as a measuring glass for pouring to prevent spillage.
Next, use the piping bag to fill each doughnut generously with the whipped mascarpone custard.
Take the small offset spatula and spread some of the remaining whipped custard over the holes of the doughnuts where they were filled. Or don’t, this is just for aesthetic.
Lightly dust cocoa powder over the doughnuts, preferably on top of the whipped custard to mimic the top of a tiramisu.
Doughnuts are best eaten the day they are prepared. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2 days.
Thank you so much for reading, and have a lovely week y’all.
PS - If you’re in the DFW area, I’ll be sharing an announcement soon about ways to purchase pan dulce from me. :)
Take care friends. Channey. <3