Hot Jam Doughnuts

 

One of my favourite memories as a kid was when we went anywhere on a winters weekend, such as the local market or St Kilda market, we would always see the Hot Jam Doughnut van.  This is a caravan turned into a food truck really.  There would be a HUGE line to order and generally 2 or more people working furiously in the van making these doughnuts to order.

 

One person would be frying lumps of dough and the other would be sugaring them, pumping them full of Raspberry jam and bagging them.  Then there was me, wayyyyyyyyy to impatient to wait and burning my mouth with HOT jam when I bit into one.

 

I moved to Newcastle in 2002 and well winter here is much milder than in Melbourne.  We get some cold days but nothing like winter in Melbourne, so I have never seen a Hot Jam Doughnut van here at the markets or even down the park or beach in Newcastle, yes it would be a great idea I think.  Does anyone want to start one for me?

 

Jonathan has never had the pleasure of burning his mouth with jam so I made it my mission to bring him the joy :)  am I not a wonderful Step Mum??

 

125 ml milk

15 g butter

250 g plain flour

1 1/2 teaspoon yeast

1/4 teaspoon salt

25 g castor sugar

1 egg

 

 

 

In your mixing bowl place the flour, yeast, salt and sugar.

 

In a sauce pan heat your milk just enough for the butter to melt.  Remove pan from heat and allow to cook until tepid (body temp when you stick your finger in it) you need to cool the milk otherwise you will kill the yeast when you mix together.  Beat egg into room temp milk.

 

With a dough hook on your mixer (or your hands if your brave) turn on low and pour milk mixture into the dry ingredients until combined.  Turn machine to medium to knead the dough.

 

Step away from your mixer please!  Leave your mixer alone and let the dough knead for a minimum of 10 minutes.  The dough should then be silky and smooth.

 

Lightly oil a bowl and place your ball of dough in to proof.

 

Cover the bowl (cling wrap is good or a throw away shower cap works well) place in a warm draft free spot and allow to rise until doubled in size.  Between one and two hours.

 

 

See doubled in size.  Punch the dough down and knead again until smooth.  Cut in half and roll each half into a roll about 25 cm in length. 

 

Cut each log into 12 pieces, place on a tray lined with baking paper.  Cover loosely and allow to rise again for 20 minutes.

 

 

Heat your oil (I used canola oil) to approx. 180C to 190C if you have a deep fryer use that.  Cook dough for 5 minutes turning halfway so that they brown evenly.  I did do a tester and cut it in half to see if the dough was cooked in the middle.

 

Place your jam in a sauce bottle.  Yes the bottle is a little overkill for the amount of jam I had in it.

 

Remove the doughnuts to paper towel to drain.

 

Quickly roll in sugar.

 

Stick the nozzle of your sauce bottle in the middle of the doughnut and squeeze in as much as you can.

 

Burn your fingers and mouth.

 

I told you it was hot!

 

If your lucky you get to take a pretty picture.