Coffee Bean Donuts (w/ Coffee Cream Filling)

What's breakfast without coffee and donuts? What if breakfast was coffee IN a donut?

These donuts, in their truest likeness of coffee beans, are a delightful spike of energy to start your day -- caffeine and carbs. They've got a good dose of protein, too, thanks to eggs and milk. The dough is flavored with coffee and then filled with a rich coffee pastry cream that tastes like cafe latte.

The dough and filling can be made ahead the night before so that you can get a head start to your morning.

Yields approximately 20-24 donuts

COFFEE DONUTS DOUGH INGREDIENTS

1/4 c (60 mL) water

2-1/4 tsp (1 packet) active yeast

1 c (240 mL) whole milk

1/4 c (57 g) shortening or butter

1 egg

1/4 c (50 g) sugar

1 tbsp fine ground instant coffee; 2 tbsp for a stronger flavor (or instant espresso)

1/4 tsp salt

2-1/2 (300 g) c all purpose flour

COFFEE CREAM FILLING

1 c (240 mL) half and half (or 120 mL whole milk + 120 mL heavy cream)

1/3 c (67 g) sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp fine ground instant coffee; 2 tbsp for a stronger flavor (or instant espresso)

1/4 c (40 g) corn starch

SPECIAL SUPPLIES

3" oval cookie cutter

Piping bag and tip

Bread lame or very sharp knife

Slotted strainer

Oil for frying

You can prepare this dough the night before and let rise overnight in the fridge. It doesn't take long to combine the ingredients and doesn't require kneading at this point.

1. Activate yeast in warm water for 10 minutes until frothy.

2. Heat milk and shortening in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Stir until shortening is mostly melted.

4. In a mixing bowl, combine all dough ingredients.

5. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or spatula for 2 to 3 minutes. The dough will be sticky and shaggy.

6. Cover with a plastic wrap. Let rise overnight or if you are making these donuts to eat the same day, let rise for 1 hour.

You can also prepare the coffee cream filling the night before and allow to cool overnight in the fridge.

1 Combine all filling ingredients in a sauce pan.

2 Whisk until thoroughly combined.

3 Heat over low-medium heat until thickened to a slightly runny pudding consistency.

4 Cover with plastic wrap with the wrap touching the surface of the coffee cream. Refrigerate. The consistency will thicken further once cooled.

Remove the dough from the fridge (or, if making on the same day, after 1 hour rise at room temperature).

1. The dough should be doubled in size.

2. Using the dough hook of a mixer, mix the dough on slow speed.

3. Continue to mix for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

1 Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.

2 Roll the dough between 1/3" to 1/2" thickness.

3 Cut the dough in ovals using the cookie cutter.

4 Place the cut oval on a floured parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Using a bread lame or a very sharp knife, score the vertical centers of each oval. Score only between 2-3 mm deep. For more realistic coffee beans, do not score a perfectly straight line, it is better that the line has some curves. Also, make jagged (pulled) cuts by dragging the knife so the cut edges aren't too clean.

Heat 2" of oil in a large pot to 370F over medium heat and you are ready to fry coffee bean donuts!

1 Flip donut onto the strainer, scored side down -- the heat tends to puff up the side that is first above the surface of the oil (in this case, you want that puffy side to be the outside of the coffee bean).

2 Lower the donut directly into the oil with the strainer. When the donut is in the oil, keep the strainer underneath for a second or two. This will keep the scored side of the donut looking flat. Repeat for another few donuts, however ensure there is not any crowding in the pot.

3 Cook for 1 minute and flip.

4 Cook for another minute. As the donuts cook, lightly press them into the oil so that there will not be a lighter band around the circumference as donuts have.

5 Retrieve from the oil with the strainer.

6 Let cool on a paper towel-lined cooling rack.

Time to fill those coffee bean donuts!

1 Place coffee cream filling in a piping bag with the tip cut or outfitted with a long tip.

2 Insert piping tip into one end and pipe the cream.

3 Insert into the other end and repeat.

Enjoy your morning hit of caffeine and carbs!