Coffee-Glazed Italian Doughnuts

I realized that I haven’t posted a breakfast recipe in a while so I thought I would give a recipe a try out of Giada’s new cookbook. I warn you these little doughnuts are tasty but they are very rich. For the time I spent making the dough I would probably cheat next time and just fry up some canned biscuits. The glaze is really good and would be delicious on a pound cake or anything for that matter. So if you don’t want doughnuts you at least have to try the glaze on something.

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Coffee-Glazed Italian Doughnuts (Zeppole)

(Adapted from Giada At Home)
makes about 12 doughnuts. 4 to 6 servings

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from 1 to 2 lemons)

vegetable oil, for frying

glaze:

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 (3 ounce) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate bar

1 cup raspberries

For the doughnuts: In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, 1/2 cup water, the granulated sugar, and salt over medium heat.

Bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 10 seconds.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir the mixture until all the flour is fully incorporated and forms a thick dough.

Return the pan to the heat and stir continuously for 2 minutes

Scrape the mixture into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. With the machine running on medium speed, add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.

Beat the mixture for 4 to 5 minutes until smooth. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes.

For the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream, coffee liqueur, and espresso powder until smooth.

With a wooden spoon, gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, stir in water, 1/4 teaspoon at a time.

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don’t have a thermomerter, toss in a cube of bread, it will brown in about 3 minutes and, when it does, the oil is ready.)

Using a small ice cream scoop or two small spoons, carefully drop about 1 tablespoon of the dough at a time into the oil.

Cook for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes, turning occasionally, until the doughnuts are golden brown and puffed. Drain on paper towels.

When the doughnuts are cool enough to handle, dip the top halves into the glaze.

Using a hand grater, grate the chocolate over serving plates. Place 3 to 4 doughnuts on each plate and garnish with raspberries. Serve immediately.