“The dried rose petals and colorful pistachios give these doughnuts an extra spark,” says Molly.
Info
- Cook time: 2 hours
- Total time: 2 hours
- Yield: About 18 doughnuts
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (one 1/4-ounce packet) active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm milk (105°F to 110°F)
- 1/4 cup warm water (105°F to 110°F)
- 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Finely grated zest of 1/2 orange
- 1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten together
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
- Vegetable oil, for oiling the bowl and for frying
Filling
- 1 cup raspberry jam
- 1 tablespoon pure rose water
Glaze and Topping
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons whole milk, plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Crushed roasted pistachios and crushed dried rose petals, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Activate the yeast. In a medium bowl, stir together the yeast, milk, water, and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar with a wooden spoon. Leave it for about 5 minutes; it should turn foamy on top.
- Combine dry ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, orange zest, and the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Add the beaten egg and yolks, the vanilla, and the yeast mixture. Mix until a very stiff dough forms. (It may seem hard to bring together at first, but keep mixing.)
- Incorporate the butter. With the mixer running, add the butter a piece at a time. This too may look like it won’t blend in, but continue mixing for about 8 to 10 minutes more, scraping down the dough hook occasionally, until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky.
- Let the dough rise. Move the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours. (Alternatively, refrigerate for up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before rolling out.)
- Roll and cut. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll it with a rolling pin to about 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut rounds. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Press the scraps together, let rest 10 minutes, then reroll and cut more rounds. (At this point, the rounds can be refrigerated for up to 3 hours before frying.)
- Second rise. Arrange the rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap or a dish towel and let rise for another hour, or until doubled in size.
- Fry. In a large cast-iron pot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer, heat 3 to 4 inches of vegetable oil to 350°F. Fry the doughnuts in batches of 3 or 4, 1 1/2 minutes per side, until deep golden brown.
- Drain. Use tongs to lift the doughnuts from the oil and transfer them to a rack set over a baking sheet to drain and cool.
- Make the filling. In a small bowl, stir together the jam and rose water. Taste and adjust the proportions as you like. Spoon the mixture into a squeeze bottle or a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip.
- Make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. The glaze should be the consistency of slightly thick glue—if too thick, add a little more milk; if too thin, add a little more confectioners’ sugar.
- Glaze the doughnuts. Dip the cooled doughnuts in the glaze and let excess drip off. If the glaze resists sticking to the doughnuts, it is too thick and needs more milk.
- Fill and finish. Insert the squeeze bottle or pastry bag into the center of a doughnut, going as deep as possible without piercing the other side. Wiggle it around, then fill the hole with jam, leaving a circle of jam on top of the glaze. Sprinkle with pistachios and rose petals. Serve any remaining jam on the side for dipping.
