Best Boston Cream Doughnuts Topped With Cacao Nibs Recipes

BOSTON CREAM DONUTS

Steps:

• For the donuts: Sprinkle the yeast over the 2 tablespoons warm water in a liquid measuring cup. Add the pinch of sugar and set aside until bubbly, about 5 minutes.
• Combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the flour, salt, nutmeg, buttermilk, shortening, egg, vanilla, 150 grams (2/3 cup) water and yeast mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Beat on medium-high speed until a smooth ball of dough forms around the hook and only slightly sticks to the bottom of the bowl, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the dough to a large bowl lightly sprayed with cooking spray; cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly sprinkle with flour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 9-by-11-inch rectangle that's 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Use a 3 1/2-inch round cutter to cut out 12 donuts. Transfer the donuts to the prepared baking sheet, cover with a towel, wrap with plastic wrap and let rise until they puff slightly, about 20 minutes.
• For the chocolate glaze: In a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water, combine the chocolate chips, butter and salt. Let mixture gently heat until the chips are melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the honey and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
• To fry the donuts: Heat 6 inches of oil in a large heavy pot fitted with a candy thermometer over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350 to 375 degrees. Fry the donuts in batches, flipping halfway through, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the donuts to a wire rack to cool for 2 minutes.
• To fill and decorate the donuts: Once the donuts are able to be handled, but still warm, fill them with the vanilla pudding then dip the tops in the chocolate glaze. Sprinkle with the sprinkles and enjoy!

CREAM OF CARIBBEAN PUMPKIN SOUP WITH CACAO NIBS: CREMA DE CALABAZA Y CACAO

Steps:

• Heat a griddle, medium-sized cast-iron skillet, or Mexican comal over medium heat. Add the cacao nibs and dry-roast for 2 minutes, until fragrant, turning constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula. Turn out into another container and set aside.
• Stem and seed the chile. Place on a hot comal, griddle or iron skillet and roast briefly turning with tongs. Place in a bowl with warm water to soften. Roast the tomatoes, onion, and garlic until blistered on all sides. Peel the onion and garlic. Place in a food processor or blender together with the roasted cacao nibs and the spices and puree.
• Heat the oil in medium, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the puree and the brown sugar and saute for 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin and the stock. Correct seasoning. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat and cover until the pumpkin is soft, about 15 minutes. Puree in a food processor or blender, in batches. Strain the soup pushing the solids against the strainer with the back of a spoon. Put back in the pot and heat over medium heat. Add the chocolate and stir until dissolved, about 3 minutes.
• Serve the soup hot garnished with a dollop of Mexican cream or creme fraiche and a tablespoon or so of the cubed cheese. Pass the Kekchi Cacao-Chile balls around the table with a small cheese grater and invite your guests to grate a pinch of this super-hot condiment on the soup for extra heat and cacao flavor.
• Heat a griddle, medium-sized cast-iron skillet, or Mexican comal over medium heat. Add the cacao nibs and dry-roast for 2 minutes, until fragrant, turning constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula. Turn out into another container and set aside.
• Add the chiles, cinnamon stick, and allspice berries to the griddle and roast the same way, stirring for 2 minutes. Scrape into an electric spice mill or coffee grinder with the salt and paprika; grind to a fine powder.
• Combine the spice mixture and roasted cacao in a mini-food processor and process into a warm, sticky paste, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Scrape out onto a work surface and shape into 12 small balls. Let sit until thoroughly dried. Store in a tightly sealed jar. When ready to use, grate over any dish of your choice.

CACAO NIB CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Pop the corn according to package directions and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, salt, corn syrup, vanilla bean and cacao nibs. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, over medium heat.
• Pour the caramel over the popcorn, tossing to coat evenly. Divide the caramel corn between 2 parchment-lined sheet pans. Bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until the popcorn is sticky and caramelized, about 1 hour. Cool the popcorn on sheet pans, stirring often for the first few minutes (so it doesn't stick together). Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH COCOA NIBS

Steps:

• For the creme patissiere: Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and thick, and then whisk in the cornstarch.
• Add the cocoa powder to the milk and bring to a boil; switch off the heat. Pour the milk in a slow stream onto the egg mixture, whisking vigorously all the time. (Pour slowly to avoid scrambling the eggs.) Return the mixture to a clean pot over a medium heat and whisk continuously. Make sure to scrape the sides and the bottom, otherwise it will burn. The cream will start to thicken. Once it releases a bubble or two, take it off the heat.
• Pour into a shallow bowl. Cover with cling film (pat the cling film so it sticks directly onto the cream) and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.
• For the meringue: Put half the egg whites into a clean glass or metal bowl. Add the sugar, lemon juice and salt and whisk until white. Add the rest of the egg whites and continue whisking until the meringue forms stiff peaks when the whisk is removed.
• Melt the chocolate in a bain marie (a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water) or in the microwave on a low setting. Whip the cream until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed.
• To make the mousse, beat the chilled creme patissiere to remove any lumps before stirring in the melted chocolate. Mix in one third of the meringue, and then gently fold in the rest followed by the whipped cream.
• To serve, brush 4 to 6 glasses or ramekins with butter. Add some cocoa nibs and roll them around the sides and bottom of the glasses until evenly coated. Divide the mousse among the glasses and chill for at least an hour, but ideally 4 hours. Serve chilled, sprinkled with cocoa nibs. The mousse is best eaten the same day and should not be kept for more than 2 days.

BOSTON CREAM DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Heat the milk until it is warm but not hot, about 90 degrees. In a large bowl, combine it with the yeast. Stir lightly, and let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, beat the eggs, butter, sugar and salt into the yeast mixture. Add half of the flour (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons), and mix until combined, then mix in the rest of the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time, if the dough is too wet. If you're using an electric mixer, the dough will probably become too thick to beat; when it does, transfer it to a floured surface, and gently knead it until smooth. Grease a large bowl with a little oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, and cover. Let rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and roll it to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out the doughnuts with a doughnut cutter, concentric cookie cutters or a drinking glass and a shot glass (the larger one should be about 3 inches in diameter), flouring the cutters as you go. Reserve the doughnut holes. If you're making filled doughnuts, don't cut out the middle. Knead any scraps together, being careful not to overwork, and let rest for a few minutes before repeating the process.
• Put the doughnuts on two floured baking sheets so that there is plenty of room between each one. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until they are slightly puffed up and delicate, about 45 minutes. If your kitchen isn't warm, heat the oven to 200 at the beginning of this step, then turn off the heat, put the baking sheets in the oven and leave the door ajar.
• About 15 minutes before the doughnuts are done rising, put the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and heat it to 375. Meanwhile, line cooling racks, baking sheets or plates with paper towels.
• Carefully add the doughnuts to the oil, a few at a time. If they're too delicate to pick up with your fingers (they may be this way only if you rose them in the oven), use a metal spatula to pick them up and slide them into the oil. It's O.K. if they deflate a bit; they'll puff back up as they fry. When the bottoms are deep golden, after 45 seconds to a minute, use a slotted spoon to flip; cook until they're deep golden all over. Doughnut holes cook faster. Transfer the doughnuts to the prepared plates or racks, and repeat with the rest of the dough, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil at 375.
• For the glaze, whisk together 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Dip the tops of the doughnuts in the glaze, and let it harden on a rack.
• Combine 2/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, whisk in 2 eggs and 2 cups cream. Continue cooking, whisking almost constantly, until the mixture just begins to boil and thickens, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently; cook until it coats the back of a spoon (when you draw your finger through this coating, the resulting line should hold its shape). Stir in 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, and cool to room temperature before using.
• To fill the doughnuts with the pastry cream, insert the tip of a pastry bag filled with cream into the side of the doughnut, and squeeze. (Alternatively, poke a chopstick into the side of the doughnut, and wiggle it around to hollow out some space inside. Plunge a small funnel into the hole, spoon some filling into the funnel and use the chopstick to push it into the doughnut. If the filling clumps up toward the center of the doughnut, just press lightly on the top to distribute it evenly.)