Best Italian Donuts With Cherry Sauce Recipes

ITALIAN CHERRY DOUGHNUTS (BOMBOLONI)

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast with the milk in a medium bowl Stir in 1 cup of the flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it proof until bubbly, about 1 hour.
• Whisk together the remaining flour with the salt and nutmeg in a bowl.
• Beat the butter in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment until creamy, about 30 seconds; add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at time, until blended.
• Add the yeast mixture along with the flour mixture. Mix on medium speed until the flour is incorporated and a soft dough that pulls away from the side of the bowl forms, 2 or 3 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly buttered bowl, cover and leave at room temperature 1 hour. (The dough can also be refrigerated up to one day ahead of frying at this point - leave out for one hour before proceeding.
• Place the dough on a floured surface and pat or roll it out ½-inch thick. Cut out circles using a 1 - 1/2-inch diameter biscuit cutter. Arrange the doughnuts on a baking sheet, lightly cover with a towel and let them rise for an hour.
• Pour oil to a depth of 4 inches in a heavy pot or saucepan (I used a 3-quart) and heat to 350 (175 C) degrees.
• Drop the doughnuts into the oil 3 or 4 at a time. Fry until puffed and golden all over, turning once. Remove the doughnuts as they're done and immediately roll them in sugar, then onto a rack to cool.
• Put the jam and/or pastry cream in a piping bag or a sealable plastic bag fitted with a plain pastry tip. Gently poke a hole into each doughnut with a wide skewer (or use the pastry tip) and fill each bomboloni. Serve freshly made.

GRANDMA'S ZEPPOLE ITALIAN DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Add 2-inch oil to a large pot and heat to 375˚F (190˚C).
• In a medium saucepan on medium-low heat, add water, butter, sugar and salt. Cook until butter melts completely.
• Lower the heat and add flour. Use the wooden spoon to mix vigorously until well combined.
• Transfer the dough into a large mixing bowl. Let it cool off slightly, about 3-5 minutes, then add eggs, one at a time. Mix the eggs with the dough using a hand-mixer or wooden spoon. (Make sure your dough is not too hot, otherwise the eggs will scramble when added to the dough.)
• Check the temperature of the oil, if it's ready, it's time to fry the donuts. Use a small spoon to spoon out the batter, and then use another spoon or spatula to scrape the batter into the oil. Make sure to lower the spoon into the oil very gently so that you won't splash the oil onto yourself.
• Cook in batches and fry 10-12 donuts at a time. Fry for 4-5 minutes for each batch until they turn golden brown. You'll need to turn them over from time to time to make sure all sides get cooked properly.
• Remove cooked zeppole from the oil using a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel lined plate.
• Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

ZEPPOLE RECIPE- ITALIAN DONUTS

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 3 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tsp dry active yeast 2 tbsp olive oil, and 1 1/2 cup warm water.
• Using the hook attachment, mix until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the mixer bowl. Depending on the flour you use, you may need to add more. Add 1-2 tablespoons extra at a time.
• Transfer the dough to a bowl greased with olive oil and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
• In the meantime, fill a heavy-bottomed pot with about 2 inches of corn oil or any other high smoke point oil like vegetable or canola. Bring the heat to medium-high. Using an instant-read thermometer, make sure the oil is between 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Now using kitchen shears, snip off small pieces (about 1 1/2 tablespoon) of the dough and use a spoon to scrape the zeppole dough into the hot oil.
• Fry the zeppole for about 2 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to fried Italian donuts into a plate lined with paper towels.
• Once the zeppole are done and slightly cooled, dust them in powdered sugar and enjoy!

ITALIAN DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Pour equal parts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a floured 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out doughnut rounds. Using a floured 1-inch cookie cutter, cut out a hole in the center of each doughnut. Gather the dough scraps and re-roll to cut out more doughnuts.
• Whisk the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl to blend. Set the cinnamon-sugar aside.
• When the oil is hot, working in batches, fry the doughnuts until they puff but are still pale, about 45 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnuts to paper towels to drain. Cool slightly. While the doughnuts are still warm, add to the bowl with cinnamon-sugar and generously coat each 2 times with the cinnamon-sugar. Serve warm.
• Alternately, cool the fried doughnuts to room temperature. Stir 3 ounces milk chocolate and 1/4 cup whipping cream in a heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat until the chocolate melts. Set aside until the chocolate sauce comes to room temperature but does not set. Dip 1 side of each doughnut into the chocolate mixture. Sprinkle with finely chopped toasted almonds or crushed espresso beans and set aside until the chocolate is set.

ITALIAN CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the cherries and sugar in a small pan, pour in scant 1/2 cup water, cover and cook over medium heat until softened. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon and pass through a food mill into a bowl. Reduce the cooking liquid over low heat, then remove from heat and let cool. Stir the cooled liquid into the cherry puree, then add the kirsch. Serve.