Gin & Tonic Doughnuts

Method

1. In a saucepan bring the milk to the boil then remove from the heat and add the diced butter. Leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature. Mix the flour, yeast, 75g sugar and salt in a big bowl. Mix the milk and the beaten egg into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon.

2. Tip onto a lightly flour dusted surface and knead for 10 minutes (or use the dough hook attachment on your mixer).

3. Lightly grease the mixing bowl with some oil. Put the dough back in, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size – up to 2 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is.

4. Knock back the dough by gently kneading just 5 times to get the air out. Cut the dough into 12 even pieces (use a weighing scales if you like). Roll each piece into a ball and sit on 2-3 lightly greased baking sheets – they’ll need room between them for growing.

5. Cover the dough again with a clean tea towel and leave to prove until almost doubled in size again. Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan, gas mark 5), with a roasting tin full of boiling water on the base of your oven.

6. Bake the doughnuts for 12-15 minutes until risen and dark golden. 

7. To make the creme patissiere filling; pour the milk into a saucepan and heat gently for 5 minutes.

8. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until smooth and pale in colour, then slowly whisk in the cornflour until your reach a smooth paste consistency. 

9. Remove the milk from the heat, then whisk into the egg mixture using a balloon whisk, mixing slowly and carefully until all the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Add in the vanilla paste, lime zest and gin extract. 

10. Return to the pan. Place back on the heat and slowly bring to the boil, whisking continuously. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes or until you have reached the desired thickness.

11. Pour the filling into a bowl to cool and cover with cling film. Chill for 30-40 minutes.

12. Once fully cooled, spoon the creme patissiere into a piping bag and make a hole in the side of each doughnut pushing the piping bag into the hole and fill with the creme. 

13. To make the icing, mix together the icing sugar with a few drops of water and gin extract until you reach a thick consistency. Dip each doughnut into the icing until the doughnut is half covered, or if you prefer spoon the icing on top of each doughnut and spread out with the back of a spoon. Finish with some grated lime zest on top of the icing.