‘No-rise’ Easter Doughnuts
Photography by Claire Aldous.
Dip these gorgeous little warm doughnuts into a bowl of good quality purchased vanilla bean custard for even more finger licking deliciousness!
INGREDIENTS
1⅔ cups plain flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon and nutmeg
¼ teaspoon each ground cloves and allspice
¼ cup currants, finely chopped, optional
1/3 cup caster sugar
¼ cup melted butter
finely grated zest 1 orange
100ml milk
1 egg, size 7 (large)
Cinnamon sugar
½ cup caster sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
To cook
vegetable oil for frying
METHOD
Doughnuts: Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, all the spices, currants and the caster sugar in a bowl. Whisk the butter, zest, milk and egg together and stir into the dry ingredients to make a thick dough.
Roll spoonfuls of the dough in the palm of your hands and place on a lined tray or just scoop out with two teaspoons for a more rustic look. Dust your hands lightly in flour if they’re a bit sticky. You should have about 20.
Cinnamon sugar: Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish.
To cook: Put 6cm of vegetable oil in a deep, small to medium-sized saucepan and heat to 160°C on a sugar thermometer or until a piece of bread dropped into the oil turns golden in 30 seconds.
Working in batches, carefully lower the donuts into the oil and cook for 3 minutes, gently stirring for even browning. Don’t overcrowd the pan, as the oil temperature will drop rapidly and the doughnuts will be heavy.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towels. Immediately roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Keep warm in a low oven until all the donuts have been cooked.
To serve: Place in a bowl and serve with custard if desired. Makes about 20 mini donuts.
Cook’s note: I like to use a deep, 14cm wide saucepan for cooking the doughnuts. This way you don’t have to use and discard a huge volume of oil. If making ahead, place the cooked sugared doughnuts in a shallow roasting dish and reheat in a 160°C oven for a few minutes until warm.

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