Jam Doughnuts

by Peter G on July 18, 2010

in Recipes

baked donuts with mandarin jam

As a child, I remember having to tag along with my parents to the Queen Victoria Markets in Melbourne.  This was the usual weekend routine.  Catch the tram.  Make your way through hundreds of fruit and veg stalls.  Fill up the shopping trolley.  Get the meat.  Then the poultry…  It wasn’t something I looked forward to on a Saturday morning. In my mind this was something adults did.  What I did however look forward to, was the jam doughnuts you could buy at the end of the shopping expedition!  I know.  Call me crazy but these doughnuts were insane.  You could smell the fried goodness miles away.  They sold churros (um…nothing like the ones I know now) cinnamon doughnuts and jam doughnuts.  It was the jam doughnuts I lusted after.  Hot deep fried balls of dough, oozing with a scorching raspberry jam.  Your fingers, face and clothes never looked the same after eating them!  But they were good…soooo goood!  Scoffed down with a hot chocolate and you knew deep down you never wanted to grow up.

jam donuts for breakfast

Fast forward to 2010 and you know that eating deep fried morsels on a semi regular basis ain’t good for the hips or the waistline.  So, it was with great intrigue that I saw a recipe for baked jam doughnuts in the June issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.  Could these baked beauties match those doughnuts of my childhood?  Yes and no.  They certainly had that “doughnut taste and flavour”.  Actually they reminded me a lot of the Greek easter bread-tsoureki.  But something was lacking.  And I suspect the words “deep fried” need to play a part here.  Don’t get me wrong.  These were delicious  but they lacked that certain “oomph”.  I made my version of jam doughnuts by using the mandarin jam as my filling.  The lemon sugar added to the  whole citrus theme and a cup of hot chocolate was the perfect friend.  Doughnuts, sugary mess and hot chocolate.  Sometimes the child in you never really leaves!

jam donut with hot chocolate

RECIPE FOR BAKED JAM DOUGHNUTS

(Adapted from here)

N.B. If you don’t have a mixer with one of those dough hooks get ready to work it!  You can do it but you will need to apply a little elbow grease.

These are best eaten the day they are made-preferably within a few hours of being baked.

FOR THE DOUGHNUTS:

  • 750 grams of plain flour-plus a little more for dusting
  • 140 grams of caster sugar
  • 1 sachet of dired yeast-7-8 grams
  • 250 mls of lukewarm milk-plus a little more for brushing
  • 80 mls of greek yoghurt
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • 150 grams of melted butter

FOR THE LEMON SUGAR:

  • 1 cup of caster sugar
  • Grated rind of 2 lemons
  1. Preheat your oven to 190 deg  and combine the flour, sugar, yeast and lemon rind in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix to combine.
  2. Whisk together the milk, yoghurt, eggs and 30 grams of the melted butter in separate bowl or jug and pour this into the flour mixture whilst the motor is running.  Mix on a medium speed until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
  3. Shape into a ball, place in a well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let it stand in a warm place for about 1-1 1/2 hours (until it has doubled in size)
  4. Once the dough has doubled in volume, turn it out on a clean bench, give it a good knocking and roll it out to 5mm thick.
  5. Cut 12 rounds with a 7cm round cutter and 12 rounds with an 8 cm cutter.
  6. Place the smaller rounds spaced 5 cm apart on a grease paper lined tray and spoon in a teaspoon of your favourite jam filling.
  7. Brush the edges with milk and cover with the larger rounds, pressing well to seal in the edges. (you can use the smaller cutter to trim the excess edges)
  8. Cover again and let the doughnuts stand in a warm place for another 1 1/2 hours.
  9. Bake in the oven for about 10-12 mins or until the bottoms and tops have browned.
  10. Combine the lemon rind and sugar.  As soon as the doughnuts come out of the oven dip into the remaining melted butter, toss in the lemon sugar and serve immediately.

jam donuts with mandarin jam

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{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }

Mark @ Cafe Campana July 18, 2010 at 8:21 am

My father used to take us to the Queen Vic Markets too. And we also enjoyed the jam doughnuts. I remember the red jam (I have no idea what flavour it was) was really hot and it almost burnt my mouth. I love this recipe!

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Peter G July 18, 2010 at 8:22 am

Thanks Mark! Some things you never forget!

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Anh July 18, 2010 at 8:22 am

I know about the deep-frying goodness. But I think baked donuts have their own beauty.

Love your jam filling – much lighter than the original recipe :)

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Rosa July 18, 2010 at 8:59 am

Those look so delicious and pretty! I love thae filling.

Cheers,

Rosa

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bir dutmasalı - nUnU July 18, 2010 at 9:09 am

This beautiful cookie !!!

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Asha@FSK July 18, 2010 at 10:00 am

Did you say baked??? AWESOME!! I have shied away from making donuts at home because I don’t much like deep frying things.. now this I can certainly make! perfect!

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Joan Nova July 18, 2010 at 10:04 am

The size, reduced calories and baking make them a perfectly acceptable treat…now and then. I enjoyed the sweetness of this post with your recollection of going to market with your parents.

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Anna A July 18, 2010 at 3:16 pm

oh my word Peter, these look tremendous! I’ve been curious about baked doughnuts, and now that I know your recipe is tsoureki-like I am very intrigued. Love that jam filling too :)

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peachkins July 18, 2010 at 8:49 pm

these are the “good” doughnuts…

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Trissa July 18, 2010 at 10:30 pm

You know if you were expecting a doughnut then nothing really beats fried unfortunately… but I actually, at least for me, think your version is better – especially with the jam.

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Ellie (Almost Bourdain) July 18, 2010 at 11:25 pm

I love doughnuts that are not deep-fried. I saw the same recipe from GT but haven’t gotten around to try it. Love the use of mandarin jam. So refreshing.

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Meeta July 19, 2010 at 3:03 am

ummm! after the vacation i need to take a break from all the sweet stuff but you are tempting me more here! lovely pictures and a refreshing recipe!

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Chantel July 19, 2010 at 4:49 am

Man i’m hungry now! Hungry for Jam doghnuts! Lee put me onto your blog and i’m really glad he did!

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peter July 19, 2010 at 4:55 am

I bet you look foward to the market for the adult things (meat, veggies, etc) …and then head out for the doughbuts! Reminds you of Tsoureki? That’s a good thing.

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giz July 19, 2010 at 9:01 am

How do you stop at just one? Sinfully gorgeous.

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my little expat kitchen July 19, 2010 at 9:33 am

If they’re anything like tsoureki then they must be fantastic. Love the fact that they’re baked rather than deep-fried.
Magda

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Amanda July 19, 2010 at 6:48 pm

I have very fond memories of Saturday morning trips to the Vic markets and those jam donuts loom large in my memory, too – especially the burn as you bite into them.
Deep fried is certainly the way to go!

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Angela@spinachtiger July 20, 2010 at 7:11 am

My farmer’s market treat was a molasses cookie that I still can’t find anywhere. When I read the title I didn’t think they would look as good as they do. Even sacrificing the taste a bit, I prefer baked to fried.

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Soma July 20, 2010 at 9:54 am

A baked filled donut, did you say? a few for me please. they look as beautiful as your memories.

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Carolyn Jung July 20, 2010 at 10:56 am

These look so wonderfully poofy and dainty. I know I couldn’t stop at one. Or two….Or….

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Melissa July 20, 2010 at 1:46 pm

Aaaah, I am flipping out over these donuts. So good. Great images too, by the way. Thanks for the recipe!

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Paula July 20, 2010 at 3:09 pm

Thanks for sharing this recipe! looks so delicious!

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cheffresco July 20, 2010 at 3:59 pm

Amazing photos – you have a talent! The jam doughnuts look amazing! Will have to give them a try, esp since they are baked.

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mpg July 20, 2010 at 5:24 pm

they look so perfect…something i never want to make but am ready to eat ;) esp. that jam!

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elly July 20, 2010 at 7:48 pm

these look like a great alternative to the fried version. i was never big on jam donuts until very recently. that, coupled with the fact that they remind you of tsoureki, would definitely make these a winner in my book!

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Heather July 21, 2010 at 3:15 pm

How gorgeous! These look like fat aebelskivers. And how cool that they’re not fried – not because I don’t love fried foods, I just don’t love frying foods.

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Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen July 21, 2010 at 4:27 pm

They look gorgeous! I never liked jam donuts, I was more of a plain jane. But I would try one of these!

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Kitchen Butterfly July 21, 2010 at 5:40 pm

I remember donuts like this in Nigeria, from Mr Biggs – they were heavenly, and not at all mini. The stuff childhoods are made of!

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my spatula July 21, 2010 at 11:52 pm

so stunning! and what lovely memories…

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Lee Oliveira July 22, 2010 at 11:00 am

These look amazing. I would polish off those little bit size delights in a New York minute.

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fotographiafoodie July 22, 2010 at 6:14 pm

those look spectacular. my dad is aussie and has taken me to that market. i’m in canada now and can’t find anything like them. i’ll have to try this one!

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maria July 23, 2010 at 1:11 am

i;m all for reducing the frying we have to do in order to make healthy food
(but i still rememebr those delicious jam donuts that we used to buy in NZ!)

i’ll probably be trying something like this when the cooler weatehr comes, so i’ll bookmark it

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Valerie July 27, 2010 at 12:38 pm

Who says we should grow up?! These look fantastic – I’m especially loving the lemon sugar touch. And they’re baked so we can eat a hundred right?! Thanks for the fantastic recipe. :-)

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