Homemade Lemon Doughnuts Recipes

LEMON FILLED DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, water, sugar, evaporated milk, salt, shortening, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour in 2 cups of the flour and knead on a medium-low speed with a dough hook until well combined. Slowly add in the remaining flour until a nice dough ball forms. Dough should be wet, but should not stick to your fingers or the sides of the bowl.
• Spray a large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with a clean dish towel, and let rise 1 1/2 hours.
• Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Use a drinking glass or round cookie cutter to punch out 12 donuts, re-rolling the dough as necessary to get a dozen donuts and use almost all of the dough. Let rise another 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the shortening for frying in a large pot to about 350 degrees. Be sure to use enough so that it is 1-inch deep. While the shortening is coming to temperature, make the glaze in a medium-size mixing bowl by whisking together melted butter, powdered sugar, pinch salt, 2 tsp evaporated milk, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. Add in water 1 tsp at a time until it is just thin enough to dip something in easily. It shouldn't be runny, but it shouldn't be thick either.
• Fry the donuts a few at a time until golden brown, flipping halfway through. It is helpful to do a test donut to ensure that the donut gets cooked through. Transfer the donuts to a wire rack covered with a layer of paper towels. Let cool for 1 to 2 minutes then dip the top of the donut into the glaze and place it back on the wire rack.
• Once all of the donuts have been fried, fill a piping bag with the lemon curd, like you would with frosting. Using a wide-mouth tip, insert the tip into the side of the doughnuts one at a time, squeezing to fill with 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon curd per donut.

LEMON CAKE DONUTS

Steps:

• Lemon Confectioners'-Sugar Glaze: Whisk together confectioners' sugar and salt. Whisk in juice until mixture is smooth and thick, and has the texture of pourable honey. Glaze can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days; stir until smooth before using. (Makes 1 1/2 cups.)
• Donuts: Dust a baking sheet with flour. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter, granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg and yolk, then lemon juice. Scrape down bowl, then beat in dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Turn out dough onto baking sheet; use floured hands to flatten to a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight (if longer than 1 hour, cover with plastic wrap).
• Pour oil into a large, deep, heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, until it reaches 2 inches up side, leaving about 2 1/2 inches headroom. Clip a deep-fry thermometer to pot and heat oil over medium to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, using a floured 2 1/2-inch round donut cutter, cut out donuts (or use a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, then cut out holes with a 1- to 1 1/2-inch round cutter). Pat together scraps; cut out more donuts (these will not be quite as tender). Working in batches of 3 so as not to crowd pot, carefully drop donuts into hot oil and cook, flipping a few times, until deep golden brown all over, 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 minutes (2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes for holes), maintaining oil temperature between 340 degrees and 350 degrees at all times. Transfer donuts and holes to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet; let cool 10 minutes.
• While still slightly warm, dip top of each donut in glaze until halfway submerged, turning as needed to evenly coat one side, then place, glaze-side up, on rack. Zest lemons directly over donuts. Let stand until glaze sets and donuts are cool, about 1 hour. Donuts are best eaten the day they are made.

HOMEMADE LEMON DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat fryer to 375 degrees F. with canola oil.
• In a medium sized bowl, cream together shortening, mascarpone and sugar. In a measuring cup mix together buttermilk, egg, vanilla, lemon juice and zest. Slowly beat in egg mixture. Once well blended slowly add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• Roll dough out on a floured surface until 1/3-inch thick. Punch out doughnuts with a 1 1/2-inch biscuit cutter or donut cutter. Let stand 10 minutes. Fry until golden. Remove from fryer and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with fresh berries.

AIR-FRYER DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat air fryer to 375°. Separate biscuits. Cut out centers using a 1-inch cutter; save centers. In batches, place doughnuts in a single layer in greased air fryer. Cook until golden brown and puffed, turning once, about 5 minutes. In batches, cook doughnut holes until golden brown, 3-4 minutes., Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine sugar and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix melted butter and vanilla. Brush doughnuts and doughnut holes with butter; toss in sugar mixture. Serve warm.

LEMON FILLED DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Pour warm milk into large bowl; stir in yeast until dissolved. Add 2 cups of the flour, granulated sugar, salt, and eggs; mix with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl occasionally. On medium speed, beat 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form dough easy to handle.
• Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead dough 2 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Grease large bowl with butter. Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let rise in warm place about 1 hour 45 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.
• Sprinkle 2 cookie sheets with flour; set aside. Place dough on generously floured surface. Roll dough in flour to coat. With floured rolling pin, roll dough into 16x8-inch rectangle. Using sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 8 rows by 4 rows, forming 32 squares (pieces may be slightly uneven in shape, especially corners, since dough stretches when cut). On lightly floured surface, dust both sides of each piece with flour; place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Loosely cover doughnuts with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray; let rise in warm place about 30 to 40 minutes or until slightly risen.
• In 4-quart Dutch oven or heavy 3-quart saucepan, heat 2 inches oil to 325°F over medium heat. Cover cooling rack with paper towels. Fry doughnuts in oil, 4 to 5 at a time, about 1 minute per side, until golden brown on both sides. Remove from oil with slotted spoon to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Fill decorating bag fitted with writing tip (1/4-inch opening) with lemon curd. To fill each doughnut, while holding doughnut in hand, insert tip into side of doughnut. Slowly squeeze about 1 tablespoon lemon curd into center until you feel the doughnut plump up, moving tip from one side to the other to completely fill doughnut. Sprinkle filled doughnuts with powdered sugar.