Yeeesssss. All of this. As I continue to revel in all things holiday, I wanted pie and donuts at the exact same time and what was a girl to do? Smoosh them together and stuff pie into donuts, of course.
These donuts are lightly crispy on the outside and soft and tender on this inside. The glaze is just unreal- creamy and sweet with bold notes of nutty brown butter. And the filling! Sweet potato pie filling that's rich and complex with flavors of maple, spices, and a hint of orange running throughout. I also threw in some toasted pecans at the last minute for a bit of texture and crunch. I love that this recipe can be broken up into two days- throw together the dough one day, and finish them off the next morning. What a glorious way to jumpstart the day.
Bowl #1
One packet of active dry yeast
1/3 cup [80 grams] whole milk, room temperature
1/3 cup [80 grams] buttermilk, room temperature
Bowl #2
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Bowl #3
3 1/2 cups [495 grams] all-purpose flour
1/3 cup [85 grams] granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons milk powder, optional
Bowl #4
1 stick [113 grams] butter, room temperature
On the sidelines:
Sweet Potato Pie, for stuffing, recipe as follows
Browned Butter Glaze, recipe as follows
1
In the bowl of your standing mixer, pour in the buttermilk and milk and sprinkle the yeast on top. Lightly whisk together and let stand for a few minutes.
2
With the dough hook attached to your mixer, turn on low and slowly add in your second bowl.
3
Add in the third bowl and continue to mix for a few minutes until the dough comes together.
4
Slowly add in your butter, a little pat at a time, taking care not to add more butter until the previous butter is completely incorporated. Let the dough continue to knead for five minutes.
5
Scrap the dough into a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Park it in your fridge overnight.
6
The next morning, lightly flour your countertop and rolling pin. Roll out your dough to about a 3/4 inch thickness. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and place on a lightly floured sheet pan. Let rise for three hours.
7
Fill a large, deep pot with a few inches of oil and place over medium-high heat. Clip on a frying thermometer and heat until 350 degrees.
8
Using a spider, drop a few donuts into the oil. I like to turn them frequently until golden brown all over, about two minutes. Using a spider, remove and let drain on a paper towel.
9
Continue with the rest of the dough. Let cool.
10
Fill a piping bag, fitted with a small tip, with the Sweet Potato Pie Filling. Alternatively, poke a hole in the side of each donut. Fill a Ziploc bag with the filling, snip off one bottom corner and voila, you have a makeshift piping bag. Squeeze a tiny bit of pie into each hole. Drizzle with glaze and let set.
Sweet Potato Pie Filling
Bowl #1
2 cups [500 grams] sweet potatoes, mashed or canned
1/2 cup [125 grams] evaporated milk
3/4 cup [180 grams] granulated sugar
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1
Whisk everything together.
Browned Butter Glaze
In a small pan:
6 tablespoons butter
Bowl #1
1 1/4 cup [155 grams] powdered sugar
Pinch salt
1
In the small pan, cook the butter over medium heat until little brown specks start to appear. Whisk the butter constantly and don't walk away because butter burns really, really, quickly. Don't ask me how I know.
2
As soon as the butter is browned transfer immediately to the bowl with the powdered sugar and salt. Whisk thoroughly. After a minute, it will come together and smoothen out. Let it cool for five or ten minutes and then dunk away! With the donuts, not your fingers.
