Jam Doughnuts

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lukewarm water
• 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 50 grams butter, melted
• 2 1/4 cups Plain flour
• 2 Eggs
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 cup Raspberry jam (or your choice)
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1-2 teaspoon Cinnamon

Directions

1. Combine the yeast, water, milk and 1 tbs of the sugar in a large bowl and set aside in a warm place until bubbles appear on the surface (about 10 minutes).
2. Add the melted butter, flour, eggs and the other tsp of sugar to the yeast.
3. Using a knife, mix together until a sticky dough forms.
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
5. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.
6. Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough in there, covered with a damp cloth.
7. Put in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).
8. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
9. With a rolling pin, roll out to 1cm thick and use a large round cutter to cut doughnut sized circles from the dough.
10. On a tray lined with baking paper, put each round as it is cut out.
11. Leave to rise/double for about 30 minutes.
12. Combine about 1/2 cup sugar with 1-2 tsps of cinnamon in a bowl and set to one side.
13. Fill a piping bag with about 3 heaped tablespoons of the jam of your choice (I used raspberry) and set aside.
14. Line a place with paper towel.
15. In a medium sized saucepan (to reduce the amount of oil necessary) heat over medium heat.  Donna says to use a sugar thermometer and wait until the temperature reaches 180*.  I don’t have a sugar thermometer so I just tested on a small piece of dough.  The oil should not be bubbling too strongly when you cook and the dough should go brown within about 1 minute.
16. Cook the doughnuts (1-2 at a time depending on the size of the saucepan) for 1-2 minutes each side, until golden.  You have to flip them halfway through the cooking process to brown both sides.
17. Drain on the paper towel as you cook the remaining doughnuts.
18. If you have a helper, get them to roll the warm doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar and then use the nozzle of the piping bag to poke a hole in the side of the doughnut and fill with a bit of jam.
19. Serve immediately with a cup of tea, or a scoop of vanilla icecream.