Fried Pear Doughnuts with Sweet Creme Fraiche Filling
A tasty fried treat, doughnuts are made with pear puree, coated in powdered cinnamon sugar, and filled with a sweetened pear creme fraiche.
Servings 24 doughnuts
Calories 163kcal
Ingredients
Pear Doughnuts
- 2 Tbsp Water warm
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp Yeast (one packet)
- 3 ½ Cups All-purpose flour plus more for rolling
- 2 Eggs
- ¼ Cup Butter room temperature
- ½ Cup Milk room temperature
- 1 Bartlett Pear shredded on the large side of a box grater
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 ½ tsp Salt
- Vegetable Oil for frying
- 1 Cup Confectioner's Sugar optional
- 1 Tbsp Cinnamon optional
Sweet Creme Fraiche
- ¾ Cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- ¼ Bartlett Pear pureed
- ½ Tbsp Confectioner's Sugar
Instructions
Doughnuts
- In a small bowl, combine the water and ½ tsp of sugar. Stir to mix the sugar into the water, and then sprinkle the yeast on top. Set it aside for 5 minutes, and allow the yeast to bloom. If it doesn't bubble up, start over with fresh yeast.
- Add the bloomed yeast mixture along with the flour, egg, butter, milk, shredded pear, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on medium-low until combined. If the dough is very sticky, you can add more flour by the spoonful.
- Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl with a flexible spatula, and form the dough into a ball in the bowl. Sprinkle the top with a little bit of flour. Cover the bowl with a dish towel, and set is aside to rise for 1.5 hours, until puffy.
- Dump the dough onto a generously floured surface, and deflate it gently. Cover with more flour, and roll it out to be a ½ inch thick. Use a sharp knife or biscuit cutter to cut out the donut shapes. If using a cutter, try to get as close as possible. Discard any scraps and don't reroll, as that can make tough doughnuts.
- Place the cut doughnuts on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with flour. Cover with a dish towel, and let rise for 30 min. Meanwhile, bring a deep pot or wok with 2-inches of vegetable oil up to 350°F.
- If you want to coat your doughnuts, prepare a parchment lined baking sheet or other flat pan. Combine cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl, and spread into the prepared pan.
- Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the oil is 350°F and no greater than 375°F. Add 3-4 doughnuts into the hot oil, and cook them 1 minute per side, until puffed up and lightly golden. Dunk the doughnut under the oil one last time, then immediately transfer to the pan with cinnamon-sugar and coat. Be sure to check the oil temperature before each batch, letting it heat up or cool down as needed.
- Set the fried and sugar-coated doughnuts aside on paper towel lined plate to cool completely before filling.
Sweet Creme Fraiche Filling
- Add the heavy cream and lemon juice to the bowl of a mixer (stand or hand will work) fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix on high speed until somewhat thickened, with soft peaks.
- Add in the pear puree and sugar, and continue mixing on high until everything is incorporated.
- Transfer the creme fraiche to a piping bag with a long, small round tip. Use a paring knife to cut an X-shape in the side of each doughnut. Insert the piping tip and gently fill the doughnut.
- Enjoy filled doughnuts as soon as possible.
Notes
- Make ahead tips:
- You can freeze the doughnut dough after the second rise for 3-4 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight, and then come to room temperature before frying.
- Freeze fried unfilled doughnuts that are not coated in sugar for 1-2 months. Let doughnuts thaw to room temperature before filling and serving.
- The creme fraiche can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- Doughnuts taste best the day they are fried, but you can store them unfilled in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.
- Eat filled doughnuts immediately for the best experience, or within 24 hours at most.
- Choosing pears:
- For the doughnuts, you can use any pear. I used Bartletts, which tend to be the most readily available. These are often green and hard when you buy them. Let them ripen on the counter until they are yellow and have some give.
- For the creme fraiche, you want to use a very ripe pear that is soft and will puree easily. Again, Bartlett pears work well for this, once yellow and ripe.
- Nutrition note: It's difficult to determine exactly how much oil is absorbed by the doughnuts when frying. The nutrition facts and calories are calculated to take oil into account, but your results may vary.