Years ago I used to be obsessed with these things called ‘Diddy Donuts’ in Burger King (in case you haven’t noticed yet, I used to have a pretty hardcore thing for fast food). They were greasy little doughnuts with chocolate, caramel or vanilla dipping sauces (I used to get extra sauce to dip my fries in…). Sometimes I miss those days. So when I saw this Jamie Oliver recipe for mini doughnuts I decided to relive those oily days of yore.
MINI DOUGHNUT BALLS WITH CARAMEL DIPPING SAUCE [VEGAN]
SERVES: 20
INGREDIENTS
For the Doughnuts:
- 2 cups of plain flour
- 1½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- 50 g/1.75 oz. vegan butter
- 2 Tbsp. rapeseed oil/ oil of choice
- 1/3 cup of sugar for dusting the doughnuts in
- seeds from 1 vanilla pod (optional
- Sunflower oil for deep frying
For the Caramel Sauce:
- 1/2 can of full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup raw granulated cane sugar
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
PREPARATION
For the Doughnuts:
- Mix the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together in a baking bowl and make a well in the middle.
- In a small pot over a low heat, melt the butter and stir in the milk and 2 Tbsp. oil.
- Pour the wet mixture into the well in the middle of the flour and stir everything together to form a thick dough. Using your hands, form the dough into small balls ready for frying.
- In a deep pan, heat about 2.5 inches of oil over a medium-high heat (you could also use a deep fat fryer). The oil should be about 350-375ºF/180-190ºC. Gently drop the dough balls into the oil with a spoon and fry for about 3-5 minutes until lightly golden (you can work in batches if you need to). Let the fried balls cool a little on some paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
- Place 1/3 cup of sugar in a small bowl and add the vanilla seeds if you are using them. Roll the cooled doughnut balls in the sugar to coat.
For the Caramel Sauce:
Over a high heat, bring the coconut milk, sugar and maple syrup to a boil, then immediately reduce to a low simmer. Continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring every so often.
Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the coconut oil, vanilla and salt. Allow to cool for 20 minutes, then transfer to a jar if you want to save some for later.
Dip the donut balls in the caramel sauce or drizzle the sauce over them, profiterole-style.
