Baked doughnuts filled with lime & lemon curd

Makes 8 doughnuts

Fried doughnuts are delicious, but only for a few minutes when they come out of the oil; after that they become greasy and doughy. This recipe allows the dough to bake at the correct temperature and develop a light, airy crumb. Then, to tick the naughty box, we roll them in warm butter and sugar, and fill them with curd—the fresh citrus flavor works like a dream with all that richness. Not fried, but not for the faint-hearted.

For the dough

3 eggs

15g fresh yeast or 1 heaped tsp dried yeast

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp table salt

300g bread flour

25g/ml milk

125g unsalted butter, diced very small and chilled

For dipping

160g unsalted butter

For rolling

100g coarse sanding sugar (or granulated sugar, if you don’t have coarse sanding sugar)

zest of 1 lime

For the lime & lemon curd

75g unsalted butter

120g granulated sugar

50g/ml lime juice

80g/ml lemon juice

2 whole eggs

3 egg yolks

Place all the dough ingredients apart from the butter in a mixer and combine with a dough hook at low speed. If you are using dried yeast, dissolve it in the milk before adding to the flour. Once the dough has formed into a ball, increase the speed to medium-high and start adding the butter little by little until fully combined. This takes some time (about 6–7 minutes) and the dough will soften quite a bit in the process, but don’t worry, this is normal. The speed will work the gluten and give the doughnuts a great texture. Don’t fret if there are some small flecks of butter in the dough, as they will melt during baking and lighten the texture. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest and set in the fridge for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight).

Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and divide into eight (about 80g each). Roll each one in circular motions between your palm and the work surface until the dough forms a tight ball, then set on a baking tray, allowing about 2 inches between each one. This would be the time to freeze them for future baking, if this is what you intend, but do note that this dough only freezes well for 3–4 days. Otherwise allow the doughnuts to rise and almost double in size (this will take about 40 minutes). After about 20 minutes, preheat the oven to 450°F/425°F convection.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a small bowl, and mix the sugar with the lime zest in a separate bowl.

For the lime and lemon curd, put the butter, sugar, lime and lemon juices in a medium pan on a high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the butter is fully melted. Mix the whole eggs and egg yolks together in a bowl. Once the liquid in the pan is just starting to boil, remove it from the heat. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pan while whisking well, then return it to low heat, whisking all the time, until the curd thickens and the first bubbles start to appear. Carefully pour through a sieve into a clean bowl to remove any egg threads that may have developed. Lay cling film or greaseproof paper directly on the surface of the curd to cover it and avoid a skin forming, then cool in the fridge. This recipe makes a little more curd than you need here, but it is so tasty spread on toast or mixed into yogurt that it is worth making the whole amount. It keeps well for up to 2 weeks in a sealed container in the fridge.

Bake the doughnuts in the oven for 8 minutes. Once 8 minutes is up, check to see whether the dough is a lovely golden brown—if not, bake for another 2 minutes, but no longer.

Remove the doughnuts from the oven and quickly brush very generously with the melted butter until it has all been absorbed. Alternatively, use tongs to dip the doughnuts into the melted butter, being very careful not to break or crush them. Allow the doughnuts to rest on the tray for 3–4 minutes, then roll them in the sugar mixed with the lime zest.

Use a piping bag with a long nozzle to fill the center of each doughnut with curd, or simply cut each one in half and spread thickly. These are nice eaten warm. They keep well for a few hours, but are best eaten on the day of baking. Make sure not to store them in the fridge, as that would ruin their texture.

Porridge & cereals

Hummus is traditionally a breakfast food in the Middle East. The old hummus shops in east Jerusalem and Acre still keep a pot of chickpeas cooking low and slow through the night, to be prepared early in the morning and served to hungry breakfasters with fresh pitta and onion wedges. The shops close when the hummus is finished, usually around noon. It may sound like a strange notion, as nowadays we expect hummus to be served as a nibble before or with a meal, but in essence it is not that different from a bowl of porridge. A helping of something mellow in flavor, warm and sustaining, is a great way to begin the day. It makes perfect sense wherever you are in the world… although we accept that most people prefer to start with their breath smelling of mint rather than onion. Here are a few alternatives. They tick the “warm-and-sustaining” box and the “Middle Eastern” box without involving cumin, lemon or onion. Eat them for a breakfast that will take you through to dinner or (in smaller portions) as dessert to a savory breakfast. What an excellent way of adding dessert to yet another meal.

Semolina pudding with strawberry & cardamom compote

Makes a good breakfast for 4

This used to be my favorite winter breakfast, a great alternative to oats and very comforting. Eating it makes me feel instantly like a child again, in a good way.

For the semolina

500g/ml milk

100g/ml heavy cream

2 tbsp granulated sugar

zest of 1 lemon

100g semolina

For the compote

200g strawberries

2 cardamom pods

a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

juice of 1 lemon

80g granulated sugar

Remove the green stems from the strawberries and cut into quarters. Mix the strawberries with the cardamom, pepper, lemon juice and sugar, place in a pan on a high heat and bring to a rapid boil. Allow to cook for 6–8 minutes until the mixture looks thicker, then remove from the heat.

Put the milk, cream, sugar and lemon zest in a pan on a high heat and bring to the boil. Whisk in the semolina and stir until thickened; this will only take a few minutes. Divide between four serving bowls and top with the strawberry compote. Eat while it is still warm.