ANISE DONUTS WITH ORANGE CREAM

Anise is a favorite old-world flavor of mine. It transports me to my grandma’s kitchen, where I would eat anise cookies while she gossiped in Polish on the phone with her friends. As an adult, I encountered the French gibassier, an anise donut of sorts, speckled with candied orange, and was delighted to see my beloved, underrepresented anise in a pastry. This is my own twist on that, a tender baked donut, piped with a creamy orange filling. Soy or hemp milks are best for this recipe, as they have higher fat contents than some other non-dairy milks.

INGREDIENTS

    1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

    1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons evaporated cane sugar, divided

    1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

    1/8 teaspoon salt

    1/2 teaspoon ground anise seed or 1/4 teaspoon anise extract

    1/2 cup non-dairy milk of choice

    1/2 teaspoon mild vinegar

    1/4 cup non-dairy margarine, melted

    1 recipe Orange Cream Filling (page 68)

    Makes 6 donuts

DIRECTIONS

      Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour six 4-ounce canning jars. Place on rimmed baking sheet and set aside.

      In a small bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and the baking powder, salt, and anise seed (if using extract, reserve). Whisk to combine. In a larger bowl, whisk the milk and vinegar to combine. Whisk in the margarine and anise extract, if using. In two batches, incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry until just mixed.

      Divide the batter evenly among the jars. Bake for 14 to 17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool completely on a rack.

      While the donuts are baking, prepare the Orange Cream and refrigerate. Once the donuts are cooled, spoon the cold Orange Cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large tip. Insert the tip into the middle of each donut and gently pump the filling inside, watching until they gently rise. Remove the tip before rupturing the donut and repeat. Top each donut with 1 teaspoon of the reserved sugar to coat the top.