AROMATIC DOUGHNUTS WITH AN OLD-STYLE ROSE FILLING

Polish doughnuts have been loved for centuries and in this recipe I have used a traditional rose petal jam filling. You can source it online or make it yourself in June when the wild roses are in bloom. If you would like to replace the rose petal jam with another kind, may I suggest something not too sweet; plum jam would be a good choice.

Rectified spirit is 95 per cent alcohol and often used for the task of cake making, however, if this is not something you have to hand use a clear vodka or rum instead. There is nothing quite like the taste of a still-warm, bouncy pa̧czek with a delicately fragrant filling melting in your mouth. {Makes 16–20}

FOR THE DOUGH

250 ml (8 fl oz/1 cup) milk

25 g (scant 1 oz) fresh yeast

75 g (2 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

500 g (1 lb 2 oz/4 cups) good-quality plain (all-purpose) flour

3 egg yolks

½ vanilla pod (bean)

1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter

25 ml (1 fl oz/2 tablespoons) vodka

2 litres (3½ pints/8 cups) rapeseed oil, for frying

FOR THE FILLING

400 g (14 oz) rose petal jam, (1 teaspoon of jam per doughnut)

TO GLAZE

100 g (3½ oz/generous ¾ cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Gently heat 50 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) of the milk in a small pan. Once it is warm (but not hot), place in a bowl with the fresh yeast, a tablespoon of the sugar and 3 tablespoons of flour and mix well together. Cover with a tea towel (dish towel) and leave to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes (ideally near a radiator).

Sift the remaining flour into a large bowl and add the rest of the dough ingredients. Work it together with the milk and yeast mixture until the rough shape of a ball is formed. Knead it for a few minutes, to get some air into it, then cover the bowl with a tea towel and return to your warm place, for at least 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

Get everything ready to make your doughnuts: dust a large tray or plate with flour and have a cup of warm water and a spoon at the ready, plus a plate of flour to dip the balls of dough (and your hands) into. Knead the dough ball for a moment longer to see how sticky it is; although it should be sticky you do need to be able to work with it so keep your hands dusted with flour as you work. Take a small piece of dough, roll it into a ball and flatten it out with your other (floured) hand to a circle that is about 8–10 cm (3–4 in) in diameter. Try not to add too much additional flour to the dough, otherwise the dough will become too heavy.

Place ½ teaspoonful of rose petal jam into the middle of each flat circle. Seal the circle and roll it between your hands to make a ball. Place on the flour-dusted tray and repeat this process until you have used up all the dough. Cover them with a tea towel and return to a warm place for about 30–40 minutes, or until they have doubled in size.

Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining the icing sugar and lemon juice, blend the mixture until it reaches an completely smooth consistency.

When the doughnuts have doubled in size pour the oil for frying into a large, heavy-based pan. Heat to 180°C (350°F); if you don’t have a kitchen thermometer you can test the temperature after about 20 minutes by dropping in a small piece of dough: if it sizzles immediately, and becomes golden within 45 seconds, then your oil is ready.

Place each doughnut carefully into the oil using a slotted spoon, making sure you do not splash yourself with the oil and no droplets of water goes near it. Fry the doughnuts, in batches, until they are a golden brown colour on both sides. This takes about 5 minutes on each side at first, but as the oil becomes hotter they will take less time to cook.

Remove them carefully with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate or tray lined with kitchen paper (paper towel). Use a pastry brush to glaze the doughnuts while they are still warm, so that the icing melts evenly all over them and makes them shiny.

Serve as soon as possible. Although they are perfectly delicious the next day, you should at least have one or two while they are still warm.

{Time: 1 hour, plus resting time}