Cream filled Chocolate covered Doughnut Recipe

Cream Filled Chocolate Covered Doughnut Recipe

These heart shaped doughnuts, filled with pink cream and covered in chocolate ganache make a delicious surprise for that someone special this Valentine’s Day. Your sweetheart will be so impressed!

Ingredients

Dough

• 125ml warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 4 egg yolks
• 90g Pure Maple Syrup, Amber Rich
• 310g plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 60g unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons double cream

Maple Crème Pâtissière

• 300ml whole milk
• 150ml double cream
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 
  50g Pure Maple Syrup, Amber Rich
  
• 50g corn flour
• Pink food colouring, optional

Chocolate Ganache

• 240ml double cream
• 200g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa

Decorations

• Handful of pink chocolate candy melts
• Red sugar crystals

Instructions

1. Place all the dough ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix with a dough hook until combined. Add more flour if the dough is too wet.
   The dough should not be too dry, but should come away from the side of the bowl when kneading. Knead for about 8 minutes until soft and smooth,
   then cover with clingfilm for 1 hour 30 minutes.
   The dough can be prepared a day ahead and placed in the fridge overnight once it has proved. The following day, take it out a couple of hours
   before rolling so it reaches room temperature.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 2cm thick. Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out about 14 heart shaped doughnuts.
   Arrange well spaced on 2 lined baking trays and cover with clingfilm or a tea towel. Set aside for 45 minutes in a warm spot until risen.
3. Make the maple crème pâtissière. Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan until simmering.
   In another bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour the hot milk and cream into the egg mixture and whisk well.
   Tip back into the saucepan and heat until thickened, whisking continuously. Remove from the heat, add food colouring if using and stir gently.
   Pour onto a baking tray and cover with clingfilm. Allow to cool and thicken. Transfer to a piping bag with a large round nozzle.
4. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Bake the doughnuts for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
5. Prepare the chocolate ganache. Finely chop the chocolate. Heat the cream in a saucepan until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl
   with the chopped chocolate. Leave for a few minutes, then stir gently until smooth and creamy. Allow to cool slightly.
6. Pierce each cooled doughnut with a small knife and fill with the maple crème pâtissière. When you feel the piping bag push back, the doughnut is filled.
7. Spread the chocolate ganache over the doughnuts using a frosting spatula.
8. Melt the pink candy melts in a microwave for about 30 seconds and stir until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag with a small round nozzle and decorate.
   Sprinkle sugar crystals over the remaining doughnuts.
9. Store in an airtight container. Tip: Egg whites freeze well and are useful for homemade meringue.