Cooking Therapy

If you are like me, you also enjoy fried foods, especially any sort of fried dough. Doughnuts can be found in many variations across different cultures, but they all have one thing in common; they are incredibly delicious. The Bauernkrapfen is an Austrian farmer’s donuts; however, instead of having the hole in the middle like the doughnuts we are used to, it has a small layer of dough that acts as a base to any filling. I paired this up with my homemade apple pie filling, for which the recipe is also below. It’s a perfect treat for any Autumn morning, or any time of day. Wash it down with a nice glass of milk or enjoy it with your coffee. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Wait Time: 1 hour to overnight

Serves: 8 donuts

Ingredients

1 cup warm milk

2 packets active dry yeast, or 3½ teaspoons instant yeast

3 large eggs

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup rum

2 tablespoons butter, melted

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

Sugar and cinnamon for dusting

            For the Apple Pie Filling

5 large apples, cleaned, cored, and diced

½ cup of brown sugar

2 capfuls of vanilla extract

1 shot of spiced rum

3 teaspoons of cinnamon

Instructions

• Before preparing the dough, prepare the apple pie filling
• In a medium sized saucepan, add all the ingredients and stir. Over a medium heat, bring to a simmer until the apples soften and the liquid reduces, forming a thick caramel. Set aside to cool down and prep the dough
• In a small bowl, combine the warm milk and yeast, stirring until the yeast is dissolved in the milk. Set aside until the yeast begins to bubble in the milk
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth. Beat in the warm milk mixture, rum and melted butter. Slowly add the flour and salt
• Remove the dough to a floured surface and knead until it is soft and silky; if it is too moist, slowly knead in additional flour
• Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl and lightly cover with plastic wrap and then a hand towel. Set aside in a warm place until it has risen and nearly doubled
• On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 2-ounce pieces, rolling each into a ball. Loosely cover the balls and set aside until they have puffed and almost doubled in size, about 20 minutes

• While the balls are rising, heat oil in a large pot or deep fryer to 375 degrees and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Flatten the dough balls into doughnut-like shapes
• Instead of poking a hole in the center, leave a very thin film of dough in the center

• Fry until golden brown on each side, 2 to 3 minutes, and then place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes. The doughnuts will have a cake like consistency
• Dust with powdered sugar. Using a spoon or piping bag, add the filling through the center

• Enjoy!