Miguel Calderón, Calderón Dining
Miguel’s unique and refined style merges French technique with the bold Hispanic flavors of his heritage.
“Doughnut holes were one of the first ‘baking’ recipes that I tackled as a young chef. In restaurants, the savory side rarely mixes with the pastry people. This recipe was a gateway for me to try harder recipes because it gave me the confidence needed to expand my skills.”
Note: This is a great doughnut base recipe if you omit the cocoa powder and cayenne pepper.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 60 doughnut holes
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you would like more heat, add more)
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
- ½ pound white chocolate for garnishing
Preparation
In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter and buttermilk.
In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, cayenne, and salt.
In an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the sugar and eggs at a high speed until the mixture reaches the ribbon stage (the mixture should look like thin cake batter). This should take 5 to 10 minutes.
Switch out the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment and, on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture about ½ cup at a time until fully incorporated. Increase speed to medium and slowly add the buttermilk mixture; mix until well combined for about 1 minute. The batter should not have any dry patches and will be fairly wet and sticky.
Transfer batter into a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. This batter can hold up in the refrigerator in a covered container for one week.
In a heavy pan with deep sides, heat oil to 350°F, dollop the batter in the oil using a small spoon, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pan. Remove doughnuts from the oil and place them on a tray lined with a paper towels to absorb some of the oil. Repeat the process until you have finished the batter.
Place doughnut holes on a platter and shave the white chocolate over the tops of the doughnuts using a microplane. Serve while still warm!
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