Sofia's Italian Doughnuts

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 225 ml milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 3 egg yolks
• 75 g caster sugar (1/2 cup)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornflour
• 2 pears (beurre bosc specified peeled cored)
• 2 teaspoons lime zest (grated)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 110 g caster sugar (1/2 cup)
• 2 tablespoons passion fruit pulp
• 1 egg (lightly beaten)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 250 ml water (1 cup)
• 300 g self-raising flour (2 cups sifted)
• sunflower oil (to shallow fry)
• 125 g blueberries
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon water

Recipe

• 1 creme patissiere - place milk and vanilla paste in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to just below boiling point and remove from the heat.
• 2 whisk yolks and sugar together until thick and pale and then add cornflour and whisk until combines and then slowly whisk the milk mixture into the egg mixture until well combines and then transfer to a clean saucepan and whisk over medium heat for 3 minutes or until mixture thickens.
• 3 transfer to a bowl, cover surgace with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming, then chill until cold.
• 4 doughnuts - using a box grater, grate the pear and place in a large bowl with the lime zest and juice, sugar, passionfruit pulp, egg, vanilla paste, water and a pinch of salt and then stir to combine and then gradually mix in sifted flour to form a wet dough.
• 5 fill a deep frying pan with 2cm of oil, and heat over medium heat until 180c or a cube of bread turns golden in 10 seconds.
• 6 in batches of 4 gently drop heaped tablespoons of dough into oil and top with 3 blueberries and cook for 1 1/2 minutes each side or until golden and puffed and drain on paper towel, repeating until all mixture is used.
• 7 place creme patissiere in a piping bag and push the tip of the mozzle into the base of each doughnut and pipe about 1 teaspoon of creme patissiere into each doughnut.
• 8 warm the honey with water in a small saucepan until runny.
• 9 place the doughnuts on a platter and then drizzle with honey and serve.