Dairy-free strawberries and cream doughnuts

I don't think there's anyone in the world that doesn't love doughnuts and scones. Here, I'm combining the two, making doughnuts, and filling them with plant-based cream and jam.

Dairy-free strawberries and cream doughnuts. Credit: Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey

• makes

  16

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Doughnut

• 1½ cups oat milk
• 7 g yeast
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 100 g plant-based butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 600 g all-purpose flour
• 1 litre vegetable oil for frying

Filling

• 4 punnets strawberries
• 500 g caster sugar
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 400 g vegan cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Dusting

• ½ cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Rising time: 1 hour total.

Instructions

1. Add the yeast to tepid milk (either heat the milk in the microwave or on a stovetop until just warm). Let it sit for 5 minutes then add it, along with the sugar, butter, vanilla, salt and flour, to a stand mixer and with a dough hook. Mix for 5 minutes. Alternatively, knead with your hand for 10 minutes.
2. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and rest for 30 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
3. In the meantime make the jam by taking off the green tips from the strawberries and cutting them in half. Place in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the sugar and the lemon juice. Cook slowly until all the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is looking thick and jam-like and sticky.
4. While the dough is rising and the jam is cooking, whip the cream with the vanilla until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Mix together the caster sugar and cinnamon powder in a bowl and set aside.
5. Once the dough has risen, take out of the bowl and push out the air with your hands. Roll the dough gently with a rolling pin until it is 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick. With a 60 mm cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible, setting them on a baking tray. With the leftover dough, join it together, roll out again and repeat until there is no dough left. Rest for another 30 minutes with a clean tea towel over the dough.
6. Heat the oil to 170°C in a large pan and add the doughnuts, in batches. Fry for a few minutes on each side or until they are golden and delicious.
7. Place the doughnuts into the cinnamon sugar, rolling them around. then onto a plate to cool. Repeat with all the fried doughnuts.
8. Once done, take a doughnut and just like a scone, tear or cut in half then place a dollop of cream and a spoon of jam in the centre to serve.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.