Ricotta doughnuts with orange blossom glaze and white chocolate dipping sauce

You will need a kitchen thermometer, from kitchenware shops, for this recipe and great restraint. These doughnuts are irresistibly delicious, bouncy morsels of soft dough, a citrus kick and wonderful then oozy white chocolate dipping sauce ... We dare you to stop at one.

Ricotta doughnuts with orange blossom glaze Credit: Petrina Tinslay

• makes

  24

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1½ cups (225 g) plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 cup (240 g) ricotta
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup (185 ml) milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200 g white chocolate, chopped
• ½ cup (125 ml) thickened cream
• sunflower oil, to deep-fry

Orange blossom and honey glaze

• ½ cup (180 g) runny honey
• 1 tbsp orange blossom water
• 1 orange, zest finely pared

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Beat the ricotta in an electric mixer for 1 minute or until almost smooth. Add eggs and beat for 1 minute until well combined. Add milk and vanilla, then beat for a further 1 minute. Beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Set aside.

To make the white chocolate dipping sauce, place chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water), stirring until melted. Set aside.

For the glaze, combine honey, orange blossom water, orange zest and ¼ cup (60 ml) water in a small saucepan over low heat. Simmer, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside.

Half fill a wok or large saucepan with oil and bring to 160°C over medium heat (oil should be hot enough for batter to sizzle and rise to the surface). In batches, drop heaped teaspoons batter into the oil and fry, turning, for 4–5 minutes until golden. Drain on paper towel.

Toss the warm doughnuts with the glaze and serve with the dipping sauce.

Photography by Petrina Tinslay, styling by David Morgan and art direction by Anne Marie Cummins.

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.