Choux Doughnuts Recipe

For the Choux Doughnuts

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, the salt, and 240 g (1 cup) water over medium heat until the butter is melted. Do not let the mixture come to a boil or the water will evaporate.
2. Add the flour all at once and use a wooden spoon to stir the flour into the liquid until it is fully incorporated. The mixture will look like a stiff pancake batter. Keep stirring vigorously over medium heat and it will slowly start to get stiffer and look more like loose dough and less like stiff batter. It will lose its shine and become more matter as well. Stir continuously for 3 to 4 minutes, until the dough starts to leave a fit on the bottom of the pan.
3. Remove the dough from the heat and place it in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix the dough for 1 minute on medium-low speed. This will allow some of the steam to escape and the dough to cool slightly. Or beat the mixture in a bowl by hand with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Crack the eggs into a small pitcher or glass measuring cup and whisk to break up the yolks. With the mixer on medium-low, gradually add the eggs to the dough. When the eggs are all incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium for about 20 seconds, until the dough is glossy and shiny. If beating by hand, have at it for at least a minute.
5. Line a baking Sheed with several layers of paper towels and place it next to the shove. Fill a large pot that has handles on both sides (you'll see why in a second) about three-quarters full with oil. Tie a piece of kitchen string to both handles. Turn on the heat under the pot to medium-high and heat the oil to 180 ºC (350 ºF). If you don't have a candy thermometer or deep-fry thermometer, test the oil by throwing in a pinch of flour - when the flour sizzles, the oil is ready.
6. Place the choux dough in a pastry bag fitted with a 2.5 cm (1-inch) round tip. Pipe the dough directly into the hot oil by piping straight down into the pot with the edge of the pastry tip directly touching one side of the string; push the dough out of the bag and swing the tip across the string to cut the dough. The doughnut will fall into the oil. Aim to pipe a log of dough about 7 cm (3 inches) long. Reset the pastry bag against the string and push another donut into the oil.
7. Pipe enough doughnuts to fill the pot, but not so many that they don't have room to bob and float around a little bit. Let them brown on one side for about 1 minute, then using tongs, gently flip them over to brown on the other side for another minute. Turn the doughnuts over several times so they cook evenly, for a total of 5 to 7 minutes. (They will start off long and then as they cook they will start to burst a little and become rounder in shape.)
8. When both sides are completely browned, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on the prepared baking sheet to drain and cool for a few minutes, until cool enough to handle.
9. Place the 400 g (2 cups) sugar in a small bowl. While the doughnuts are still warm, toss them one by one in the sugar to coat. Place them on a clean baking sheet to completely cool, 30 to 40 minutes.
10. While the doughnuts are cooling, make the mascarpone cream filling.
11. Poke a hole in the side of each cooled doughnut. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip with the mascarpone cream and squirt in enough filling to fill each donut, about 2 tablespoons per doughnut. Serve immediately.

For the Mascarpone Cream Filling

1. In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla, and salt on medium-low speed until it loosens up. Add the cream and continue to whisk on medium-low until the mascarpone is combined with the cream, the cream holds firm peaks, and the mixture is thick and delicious.