Rose, orange blossom syrup doughnuts

  

Sorting the holiday pics reminded me of just how much dessert I consumed. For me it was the local sweets, chock full of sweetened coconut, drenched in sweet syrup and topped with crunchy nuts. Being lactose intolerant these are so much better but mostly I just love these flavors and they remind me of childhood sweets. And then I also found something I’ve been searching for a while; doughnut pans. I love fried doughnuts but sometimes you just crave something a little lighter. And so middle eastern flavors and western baking pans collided.

The results? Doughnuts with swirls of sweetened desiccated coconut and drenched in rose water simple syrup and topped with crushed pistachios. But you know me by now..that’s not all. What’s better than doughnuts? Miniature doughnuts of course! The mini’s are flavoured with orange and lemon zest and drenched in orange blossom water syrup and topped with cinnamon almond slivers.

 I served my east meet west babies with hot and sweet Turkish apple tea and I was instantly transported back to sunny afternoons and sweet treats.

Prep
The simple syrup is 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, a squeeze of lemon and a teaspoon rose water/orange blossom water. Boil and simmer till thickened and reduced. Let cool.

Roast a handful of slivered almonds with a half teaspoon cinnamon and a half teaspoon dark brown sugar on low heat till lightly caramelised. Break into small clusters.

For the sweet coconut filling melt 2 tablespoons of full-cream butter. Add 100 grams of desiccated coconut and two teaspoons of fine white sugar, mix and set aside.

Crush or chop a handful of pistachio's nuts.

Doughnuts

Combine 2 cups of (patent) flour, two teaspoons of baking powder, ¾ cup fine white sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a mixer. While on low add 2 eggs,  ¾ cup buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Transfer half the batter to a separate container.

For the zesty doughnuts add one teaspoon each of orange and lemon zest and the zest of one lemon for added colour. Bake for 5 minutes.

For the coconut doughnuts place a spoonful of the coconut mixture on top and sprinkle with the almond mixture. Bake for 8 minutes. 

Rest for 5 minutes in the pan. Transfer to a wire rack for five more minutes. Prick holes on the underside only and transfer to a shallow bowl.  Drizzle the minis with the orange blossom syrup. Drizzle the coconut doughnuts with the rose water syrup. 

Rest another 5 minutes and repeat. Sprinkle the pistachios over the minis and the remaining coconut mix on the larger doughnuts. Voila. You now have 10 coconut crunchy almond bad boys and 40 fresh and zesty minis.