FEARLESS BAKING

Do the donuts

Ingredients

For donut dough-

1 and 1/8 cup whole milk, warm

1/4 cup sugar

2 1/4 tsp (one package) Instant Yeast

2 whole large eggs, lightly beaten

10 tbsp or 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp butter, melted

4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

Oil for frying

For chocolate glaze-

100g white chocolate melted

A candy colour (of choice)

Sprinkles/candy eyes/edible décor of choice

How to donut

Warm up milk till lukewarm (105 F). Add to a mixing bowl. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the yeast and let the mixture rest for 5 minutes so it can get activated.

Separately beat eggs. Melt butter in the microwave. Add both to the yeast mixture and combine with a wooden spoon. Add the flour and salt and stir to combine with hands until the dough comes together.

Turn dough on to a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes which it becomes soft and sticky.

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Refrigerate the dough for 2-8 hours or overnight.

SHAPE DAT DOUGH

Remove your dough from the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is ½ to 1/3 of an inch thick. Then use a three-inch donut cutter to cut out the rounds.

Cut out the donuts and holes on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover them with a kitchen towel and let rise until they are doubled in size. Wait an hour before frying – the donuts should be poofy and airy looking.

Fryin'g dough 

Heat up oil in a wok. You can use a candy thermometer for this - when it reaches 365F to 375F you're ready to fry. Or just fry once it's hot.

Carefully add the donuts a few at a time to the oil. Depending on how big your pan is, you can probably fry 3-4 donuts at a time. Don't overcrowd the donuts or they will be hard to flip and the temperature of your oil will decrease too much from cooler dough being added.

Fry the donuts until golden brown, about 1 ½ minutes per side. Use a metal slotted spoon or metal tongs to gently flip the donuts when ready. Once they are golden on each side, remove the donuts one at a time on to paper towels to soak up the excess oil.

Glazin' dough

Once cooled, dip each one in glaze and add candy eyes and piping right away before the glaze sets!

And finally, EAT THE DOUGH, D'OH!

Mood cupcakes

Ingredients

For the vanilla cupcakes-

2-1/2 cups flour, sieve thrice

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk, at room temperature

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

1 whole egg at room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1-1/2 cups sugar

8 tbsp butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup whipping cream or heavy cream, cold

For the Frosting-

3 cups whipping cream or heavy cream, cold

6 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

For the cupcakes, preheat your oven to 180 C or 350 F.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract in a medium bowl or large glass measuring cup.

Cream the butter and sugar with a whisk or a handheld electric mixer on medium speed until very pale and creamy, about 5 minutes (takes longer with just the whisk).

Alternate additions of the flour mixture and milk-egg mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (3 dry additions, 2 wet), beating after each addition until incorporated. Continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Chill a clean stainless mixer bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes, and then beat whipping cream until soft peaks form (don't beat until stiff. Fold whipped cream into cake batter.

Divide batter evenly among your cupcake liners--about 2/3 full--and bake until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs only, about 16 minutes.

Carefully remove the cupcakes from the pan and let cool completely.

For the frosting, chill a stainless mixer bowl and whisk in the freezer for at least 5 minutes (or refrigerator for 20 minutes).

Beat the cream with a whisk or a handheld electric mixer until the cream begins to thicken. Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and continue whisking until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla extract and whisk until the frosting becomes stiff, but be careful to not over-beat, or the frosting will become grainy. Add any food colour as desired and use right away!

To assemble, pipe as desired shapes and sizes and decorate as you please!