Ricotta Bombolini

I'm a big fan of Australia Masterchef and My Kitchen Rules and so does my sister.  By just watching these shows you can learn so much of the different type techniques in preparing and cooking the dishes.  It is just feeling wonderful by just watching the contestants cooking....

Last year when Emma & Jane of MKR presented their dessert to the judges, the judges gave good praises to their Bombolini (I never ever heard of Bombolini that time).  Well, Bombolini or Bombolone is an Italian filled sweet dessert similarly like doughnut balls.  

I have bookmarked this recipe since that episode was aired last year and only today I got the mood to make it!  Because for this, I specially had to make my homemade ricotta.

Ricotta Bombolini (Ricotta Doughnut)
Recipe adapted from MKR Recipes


Ingredients

112g plain flour
50g caster sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
250g ricotta cheese or Homemade ricotta
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Vegetable Oil for deep frying
Caster sugar or icing sugar to coat


Method

Sift the plain flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.  Add in the sugar.  Stir to combined and set aside.

Gently in stir in the eggs, ricotta and vanilla.  Mix till all combined.   Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 - 40 minutes.

In a heavy deep medium saucepan, add and heat up the oil about 4" deep high in your saucepan (enough to allow your bombolini to float in your saucepan).

Drop a tablespoon of the mixture into the heated oil and fry in batches.  Fry till crisp and golden brown; and cooked through. 

Drain on absorbent paper. 
In this stage, you can roll your bombolini in caster sugar or once the bombolini cool down a bit, just lightly dust and coat with icing sugar.

One thing good about this recipe is, you don't need the yeast and wait for hours and hours to proof the mixture.  And yet resulted so soft and fluffy.

These Bombolini (doughnut balls) are so delicious and yummy!  Can you see the texture is so soft, light, moist and fluffy?  I wish I can share this out together with you but I can't, so you got to make this yourself.  







A Courtesy note:
My photos here though are not professional photos but please do not download it and use it without my consent.  Thank you!

Flower Doughnuts

I really really love to eat doughnuts eventhough it might sound fattening to indulge to this snack.    Whenever I passed by the bakery shops, I would usually take a glimpse at their doughnuts, whether it is the normal traditional hole in the center doughnuts or the mini balls doughnuts.

It do really look very tempting at those bakery shops but one thing is I'm not into those with heavy coated chocolate or strawberry topping.....it look so overly sweet to me.  I'm the those old fashioned type....just love the traditional icing or caster sugar coated doughnut is the one for me. 

FLOWER DOUGHNUTS
Recipe inspired from Donna Hay (Spiced Snowflake Doughnuts)

Ingredients

125ml lukewarm milk

1½ tablespoons lukewarm water

1 tablespoons caster sugar

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

335g plain flour or all purpose flour

1 tablespoons caster sugar

50g melted butter

2 eggs, lightly beaten

vegetable oil, for deep-frying

For Dusting

55g icing (confectioner’s sugar, sifted

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

 Some vegetable oil for deep frying

 Method

In a  large bowl, add the lukewarm milk, water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar together, lightly stir and set aside for about 10 minutes till bubbles appear on the surface.

Add in the plain flour, melted butter  flour, eggs and 1 tablespoon sugar to the yeast mixture.  (You may use your mixer with hook attachment and let the mixer do the mixing job for you).  If not,  use a butter knife to mix until a sticky dough forms.  Then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean, damp cloth and set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

Lightly floured your counter top and knead the dough for about  5 minutes.  

Roll the dough out into 1 cm thickness and using your cookie cutter with 8cm round diameter, cut out round.

Using a small knife, make 6 deep shallow cuts from the edge to the centre of the rounds.  Alternatively you can use a sharp scissor to do the cutting job which I find more easier.

Place the nicely cut out shape doughnuts on a non-stick baking pan till you finished the rest of the dough cutting shape.  Rest the doughnuts for another 20 minutes .

Place the oil and a sugar thermometer in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat until temperature reaches 180°C.  Fry the doughnuts, in batches, for 1–2 minutes each side or until golden. Drain on absorbent paper.

Dust with the spice nutmeg icing  sugar and serve immediately.

+ It’s important to let the dough ‘prove’ to ensure it achieves a light and airy texture. A little warmth is essential to help the yeast work and allow the dough to rise. When letting the doughnuts rise for a second time after you’ve kneaded the dough, they should become slightly puffy with a firm, stretched top.

I think this will be my last post for 2015!  Soon we will be heading into 2016.  

Here, I like to wish everyone HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016!  May 2016 brings to you GOOD HEALTH & Lots of happiness in your life