Lemon and Blueberry Pastry Cream Donuts

For dough:
Combine the milk, yeast, sugar, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Knead the dough, still in the bowl, just to incorporate all of the flour evenly. Let the dough rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

For the pastry cream:
Puree the milk and blueberries in a food processor. Then put the mixture into a medium saucepan and bring it almost to a boil (do not let it boil). Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar, lemon zest, egg and egg yolks in a medium-sized heatproof bowl.

Once the milk has scalded, remove it from the heat and add it a little bit at a time into the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Once you’ve added all of the milk into the egg mixture, put the whole thing back into the saucepan. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat until the mixture thickens to a point just before a custard, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and add the food coloring. Beat the mixture with a hand mixer until it is the texture of a custard and the hand mixer makes waves on the surface of the mixture, about 5 minutes. Refrigerate it while the dough rises.

Once the dough has risen roll it out to an inch thick. Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut out the donuts. You should have eight. Let the donuts rise for another hour, or until puffy.

While the donuts rise whip the heavy cream. Fold it into the blueberry-lemon mixture. Let it chill until the donuts are ready for filling.

Once the donuts have risen, heat peanut oil in a large saucepan about an inch in depth. The oil is ready once a piece of dough dropped into it begins to bubble and fry immediately. Also, preheat the oven to 350 F.

Fry the donuts in the hot oil for 30 seconds on each side in small batches and place on paper towels to drain. Once all of the donuts have been fried place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through. Then remove them from the oven and let the donuts cool completely.

Once the donuts have cooled completely, fill them with the pastry cream. If you have a pastry bag you could use that but an easier method is to cut a third of the way around the donut and pop it open like a pocket. You should place enough filling in each one that when you close it none oozes out. You will have lots of extra pastry cream, but you could fill brioche or croissants with it, amongst many other uses.

Once the donuts are filled sprinkle them with powdered sugar. Enjoy!