Pina Colada Doughnuts

Dissolve yeast in hot water. Cream together the shortening and sugar. Add the scalded milk, juice blend, salt, and egg. Add the flour about 1 cup at a time and incorporate completely after each addition. For the last cup of flour, add the flour about ¼ cup at a time and combine using a spatula or your hands if necessary. You want the dough to be slightly sticky but not so sticky that it doesn’t come off your hands.

Lightly oil the bowl and the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for about 60 minutes. While the dough is rising, boil down the pineapple coconut juice to make the syrup for the glaze. Keep the juice over low heat so it is barely simmering. You want to reduce it to about ½ cup, which should take about 30 minutes.

Turn dough onto floured surface and roll to about ½ inch thick. Cut with floured cookie cutters (I used a piping tip and a large glass). Place the doughnuts and doughnut holes on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper and cover. Let rise for about 30–40 minutes.

While the doughnuts are rising, finish making the glaze. Melt the butter and remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar until incorporated. Stir in the pineapple coconut syrup about 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze has reached the desired consistency (it’ll thicken up when you let it sit). Set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot to 350ºF. Slide the donuts into the oil using a slotted spatula/spoon. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from oil and allow to dry on a plate lined with a paper towel. Once cool enough to touch, dip the doughnuts into the glaze (you may need to reheat it) and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Garnish with shredded coconut.

Adapted from Cherry Tea Cakes.