Baked Boston Cream Doughnuts

Like their namesake pie, these easy baked doughnuts are filled with a rich pastry cream and topped with a luscious chocolate glaze.

MAKES: 20 doughnuts

PREP TIME: 30 minutes

RISING TIME: 1 hour, 45 minutes

COOKING TIME: 5 to 7 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

DOUGHNUTS:

• ¾ cup warm whole milk (about 110ºF)
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour

PASTRY CREAM FILLING:

• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

• ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup whipping cream (35%)
• Decorative sprinkles (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. For the doughnuts, whisk together the warm milk and yeast in a large bowl. Let stand until puffy, about 5 minutes.
2. Gently stir the sugar, egg, butter and salt into the milk mixture.
3. Add the flour, ½ cup at a time, mixing well after each addition, just until the dough holds together and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. (You may not need all of the flour.)
4. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead well until smooth, 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, turning the dough to coat it evenly with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel, or loosely with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
6. On a lightly floured work surface, punch down the dough to remove the air. Roll it out to ½-inch (1 cm) thickness. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
7. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out 20 rounds, rerolling the dough scraps once. (Rerolling the scraps more than once makes the doughnuts tough.) Place the rounds, about ½ inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Cover with a damp towel, or loosely with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until risen, puffy and about 1 inch thick, about 45 minutes.
8. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F.
9. Bake the doughnuts, on the parchment-lined baking sheets, until the undersides are lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the doughnuts to a wire rack and let cool completely before filling them.
10. For the pastry cream filling, whisk together the egg and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk in ¼ cup of the sugar and the cornstarch. Set aside.
11. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together the milk and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
12. Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly whisk a few tablespoonfuls of the hot milk into the egg mixture. Slowly whisk the rest of the hot milk into the egg mixture.
13. Pour the milk-egg mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking often to prevent the mixture from scorching on the bottom of the saucepan, until the pastry cream is thick and glossy, about 3 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract until the butter melts.
14. Place a piping bag fitted with a plain tip in a tall glass. Fold down the sides of the bag and pour in the pastry cream. Lift the bag out of the glass. Secure the open end of the bag with an elastic. Refrigerate until the pastry cream is chilled, about 30 minutes.
15. For the chocolate glaze, put the chocolate chips and cream in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of hot, not boiling, water. Stir often until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.
16. To assemble the doughnuts, use a paring knife to puncture a hole in the side of each doughnut. Wiggle the knife around slightly to form a pocket in the centre of each doughnut.
17. Place the tip of the piping bag into the hole of one doughnut and pipe in some pastry cream. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts.
18. Once all the doughnuts have been filled, dip the top of each one into the chocolate glaze. Add a scattering of sprinkles (if using). Transfer the glazed doughnuts to a wire rack until the glaze is set, 5 to 10 minutes. (The doughnuts are best served the day they’re made.)