Doughnut

Heat neutral oil to 170–180 °C and fry proofed doughnuts in small batches, turning once, until golden—usually about 1–2 minutes per side. Drain on kitchen paper and let them cool before adding icing or sugar.

Use a cooking thermometer if you have one: aim for 170–180 °C. Without one, a small scrap of dough should rise and bubble steadily; if it darkens almost at once, the oil is too hot.

Let the doughnut cool, then make a small hole in the side with a skewer. Pipe in smooth jam a little at a time, stopping when the doughnut feels plump but not stretched.

Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature and eat them within a day or two; refrigeration can make the dough go stale faster. Freeze unfilled doughnuts in a sealed bag, then thaw at room temperature.

For a soft doughnut, microwave it for about 8–10 seconds, then check the centre; heating it too long makes it chewy. If it has icing or a chocolate coating, expect the topping to soften or melt.

Coffee, tea or hot chocolate balance a sweet doughnut, while fresh berries add a tart contrast. Doughnuts are also served with ice cream as a dessert, especially when warmed briefly.

A Berliner is a filled, usually ringless yeast doughnut, commonly injected with jam after frying and finished with sugar. Ring doughnuts are shaped with a hole before frying and are often glazed or iced instead.

In the listed figures, a jam doughnut has 321 kcal per 100 g, compared with 539 kcal per 100 g for a doughnut. The difference reflects the particular recipes represented, not a rule that every jam doughnut is lower in energy.