Buttermilk Vanilla Glazed Cronut

Shortly before October conference, a friend posted a link to these delicious and beautiful cronuts and I knew.  These had to be mine.  I make doughnuts twice a year (I don't have a fryer so they don't always turn out all that well), during LDS General Conference.  Luckily, conference was just around the corner!

I didn't even let my family help (I'm sometimes a selfish cook, the kitchen is a place of focus for me and I like to get lost in it), but  I did let them enjoy the fruits of my labor!  Delicious!





And here's the recipe, for future reference.

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cups milk, warmed
• 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla paste or 2 bean scraped (divided)
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (divided)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 sticks (1cup) butter, at room temperature
• oil for frying (used a mix of coconut, grape seed and canola)

Buttermilk Vanilla Glaze

• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or 1 bean scraped

DIRECTIONS

1. Stir together milk and yeast in large bowl, let sit for about 5 minutes. Stir in eggs, sugar, and vanilla, then mix well. Add cup of flour and salt, then gradually add another 2 1/4 cups of flour.
2. Stir and knead for several minutes until smooth and elastic, and still somewhat tacky.
3. Transfer dough to baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, beat butter, 1 vanilla bean (scraped) or another teaspoon of vanilla paste and remaining 1/4 cup flour with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
5. After dough has chilled, turn it out onto lightly floured surface then roll into rectangle that is around 12″ x 18″, and about 1/4″ thick. Spread the butter evenly over dough. Fold the dough as you would fold a letter before inserting into an envelope, fold dough in thirds. Cover dough in plastic wrap and put back in refrigerator for another 45 minutes to an hour.
6. Pull dough out from plastic and put on countertop, with open sides to the left and right. Roll out and readjust shape into rectangle. Fold left third towards middle, followed by right third. After folding, cover with plastic wrap and put back in refrigerator for another 45 minutes to an hour.
7. Roll, fold, and refrigerate dough TWO MORE TIMES, so you’ve done it a total of FOUR times. Cover and refrigerate for another hour, or overnight (I prefer overnight, it doesn’t seem as labor intensive).
8. Roll out dough to  about 1 1/2″ inch thickness, then using a donut cutter, cut out 12 donuts reserving holes (re-roll if necessary). Place cut donuts in the fridge until ready to fry, removing only the ones you are going to fry to keep the butter COLD.
9. In a heavy pot, heat a couple inches of oil to around 350° F, or until hot but not smoking. Drop in a small scrap of dough to test the temp, it should sizzle.  Cook doughnuts in batches being careful not to crowd the pot, (this affects the temperature of oil causing it to cool). Flip as necessary until deep golden, then transfer to baking sheet lined with a paper towel.
10. Meanwhile, whisk together powdered sugar, buttermilk and vanilla to make glaze. Drizzle over doughnuts while still warm. Makes 1 dozen donuts and holes