Doughnut Hole Tower rises to the occasion
Each chewy, golden bite has a festive, nutty taste thanks to an almond-flour twist on the famous French choux pastry
If you’re really looking to wow your guests this season, this towering mountain of soft, chewy doughnut holes is just the recipe.
Held together by creamy caramel buttercream and sprinkled with toasted almonds, mint and icing sugar, it’s a riff on the famous French choux pastry dessert called “croquembouche” (which translates to “crunch in the mouth”). Our finger-licking version uses a doughnut-style, almond-flour batter, so each golden bite has a festive, nutty taste. Often served in Italy and France as a wedding cake, this dessert definitely rises to the occasion!
Doughnut Hole Tower
Ricardo Tested Caramel Buttercream: 1/4 cup (60 mL) water 1 cup (210 g) sugar 1/2 cup (125 mL) 35% heavy cream 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, diced and left at room temperature for 20 minutes Doughnut Holes: 3 cups (450 g) unbleached all-purpose flour 2 cups (260 g) almond flour 1 tbsp baking powder 2 eggs 11/4 cups (265 g) sugar 3/4 cup (180 mL) canola oil 2 cups (500 mL) buttermilk Canola oil, for frying Garnish: Small mint leaves Toasted almonds Icing sugar, for dusting
For the buttercream, in a saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until mixture turns golden brown. Off the heat, gradually stir in the cream and salt. Watch out for splattering. Let cool. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely in refrigerator for 1 hour.
In a bowl, beat butter with caramel until buttercream is smooth. Spoon buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip. Set aside.
For doughnut holes, preheat oil in a deep fryer to 350 F (180 C). Line two baking sheets with paper towels.
In a bowl, combine flour, almond powder and baking powder. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat eggs with sugar. Drizzle in oil. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk.
With a 1 tbsp (15 mL) ice cream scoop, drop about 10 balls of dough at a time in hot oil. Fry for about 3 minutes or until doughnut holes are golden brown. Turn them halfway through cooking. Drain on paper towels. Let cool.
On a serving plate or a cake stand, arrange doughnut holes in a disc of about 8 to 9 inches (20 to 23 cm) in diameter, applying a small amount of buttercream to each one to make it stick to the plate. Repeat sequence, each time forming a layer of doughnut holes slightly smaller than the one beneath it, to create a cone shape.
Garnish with mint leaves and almonds, inserting them in the caramel buttercream. Dust with icing sugar. Makes 8 dozen doughnut holes. **Note: Doughnuts are always best the day they are made. The caramel buttercream can be made in advance.