Golden Fried Jam Doughnuts
·Make the yeast starter
Warm the milk gently in a saucepan until lukewarm. Stir in the sugar and flour, then mix well. Finally, crumble in the yeast and stir through. Leave in a warm spot until bubbles start forming on the surface – that means your starter is ready.
Add the egg yolks
Sift the flour into a bowl and pour in the yeast starter. Add the egg yolks whisked together with lukewarm milk.
Work the dough
Add the rum, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, sugar and the melted butter (slightly cooled). Work everything into a smooth dough, then leave it to rise in a warm place.
Cut out the rounds
Roll out the risen dough on a floured board to a thickness of about 1.5 cm. Use a round stainless-steel cutter to cut out rounds. If you don't have a cutter, a mug or glass works just as well.
Let them rise again
Dust the rounds lightly with flour, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for another half hour.
Fry the doughnuts
Heat a generous layer of oil, at least 2–3 cm deep, in a low-sided stainless-steel pot. Fry the dough rounds in batches, turning to cook both sides until golden brown.
Serving
Fill the finished doughnuts with jam or fruit butter to taste. You can also fill them with delicious vanilla custard.
