Deep fried to golden perfection, these petite, Greek-style donuts are a bite- size taste of doughy decadence that is wonderfully enhanced by the sweet addition of an Earl Grey–Infused Honey Syrup poured on top.
Earl Grey Loukoumádes
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1⁄2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and divided
- 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- Vegetable oil, for frying (approximately 2 quarts)
- Earl Grey–Infused Honey Syrup, to serve (recipe follows)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
- In a small saucepan, heat together milk, 2 tablespoons water, butter, and orange zest over medium heat until an instant-read thermometer registers 110° to 120°. Add warm milk mixture to flour mixture, and mix until combined, approximately 1 minute. Beat in egg until combined. Beat in remaining 1⁄3 cup flour until a shaggy dough forms. Switch to a dough hook attachment, and knead at medium speed until a smooth, slightly sticky dough forms, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Shape dough into a smooth ball. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning to grease top of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm (75°), draft-free place until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- In a 6-quart Dutch oven, pour oil to a 2- to 3-inch depth. Heat oil over medium heat until an instant-read thermometer registers 350 ̊.
- Punch dough down and turn out onto a clean surface. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces (approximately 27 grams each), shaping each into a ball and pinching together any seams as necessary.
- Working in batches, fry dough balls until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for approximately 3 minutes before serving with Earl Grey–Infused Honey Syrup on the side.
Earl Grey–Infused Honey Syrup
Serves: ¾ cup
Ingredients
- 1⁄2 cup boiling water
- 4 Earl Grey tea bags
- 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, pour 1⁄2 cup boiling water over tea bags and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags and press to extract remaining tea. Add sugar, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and let simmer until reduced by one-fourth. Remove from heat.
- To a heatproof bowl, add honey. Pour reduced tea-infused syrup over honey, stirring to combine. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 7 days.
