Share the Love with These Sweet and Decorative Doughnut Recipes

Valentine's Day is a time to show your loved ones how much you care, and what better way to do that than with a sweet treat? Doughnuts make the perfect dessert for this romantic holiday, as they can be dressed up with colorful frosting and decorations to fit the occasion. Whether you're looking for classic flavors like chocolate and strawberry, or something a little more unique like lavender and earl grey, there's a doughnut recipe out there for every taste. In this article, we'll be sharing some of our favorite Valentine's Day doughnut recipes that are sure to impress your sweetheart. Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting out, these recipes are easy to follow and sure to be a hit. So grab your aprons and let's get started!

1.Heart Shaped Jam Doughnuts Recipe

Description

Soft and fluffy yeast leavened doughnuts filled with jam - perfect gift for your special someone!

Ingredients

Dough:

• 550 g all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 60 g caster sugar (( + 1 teaspoon ))
• 1 package active dry yeast (( 7g / ¼ ounce / 2 ¼ teaspoons))
• 2 large egg yolks (room temperature)
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• 55 g lukewarm water ((approx. 40°C))
• 280 g warm whole milk
• 100 g unsalted butter
• orange/lemon zest (optional)
• + sunflower oil for frying
• favourite jam for filling

Instructions:

For The Dough:

1.In the bowl of your standing mixer sift and combine flour, salt, ground nutmeg and sugar. Set aside.

2.In a glass or a small bowl, combine active dry yeast, teaspoon of sugar and lukewarm water. Let it rest for 5 minutes until the top becomes frothy.

3.In the meantime, warm your milk (but don't let it boil) and pour it over the butter which you've previously cubed and put in a medium sized bowl. The milk should melt the butter and everything should be body temperature prior to using.

4.Now, add the whisked eggs, yeast and butter/milk mixture to the flour mixture, fit your standing mixer with a dough hook and let it knead on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes. The dough is ready when it starts pulling away from the sides of your bowl and is soft to the touch.

5.Transfer the dough to a large bowl which you've previously floured or lightly greased so it doesn't stick. Cover with a clean tea towel or cling film and allow it to rise in a warm place for about an hour or until it doubles in size.

6.Once your dough is ready, punch it a little to deflate it, transfer on a clean, floured surface then roll the dough to about 1.5 to 2 cm thick. (around ½ inch to ¾ inch). Using a 5 cm (2 inch) heart shaped cookie cutter, cut the dough into hearts and place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Cut a little triangle on the crease of each doughnut to make sure they keep heart shape. Cover with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and let them rest and rise for another 20 to 30 minutes.

7.You don't want to overproof your doughnuts, otherwise they will become hollow inside. When the dough is ready, heat approx. 1 litre of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Oil should be between 170 and 180 degrees Celsius. That's around 340 to 350F.

8.Fry 3-4 doughnuts at a time for a couple of minutes on each side or until golden. Take them out to a plate covered with paper towels. Let them cool completely before filling and covering with sugar

2.Easy Chocolate Heart Doughnuts

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups warm milk
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Glaze

• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl (I like to use my stand mixer), combine the warm milk, yeast, butter and egg, mix a little to combine and then add 4 cups flour and the salt. Knead the dough, using a dough hook or your hands, until the dough comes together and is smooth, about 3 minutes with a mixer, and 5-10 by hand. If the dough seems too sticky, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour. The dough should come together, but be slightly sticky to touch. Grease a large bowl and place the dough ball inside. Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, at least 30 minutes.

2. To fry the doughnuts, line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to a 1/2-inch thickness. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out the hearts. Arrange the doughnuts on the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 1 inch between doughnuts. Cover the doughnuts loosely with plastic wrap while the oil heats.

3. In a heavy-bottomed large pot or deep fryer, heat at least 2 inches of oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Working in batches, use a slotted metal spoon or spatula to carefully place the doughnuts in the hot oil. Fry, flipping once, until light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. When done, transfer to a wire rack to cool. Make sure to return the oil to 350 degrees F. between batches.

4. To make the glaze, mix together the Nutella, heavy cream, and vanilla until smooth and combined. Spoon the chocolate into a pastry bag fitted with a tip or just use a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off. Pierce the base of each cooled doughnut with the piping tube (or us a knife) and pipe a little filling into each doughnut. Generously sprinkle each doughnut sugar. Enjoy!

3.Air Fryer Heart Shaped Donughts

Tools Needed

• An awesome air fryer.
• Air fryer accessories.
• Handy mixing bowls.

HOW TO MAKE HEART SHAPED DONUTS IN AIR FRYER

1.Preheat the air fryer to 400F / 204C.

2.Remove the biscuit dough from the package and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough slightly. Use a cookie cutter to cut out a heart shape.

3.Place the dough hearts into the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes.

4.Remove and allow to cool while you mix the frosting with milk to thin it slightly.

5.Dunk the top of each donut into the frosting and then top with sprinkles.

4.Simple Cinnamon Sugar Heart Doughnuts

Equipment

• deep fry thermometer

Ingredients

• 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast *see notes for instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 ¼ cups whole milk (warmed between 95-110 degrees F)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 4 cups all purpose flour
  
  
  
• 2 teaspoons salt
• canola oil, for frying

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

For the Dough:

1.In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl, add the active dry yeast, warm milk (heated between 95-110 degrees F, but no hotter or else it will kill the yeast!) and honey. Allow the the mixture to sit for 10 minutes, or until the yeast begins to get foamy.

2.Once the yeast has proofed, add the flour, salt, eggs, vanilla and cooled melted butter. With a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, or by hand, knead the dough until it comes together, about 5 minutes. The dough should feel slightly sticky to the touch, but should also pull away from the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until it comes together.

3.Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise, about 1 hour.

Shaping the Doughnuts:

1.Once the dough has risen, empty the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out so that it is about ½ inch thick. Be careful not to roll the dough too thin. If the dough is too thin, it will be hard to cut out the hearts with the cookie cutters.

2.Using medium and large heart shaped cookie cutters, cut out the dough. Roll the remaining dough back into a ball, roll out again with the rolling pin and repeat until all the dough has been used, placing the doughnuts onto two parchment lined cookie sheets covered with plastic wrap until all the dough has been formed.

Frying the Doughnuts:

1.In a large pot add 3 inches of oil. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees F with a thermometer. You will have to continually keep an eye on the temperature, turning down the heat if necessary to maintain a temperature of around 350 F degrees. If the oil is too hot, the dough will brown too fast and be doughy in the middle.

2.Working in batches of about 4 doughnuts at a time, carefully place the doughnuts in the hot oil. Fry the doughnuts about 2 minutes per side. Using a slotted metal spoon, transfer the doughnuts to a wire rack to cool while you fry the remaining doughnuts.

3.After all the doughnuts are fried, roll in the cinnamon sugar and EAT!

5.Heart Shaped Glazed Doughnuts

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm milk (around 110 degrees)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 package instant yeast
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 11 Tbsp. butter (not hot, just melted)
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• Canola Oil, for frying

Glaze:

• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1 cup milk

Instruction

1.Add sugar to the warm milk. Stir until dissolved. Stir in the yeast and allow to sit 10 minutes.

2.Place the eggs, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until combined.

3.Add the the yeast to the bowl and mix again.

4.Next, add the salt and begin adding the flour, one half cup at a time, until it is all incorporated. Do not over knead, dough will be a bit sticky.

5.Place dough in a greased bowl and turn. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hour.

6.Roll dough out to 1/3 to 1/5 inch thickness. Cut with desired cutter.

7.Place cut doughnuts on parchment, and allow to rise in a warm place until puffy

8.Heat oil to 350 and cook until golden on both sides. It should be around 10 seconds per side.

9.Remove from oil and pat with paper towels.

10.Once doughnuts are cooked, mix together glaze ingredients. Whisk together until smooth.

11.Place a cooling rack on a cookie sheet or with wax/parchment paper underneath.

12.Dip doughnuts in glaze and place on the cooling rack allowing the excess glaze to drip on the cookie sheet or wax/parchment paper.

13.Allow to dry for about 10 minutes and dip again. Top with sprinkles right after dipping the second time. Allow to dry and enjoy.