Description
Take a trip to the tropics with this pineapple jam filled yeast-style doughnut with creamy meringue topping reminiscent of the classic Dole Whip. A Disneyland-inspired treat!
Ingredients
Scale
For the doughnuts (adapted from Joy the Baker):
- 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon warm water (110°f)
- 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup warmed whole milk, or milk alternative of your choice (see notes below)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 cups neutral oil like avocado or canola
For the pineapple jam:
- 1 cup pineapple crushed with juice (or 1 cup frozen chunks plus 3/4 cup water)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) freshly squeezed lime juice
For the meringue:
- 5 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons water
- yellow food coloring
- pineapple extract, optional
Instructions
For the doughnuts:
- Mix together yeast and warm water in a small bowl. Let sit for five minutes until bubbles form on top.
- While yeast sits, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, milk, butter, egg yolk, sugar and salt. Add in yeast mixture.
- Stir until just combined and then attach a dough hook and mix in the stand mixer on low until dough comes together. Then increase speed to high and mix for 3 more minutes.
- Remove dough from the dough hook and let sit in the bowl, covered, at room temperature, for one hour until dough has doubled in size.
- Next, sprinkle flour onto your counter and divide your dough into four equal pieces.
- Roll each segment into balls and let rise again for 30 minutes.
- About 20 minutes before the second rise is complete, heat oil in a dutch oven with a candy thermometer attached.
- When the oil reaches 350°f, take a dough ball, make an indentation in the middle with your thumb but do not go all the way through (you’ll need a ‘pocket’ to fill with jam), and lower carefully into the hot oil. You can fry two doughnuts at a time if in a wide dutch oven.
- Fry on each side about one minute. Then remove with a spider or slotted spoon onto a cooling rack with paper towels underneath. Let temperature in the pot come back to 350°f before frying next batch.
- Let doughnuts come to room temperature before glazing and filling.
For the pineapple jam:
- Combine pineapple and water/juice in a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pineapple becomes soft, about half an hour.
- Stir in sugar and lime juice to the pineapple and raise temperature to medium-high.
- Let the mixture reach a simmer, stirring to dissolve all the sugar.
- Then, lower heat to low and let cook about one hour, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
- Let cool to room temperature. If not using right away, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to one month.
For the meringue:
- Place the water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches 240°F on a candy thermometer.
- At the same time (you’ll want sugar syrup and egg whites to be done at the same time), whisk egg whites in a stand mixer until foamy, and then add in cream of tartar and salt. Increase speed to high until soft peaks form.
- Once the syrup reaches 240°f, slowly pour it into the egg whites while the stand mixer is on medium speed. Mix until the bowl is no longer hot but room temp, about 8-10 minutes. Then, mix in vanilla until incorporated.
- Place all the meringue into a large pastry bag or ziplock. Set aside.
For the glaze:
- In a small bowl, combine water and sugar. Stir until smooth and then add in desired amount of food coloring.
- Optionally, you can add in 1-2 drops of pineapple extract if you’d like more pineapple flavor.
Assembly:
- Start by dipping room temperature doughnuts in the glaze. Dip a second time for a more opaque glaze.
- Spoon pineapple jam into the center of the doughnuts, using the spoon to push the jam down into the center.
- Next, cut the tip off the pastry bag (if it’s disposable) or ziplock and pipe a swirl of meringue on top.
- Using a kitchen torch, lightly toast the outside of the meringue until golden. Enjoy!
Notes
- Doughnuts, jam, and meringue can reach temperatures of over 300°F so please use caution in the kitchen! Wear gloves, an apron, closed toe shoes, and use a candy thermometer. Keep children away when handling hot dishes.
- I made my batch of doughnuts with almond milk and they came out exactly the same as with cow milk, so feel free to use a milk alternative.
- If you powdered sugar is clumpy, sift before adding water.
- If glaze is too thin add more sugar. If too thick add more water a half a teaspoon at a time.
- If you want your doughnuts extra pineapple-y, you can add a drop or two of pineapple extract to the glaze. But use sparingly!
- Leftover meringue can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks in an airtight container.
- For this recipe I tested hand rolling doughnuts, cutting circles with a cutter, and rolling balls. To get a great puffy doughnut I found it best to roll into balls. However, if you’d like smaller doughnuts that still puff up, using a 2-3″ round cutter on flattened dough will produce smaller ones. Hand rolling will give you the classic shape, but you’d need to sandwich the pineapple jam between meringue in the hole.