Elderflower Doughnuts

Here at Wild Cornwall HQ we are surrounded by Elderflowers. Everywhere you look you can see a shrub or tree bountifully growing elderflower, it’s amazing! Whilst they’re in season we like to utilise them as much as possible. Here is one of our favs – Elderflower Doughnuts!

Foraging your Elderflower

For this recipe you don’t need a whole heap of Elderflower. Put your wellies or walking boots on, or if you’re lucky enough and it’s outside your front door, stay in your slippers; grab your basket and pick away. You only need about 8-10 sprays of elderflower.

As always with foraging, make sure you are doing this responsibly and it is the correct plant. Elderflower stalks can also be toxic, so aim to have as little of them as possible.

Ingredients:

250g white flour

30g caster sugar

8g yeast

2 eggs

1 tsp lemon zest

Pinch of salt

60g soft butter

For Frying:

Approx. 2 litres of sunflower oil

The Filling

Approx. 65g of Elderflower

65g Sugar

240ml of water

200ml of thick cream

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, add 150ml of water and all the doughnut ingredients (minus the butter!), then start mixing. When the dough starts to form a ball, hold your horses and let the dough rest for 1/2 minutes.
2. Add about ¼ of the butter to the dough at a time, until it has all been mixed in. Soon the dough should be smooth and glossy with an elastic feel.
3. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a warm place until it has doubled in size. (The airing cupboard is a good place to start!)
4. Either leave this for a few hours or overnight!
5. Once it is plump and large, divide the dough into 10 separate pieces. Roll the pieces into rounds and place them on a floured baking tray. They will continue to grow, so leave a good gap between.
6. It’s frying time!
7. We like to fry one doughnut at a time. Heat your oil in a saucepan and aim to keep it at about 160C. You can use a thermometer to test this, or just trust your hob is at 160C.
8. Carefully place the doughnut into the oil & after 3 minutes, flip it onto its other side.
9. Repeat this with all doughnuts.
10. Once they are all complete, place the fried doughnuts onto a paper towel to allow them to cool.
11. Filling time!
12. Add your elderflowers, sugar and water to a pan and simmer gently for around 18-20 minutes. A syrup like consistency will form. Leave the mixture to cool then strain through a muslin cloth or sieve to separate out the elderflowers.
13. Once cooled, add your whipping cream into a bowl and add around 4/5 tablespoons of your syrup. Now get your whip on and whisk until light and fluffy.
14. Cut a small hole into the side of your doughnut and run a knife or something thinner around the inside – creating space for your cream.
15. Fill a piping bag with your cream and squeeze way, be cautious though, you don’t want a ballooned doughnut!

Ta-da! You have Elderflower Doughnuts!

Stay Wild x