Pisztáciás fánk
If it's Carnival, then it's doughnut time—and if it's doughnut time, you simply have to try the pistachio version too. The doughnut below can be filled with pistachio pastry cream (which is essentially a vanilla custard boosted with pistachio butter), but it also pairs beautifully with ganache. Interestingly—despite our expectations—the version filled with ganache and topped with pistachio glaze didn't turn out cloyingly sweet, as the dough itself isn’t overly sweet, so it can handle the extra richness.
Ingredients (for 15 doughnuts, 8 cm in diameter):
For the yeast dough:
- 275 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 130 ml milk
- 40 g melted butter
- 12 g fresh yeast
- Zest of half a lemon
- 1 tbsp Bourbon vanilla sugar
Oil for frying
For the ganache:
- 70 g cream
- 160 g white chocolate
- 25 g pistachio butter
For the glaze on top:
- 200 g white chocolate
- 20 g pistachio butter
- Finely chopped pistachios
Preparation
- For the dough, crumble the yeast into the milk, add a small teaspoon of sugar, and let it activate. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, then add all the remaining ingredients – including the activated yeast – and knead into a smooth dough. Remove from the bowl, shape into a smooth ball, lightly coat with oil, and let it rise in a covered bowl until doubled in size.
- For the ganache, heat the cream, pour it over the finely chopped white chocolate, and stir until melted. Add the pistachio butter and mix well. Chill in the fridge until use.
- Once the dough has risen, transfer it to a floured surface and roll out to about 1.5 cm thick (slightly thicker is okay, but not thinner). Use an 8 cm round cutter (or a glass) to cut out circles, then cut a hole in the center using a piping nozzle. Carefully place the doughnuts on parchment paper to keep their shape, cover with cling film, and let them rise for another 30–60 minutes. Once risen, heat oil in a deep pot or pan to 140–150 ℃ and fry the doughnuts covered on one side until golden brown. Flip and fry the other side uncovered. Let drain on a wire rack, and once lukewarm, fill with ganache using a piping bag with a narrow tip. Insert the tip into the base of the doughnuts in 5–6 spots and slowly pipe in the ganache. Do not overfill, or it will leak out.
- For the glaze, melt the white chocolate, mix with the pistachio butter, and dip the tops of the doughnuts. Decorate with chopped pistachios.
