Apple Butter Bacon Doughnuts

Apple Butter Bacon Doughnut

Have I mentioned I love summer?  Maybe it's because I was born in a summer month and grew up in a warm climate.  I love the heat and the sun so I'm especially happy when summer is near.  This weekend is Memorial Day weekend in the U.S., many will spend their long weekend outdoors.  Your ovens may be taking a break from the heat too as many head outdoors to grill and cook their meals.  I wish I could be one of those lucky people.  I don't have a grill so grilling at home is out of the question, but it doesn't mean I can't enjoy making something that I can bring to a picnic or a barbecue.

So when Musselman's Apple Butter reached out to see if I would do a post about summer cookout menu using their apple butter, I thought even though I can't grill I could make something that could be enjoyed in the summer.  Summer also reminds me of festivals and amusement parks.  When I go to street festivals, I almost always get myself some fried dough covered with powdered sugar.  As some of you may know, I don't have a sweet tooth, but I love fried desserts especially doughnuts.  I remember I have taken a bacon lovers cooking workshop at ICE, and one of the dishes we made was the Maple Bacon Doughnuts.  I've wanted to make them, so when I received a jar of apple butter from Musselman's, I thought the apple butter would make a delicious glaze; and since I like my sweets with a salty element, the bacon would go really well especially with the apple butter.  By the way for those who are wondering, apple butter has no butter in it.  Apple butter is more concentrated and caramelized version of apple sauce.  It's spreadable like butter hence the name apple butter.

Apple Butter Bacon Doughnuts - Yield about 12-14

Doughnut Recipe - Adapted from Alton Brown's Yeast Doughnut recipe

12 ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

3/4 cup of milk
3 tbsp. of warm water

2 1/2 tbsp. of vegetable shortening  

1 package of instant yeast
2 tbsp. of sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
Vegetable oil for frying

Apple Butter Glaze with Bacon

1/2 pound of powdered sugar

1/2 cup of Musselman's apple butter

1/2 tbsp. of vanilla extract
Juice of one lemon

4 strips of crispy cooked bacon, crumbled 

Start with putting the milk in a saucepan and heat until warm.  Pour the milk in a bowl and add the shortening until it melts.  While the milk mixture cools, in another small bowl; add the yeast powder and warm water.  Dissolve for at least five minutes, Put the yeast mixture into the stand mixer bowl, and add the cooled milk mixture, sugar, egg, salt, nutmeg and half portion of the flour.  Fit with the paddle attachment to the mixer; combine on low speed until all ingredients are incorporated then turn the speed up.  Beat until well combined then add the remaining flour.  Repeat with low speed then turn the speed up to medium for a couple more minutes.  Then change to a dough hook attachment, set to medium speed until you see the dough starts pulling away from the bowl and a ball is formed.  Put the dough into a well-oiled bowl.  Cover and let rise for at least an hour until it doubles the size.  

Roll out dough to 3/8 inch thick on a well-floured surface.  Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter.  If you don't have a doughnut cutter, you may want to get one.  I found them in Sur La Table for $4 and it really makes cutting out the doughnuts super easy.  Place them on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a towel and let them rise for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or a Dutch oven to 365 degrees. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, a few at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side. Transfer to a cooling rack and let it cool for at least 10-15 minutes before glazing.

For the glaze, whisk the apple butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice together until smooth.  Once the doughnuts are cooled enough to glaze, immerse each top half of the doughnut into the glaze.  Once all the doughnuts are glazed then crumbled bacon all over the top of the doughnuts.

I love the sweetness of the delicious apple butter. The lemon juice adds a little tartness and brings out the apple flavor, and of course I love the saltiness of the bacon which balances really well with the sweetness of the apple butter.  The doughnut is light and flaky.  This is definitely a delicious treat to eat any time especially at picnics and cookouts in the summer.  Hope you enjoy these and have a wonderful holiday weekend!