“If you were ever to visit Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market with my wife, you’d know she is drawn to the jam-doughnut van like a woman to a shoe sale. The crisp exterior with that little bit of jam oozing out when you take the first bite is heaven. So I took an old Lebanese doughnut recipe, stuck a piece of Turkish delight in it and – voilà – a Maha signature.”
Ingredients
Rose syrup
Method
Main
1.Preheat oven to 170C. Spread pine nuts on a small oven tray and roast, shaking occasionally, until golden (5-10 minutes). Cool, coarsely crush and set aside.
2.Meanwhile, for rose syrup, combine ingredients (except rosewater) in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, add rosewater, set aside to cool.
3.Preheat oil in a deep-fryer or deep-sided saucepan to 170C. Combine flour, yeast, sugar and ½ tsp salt in a bowl, and gradually whisk in 350ml lukewarm water until combined and smooth, then stand in a warm place until swollen and foamy (15 minutes).
4.Working with one piece of Turkish delight at a time, coat and mould each piece in a tablespoonful of doughnut batter and deep-fry them, in batches, turning occasionally, until golden (4-6 minutes; be careful as hot oil may spit). Drain on absorbent paper, then transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with rose syrup and serve doughnuts hot, sprinkled with pine nuts, if desired.
Drink Suggestion: Fresh young pink moscato. Drink suggestion by Max Allen
Notes
