I’m a doughnut fanatic. I love eating them, and I love making them, but I’m always looking for a way to counter their tendency to be oversweet. Here, tangy cheese and the acid from kumquats and lemons are the answer.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 on it¿s own or 12 more as part of fourplay

　　

For the Cheese Filling

1 cup (240g) milk

　　1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped

　　2 tablespoons (15g) cornstarch

　　1 tablespoon (12g) sugar

　　2 large egg yolks

　　6 tablespoons (75g) fresh ricotta cheese

　　6 tablespoons (75g) mascarpone

　　3 tablespoons (50g) Candied Kumquats (page 258), drained and minced

　　

For the Sponge

1 packed tablespoon (18g) fresh yeast or 1 1/2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast

　　1 cup (120g) lukewarm water

　　1 tablespoon (12g) sugar

　　1/2 cup (40g) nonfat milk powder

　　1/2 cup (62g) all-purpose flour

　　

For the Doughnuts

2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened

　　2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, plus additional if needed

　　1/2 cup (100g) sugar

　　1 large egg, well beaten

　　1 teaspoon (4g) coarse salt

　　Grated zest of 1 lemon

　　1/2 teaspoon (1.5g) lemon oil

　　(makes about 18 doughnuts)

　　

For the Citrus Sugar

Grated zest of 1 orange

　　Grated zest of 1 lemon

　　Grated zest of 1 key lime (optional)

　　1/2 cup (100g) Vanilla Sugar (page 185)

　　1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

　　

To Serve

Canola oil for frying

　　Lemon Confit (page 257)

　　

For the Cheese Filling

Step 1

Line a small rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap.

　　

Step 2

Put the milk and vanilla pod and seeds in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

　　

Step 3

Whisk the cornstarch and sugar together. Add to the yolks and whisk until smooth.

　　

Step 4

When the milk is simmering, slowly whisk about 1/2 cup into the yolks to temper them, then scrape the yolks into the saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Strain onto the baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold.

　　

Step 5

Measure 150 g of the pastry cream (reserve the rest for another use) and put it in a food processor. Add the ricotta and mascarpone and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the kumquats. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to make the doughnuts.

　　

For the Sponge

Step 6

In a small bowl, crumble the yeast into the water (or sprinkle the dry yeast over the water). Whisk until dissolved. Add the sugar, milk powder, and flour and stir until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until bubbling, about 45 minutes.

　　

For the Doughnuts

Step 7

Mix the butter, flour, sugar, egg, salt, lemon zest, and lemon oil together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the yeast mixture and mix again until smooth. The dough should be barely firm enough to knead.

　　

Step 8

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes, adding a little flour if necessary. Let the dough rest for a few minutes while you lightly oil a clean bowl (or spray it with cooking spray). Knead the dough again until smooth and elastic, another 3 minutes. Shape it into a ball, put it in the bowl, top side down, and turn the dough over. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

　　

Step 9

Line a baking sheet with parchment and spray lightly with cooking spray.

　　

Step 10

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to 1/3 inch thick. Cut rounds with a 1 1/2-inch cutter.

　　

Step 11

Put the doughnuts on the baking sheet. Spray another piece of parchment and cover the doughnuts with the parchment, sprayed side down. Leave at room temperature until risen by half, then refrigerate until you’re ready to serve (or let rise until doubled and fry right away).

　　

For the Citrus Sugar

Step 12

Put the zests and sugars in a food processor and process for 15 seconds. Pour into a shallow bowl.

　　

To Serve

Step 13

Pour about 3 inches of oil into a wide saucepan and heat it to 365°F.

　　

Step 14

Fry the doughnuts a few at a time—don’t crowd them—until golden, about 1 minute per side. Blot on paper towels and immediately dredge them in the citrus sugar.

　　

Step 15

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (#803 is perfect) with the cheese filling. Push the tip into the warm doughnuts and pipe in the filling.

　　

Step 16

Serve the warm doughnuts on top of some lemon confit.

　　

make it simpler

Step 17

You could substitute a good Seville orange marmalade for the candied kumquats in the filling, and lemon marmalade for the confit. Just make sure that they aren’t too sweet.

　　Reprinted with permission from Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets from a Four-Star Pastry Chef by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Copyright © 2008 by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Published by Crown Publishing. All Rights Reserved.Johnny Iuzzini,, executive pastry chef of the world-renowned Jean Georges restaurant in New York City, won the award for Outstanding Pastry Chef from the James Beard Foundation in 2006. This is his first book.Roy Finamore, a publishing veteran of more than thirty years, has worked with many bestselling cookbook authors. He is the author of three books: One Potato, Two Potato; Tasty, which won a James Beard Foundation award; and Fish Without a Doubt.__