Mandarin & Ricotta Doughnuts with Mandarin Syrup
SERVES: 4 • TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR + CHILLING TIME
Ingredients:
2 large free-range eggs
75 g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
250 g firm ricotta cheese, crumbled
2 mandarins, rind finely zested
1 cup plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
Grape seed oil, for frying
¼ cup icing sugar
Greek-style natural yoghurt
Mandarin Syrup
¾ cup mandarin juice (about 5 mandarins)
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup caster sugar
2 mandarins, segmented and pith removed
Directions:
Using electric hand-beaters, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl for 2 minutes until light and creamy. Add ricotta and mandarin zest and mix until smooth.
Sift flour and baking powder over the ricotta mixture. Add milk and, using a large metal spoon, stir to form a smooth batter. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
While the batter is chilling, make the mandarin syrup. Place mandarin juice, lime juice and sugar into a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil and cook, without stirring, for 5 minutes until reduced by a third and syrupy. Stir through mandarin segments.
Heat enough oil to deep-fry the doughnuts in a medium saucepan until hot (about 175°C). Using about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture per doughnut, deep-fry doughnuts in batches for 4 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and puffed.
Drain doughnuts on paper towel then dust with icing sugar. Serve doughnuts with the mandarin syrup.