These soft, fluffy doughnuts take a little time to prepare, but can be whipped up with minimal effort on a slow weekend morning. The centres of the lightly spiced doughnuts are filled with a rich and velvety chocolate hazelnut cream, which makes them perfect with an afternoon cup of coffee, or as a decadent after dinner treat.

Makes: 12

What you’ll Need: 

Doughnuts

• 70g butter
• 700g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 375ml whole milk
• 75ml warm water
• 2 large eggs
• 14g fast acting dried yeast
• 50g caster sugar
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 litres vegetable oil for frying
• 150g sugar for coating the doughnuts 

 Filling

• 150ml double cream
• 125g mascarpone cheese
• 100g dark chocolate chips
• 2tbsp hazelnut milk
• 1tbsp cocoa powder
• 12 Guylian Sea Shell chocolates 

 What To Do:

Doughnuts

• Melt the butter and milk together in a small pan over a low heat until the butter is completely melted. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
• Tip the flour into the bowl of a large stand mixer, and add the sugar, salt and cinnamon to one side, and the dried yeast to the other. Add the milk/butter mixture in slowly, followed by the warm water and begin mixing on a low speed with a paddle attachment.
• Add in the eggs one at a time while the mixer is running, then gradually increase the speed setting until all ingredients are combined.  
• Swap the paddle attachment for a dough hook and knead the dough on medium speed for 5-8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. You can add a little more flour gradually if you think the dough is too sticky, try to do this in small amounts (50g at a time) to avoid overloading the dough with flour.
• Turn the soft, stretchy dough into a large, oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel/cling film. Leave to rise in a warm spot for two hours until the dough has at least doubled in size.
• Once the dough has risen, tip it onto a well-floured surface and gently roll with a rolling pin until it is approximately 1 inch thick. Cut the rolled dough into circles using a large circle cutter, then lay the circles of dough on two well-floured baking trays. Leave the doughnuts to rise for about half an hour in a warm spot, until puffed up and doubled in height – about 45 minutes.
• Carefully heat 3 litres of vegetable oil in a large pot over a medium heat until it reaches 180˚C, this will take about ten minutes. Fry the doughnuts 2-3 at a time for 40-50 seconds on each side, taking care when dropping the dough into the hot oil to avoid splashes. Remove the golden doughnuts from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a cooling rack lined with paper towels.  
• Roll the doughnuts in caster sugar when they are still warm, then leave to cool completely. 

 Filling

• Heat 75ml of the cream over a medium heat until bubbling, then pour over the chocolate chips and stir to combine. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Whip the remaining cream with the mascarpone, hazelnut milk and cocoa powder until soft peaks form. Add in the cooled chocolate ganache and gently fold through until combined, then transfer the filling to a piping bag with a star nozzle.
• To fill the doughnuts, cut a small hole in the side of each one using a knife, then pipe in the chocolate & cream mixture, finishing with a swirl at the top of the opening. Top each doughnut with a Guylian Sea Shell chocolate and chopped hazelnuts. Doughnuts can be stored in an airtight container for up to two days.