Hibiscus Glazed Heart Shaped Buttermilk Doughnuts

I don’t know why but there always seems to be leftover buttermilk taunting me from my fridge. Because of that, these beauties turned into a buttermilk version of my favorite doughnut recipe. The recipe itself is a derivative of a Krispy Kreme copycat one that has morphed over the years I have been using it, bending it into all sorts of flavors. The buttermilk seemed to add more density to the doughnut. The slightly sour taste paired beautifully with the fragrant hibiscus.

For those of you who have fear of making doughnuts, trust me this is a simple process. Once you get the hang of it, the fun switching up colors, flavors, glazes, frostings and decorations far outweighs the minimal work involved. Just make sure you have a thermometer as keeping the oil warmed to a certain temperature is key and be aware of the one hour forty minute rise time.

Get ready for the heart parade. My next posts up until Feb 14th will be all about Valentine’s Day treats.

 

 

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 10 large heart doughnuts

For the Doughnuts:

Ingredients:

• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1-1/2 cups lukewarm buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups plus 3 cups flour, divided
• 1 tablespoon hibiscus extract
• 1/3 cup butter
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

• Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
• Add milk, sugar, salt, eggs, butter, hibiscus flavor and 2 cups flour.
• Beat on low for 30 seconds with the paddle attachment, scraping the bowl if needed.
• Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead in the remaining 3 cups of flour until smooth.
• Cover the bowl with a dishcloth and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about an hour.

• Turn dough onto floured surface and roll dough 1/2-inch thick.
• Cut with floured doughnut heart. Use a smaller heart cutter to create the heart shaped insert. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet or tray.
• Cover and let rise again until doubled in size, 30-40 minutes.
• Place a layer of paper towels next to the stove.
• Heat vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or large pot to 350 degrees F and fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds on each side.
• Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels for a minute. ‘

For the Hibiscus Glaze*:

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4-6 teaspoons buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons Hibiscus extract
• 1/3 cup crushed hibiscus flowers or 2 hibiscus tea bags

*I doubled the glaze amount because I wanted the thicker layer of glaze you see in the photos.Directions:

• Heat butter until melted over medium-low heat and remove from the stove.
• Whisk in the powdered sugar, buttermilk and hibiscus flavor until smooth.
• Dip the doughnuts into the glaze and set them on cooling racks over parchment or foil lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with the dried crushed hibiscus flowers or tea.
• If you run out of glaze, scrape up the excess off of the baking sheet and return it to the bowl.
• Let the glaze harden completely before serving.