Mince Pie and Maple Mini Doughnuts

For the doughnuts

• 500g bread flour
• 10g salt
• 90g maple sugar
• 5 eggs
• 120ml milk
• 7g dried yeast
• 200g butter, cubed

For the filling

• 500ml milk
• 70ml maple syrup
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• Zest of 1 orange
• 2 star anise
• 1 vanilla pod
• 50g blended mincemeat
• 70g maple sugar
• 50g corn flour
• 2 eggs
• You will also need a free-standing mixer with a dough hook and a small deep fat fryer.

For the doughnut

1. Place the milk in a small saucepan over a medium heat until it begins to steam. Remove from the heat and leave to cool until it’s warm to the touch but not hot.
2. Put the flour in the bowl of the mixer. Place the salt and maple sugar on one side of the bowl and the yeast on the other side.
3. Add the warm milk and 5 eggs and mix on a slow speed for 2 minutes, or until all the flour has been incorporated, then mix on a medium speed for 8 minutes.
4. Gradually add the cubed butter, piece by piece, and mix for a further 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure the butter is thoroughly mixed in.
5. The dough should feel soft but not too sticky.
6. Tip the dough into a large, lightly greased bowl and cover with clingfilm.
7. Leave to rise for 1-2 hours somewhere warm but not too hot as the butter in the dough will begin to melt and make it too soft.
8. Once risen, place in the fridge for 1 hour.
9. Preheat the fryer to 180°C.
10. Remove the cooled dough from the fridge. With a rolling pin, roll the dough onto a worktop to 1cm thick.
11. Cut the dough with a round cutter (5cm) then put the doughnut onto a greaseproof paper
12. Keep them covered with clingfilm while you repeat this process with the remaining dough.
13. Leave to rise for one hour, then deep fry until golden.

For the filling

1. In a pan, combine milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, orange zest, star anise, half of the maple sugar, mincemeat and the scraped vanilla pod along with its seeds. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat, then remove from heat, cover to prevent evaporation and let steep for 30 minutes.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the other half of the maple sugar and the cornflour.
3. Whisk in eggs until mixture is pale yellow, smooth and fluffy.
4. Uncover the infused milk and remove the vanilla pod. While whisking continuously, slowly pour the milk into the egg mixture in a thin stream, until all of it has been added.
5. Return the mixture to the same saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the pastry cream begins to thicken. When it begins to bubble, continue whisking for 1 minute.
6. Place in the fridge for one hour, then transfer to a piping bag. Use a skewer or knife to make a hole in each doughnut and insert the piping bag nozzle, squeezing to fill the doughnut with the mincemeat mixture.
7. Once filled, roll the doughnuts in maple sugar and decorate if desired.