During citrus season, in the heart of winter, my backyard orange tree is brimming over with fresh oranges. So I love bringing some fresh-picked sunshine to my family with these fluffy Orange Vanilla Bean Donut Holes from my childhood. When I was a child, my parents used to love taking our family to a smorgasbord. The owner would always come out from the kitchen and say hello to my parents. He made delicious fried donut holes that my brother and I looked forward to at the end of our meal. At home we duplicated the donut holes using a recipe from an old cookbook. Unfortunately the cookbook is lost, but this recipe is pretty close to the original. Tossing the little donuts in vanilla sugar makes them even more fragrant and delicious. The vanilla sugar can be used immediately, but for the best flavor, make it in advance.
The original recipe had vanilla and nutmeg in it, which are classic cake donut flavors. The addition of fresh orange zest and juice makes them vibrant and flavorful. I love making different flavors of these donut holes. To view Blueberry Donut Holes, click here.
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Orange Vanilla Bean Donut Holes
Ingredients
Donut Holes
- 2 cups (255g) all purpose flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
- Zest of 1 large orange
- 2 tablespoons (28g) melted butter
- ½ cup (118ml) orange juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- ½ cup (100g) vanilla sugar Recipe below
- Oil for frying
Vanilla Sugar
- ½ split vanilla bean
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
Instructions
Donut Holes
- In a large, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well blended.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, orange zest, melted butter, orange juice and vanilla bean paste until creamy and well combined. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Do not over mix. A few small lumps are okay.
- In a heavy saucepan, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil to 340ºF (170ºC). Place the vanilla sugar in a medium-sized bowl.
- Drop tablespoon-sized portions of batter into the hot oil. (I used a #60 portion scoop**) Don't over crowd the pan.
- Fry the donut holes until golden brown on all sides, about 2-4 minutes, flipping halfway through. If the donut holes cook too quickly on the outside, turn heat down a bit.
- Briefly drain the donut holes on paper towels, then toss them in vanilla sugar. Serve warm.
Vanilla Sugar
- With the dull side of a knife, scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean.
- In a small bowl, whisk the vanilla seeds together with sugar, breaking up any clumps. Use immediately or make in advance and let the flavor develop 1-2 weeks in a covered container.