Rhubarb and Custard Doughnuts

Filled with tangy rhubarb and creamy custard, these sweet treats are the perfect crowd pleaser

For the Rhubarb Jam

1. Place the fresh rhubarb and blueberries into a solid steam container. Steam at 100°C for 10 minutes or until very soft. If you don’t have a steam oven, place the rhubarb and blueberries in a small saucepan with 1tbsp. water and cook over a low heat for 15 – 20 minutes or until very soft.

2. Once cooked transfer to food processor. Blitz until very smooth.

3. Place 230g of the puree into a medium saucepan, along with the sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer. Leave until the jam has reached the correct temperature (105°C) or correct consistency. To check, place a saucer into the freezer for around 15 minutes. Place a dot of the jam onto the saucer, gently push your finger through the jam, if the surface wrinkles the jam is ready. If not, return to the boil for 2 minutes, then re-test.

4. Remove from the heat and stir through the lemon zest. Transfer to a sterilised jar and allow to cool.

For the Custard

1. Bring the milk and seeds from one vanilla pod to the boil in a medium saucepan. In a medium bowl, mix together the caster sugar, custard powder and egg yolks.

2. Once the milk mixture is up to the boil, pour over the egg mix and whisk well whilst pouring.

3. Transfer the custard mix back to the pan, keeping on a low-medium heat (setting 5-6). Continue whisking whilst the custard thickens. Taste the custard to see if ready; if the mixture still tastes floury, continue to cook. The mixture will be very thick.

4. Transfer to a bowl and cover with cling film so it’s flat to the custard. This will prevent a skin from forming. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

For the Dough

1. Place the flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest into a bowl of a freestanding mixer. Mix well using a dough hook, then crumble in the yeast.

2. Add the milk and water until combined using the dough hook. Whilst continuing to mix, slowly add the softened butter.

3. Leave to mix for a further 25-30 minutes.

4. Once finished cover well and leave in the refrigerator overnight.

5. When ready to cook, place into the Gourmet warming drawer on the cup setting, lowest temperature square (40°C). Leave for 20-25 minutes to slowly warm the dough. If no warming drawer is available, prove the dough on Fan Plus 40C in the oven or the combination steam oven.

6. Shape the dough into balls approx. 30g each, then place into 6cm silicone dome moulds or large greased muffin tin holes.

7. Lightly cover with oiled Clingfilm. Place back into the warming draw (or oven / combination steam) at 40°C for 10 minutes or until doubled in size.

8. Preheat the Combination Steam Oven to Cake Plus, 200°C.

9. Brush the dough with melted butter. Place the proved dough into the Combination Steam Oven. Bake on Cake Plus, 200°C for 20-25 minutes.

10. Remove from the oven and brush with a little more butter. Coat each doughnut in the caster sugar to finish.

11. Transfer the rhubarb jam into a piping bag with a 1cm nozzle, repeat with the set custard. Using a pair of scissors, insert into the doughnut until 2/3 of the way through. Open the scissors up to make a large hole in the centre of the doughnut.

12. Fill half of the doughnut with the set custard and the other half with the jam.