Bolton Bake Off star Mak enjoys a real taste of nostalgia

Exams are over and students of all ages can delight in some freedom and relief. Looking back at my school and college days, the fervour of O-Levels and the trauma of A-Levels summer was a boon.

Regardless of the weather it was an expanse of enjoyment that was peppered with mini adventures.

My kids ask me when the best time of my youth was, and without hesitation I say 1988. That was the year I finished my A-levels and my dad got me my first car. A black mini. 1981 V reg. My dad was a car trader and was given the Mini for free as part of a bundle. I remember driving in the rain once and the wipers just stopped working. What a car.

One piece of nostalgia I look fondly on are the cream cakes I used to get from the bakers. Which brings me onto this indulgent recipe of custard doughnuts.

The doughnuts being made

Mak's delicious doughnuts

Custard Doughnuts

Prep time: 30 minutes (plus proving). Fry time: 20 minutes. Makes 6

2 piping bags require, one with a star nozzle.

For the dough

100ml whole milk

1 egg

250g strong white bread flour

35g soft butter

7g dried yeast (1 sachet)

Pinch of salt

25g caster sugar (plus another plateful for coating)

For the custard

250ml whole milk

2 egg yolks

40g caster sugar

15g plain flour

15g cornflour

1tsp vanilla extract

40g salted butter, chilled

40g salted butter, softened

The rest

3 tbsp raspberry jam

Vegetable oil for frying

The doughnuts being made

Method

1. Make the dough. Microwave the milk for 1 minute in a suitable jug. Mix in the egg. Tip the flour in a bowl with the soft butter, yeast and sugar. Stir until well combined. Slowly add the milk mixture and form a dough. Knead for 5 minutes in the bowl and then for 10 minutes on a worktop. The dough should be smooth and springy (that’s the gluten in the flour all stretched out). Cover the dough with cling film, leave in a warm place for about an hour. It should double in size.

2. Make the custard. In a heavy based saucepan heat the milk to a gentle simmer and then turn off the heat. In a mixing bowl mix the egg yolks, plain flour, cornflour, sugar and vanilla. Whisk to a smooth paste. (Shop bought custard powder is just custard flavour cornflour!)

3. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg mixture mixing vigorously. You can do this in stages. Pour and whisk in four quarters. Transfer everything back into the saucepan and gently heat, whisking until it thickens. Add in the chilled butter and mix until all combined. Leave to cool to room temperature. Whisk in the soft butter until smooth.

4. Back to the dough. Turn the out the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to knock the air out. Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into lengths of 15cm fingers with rounded ends. Place these lengths into a lightly floured deep baking tray. Cover with cling film and leave until doubled in size.

5. Put enough caster sugar in a plate so the fried doughnuts can be rolled and coated in the sugar.

6. Fry the doughnuts. Half fill a wok or deep fat fryer and heat oil to 180°C. Carefully lower the doughnuts two at a time and fry them until each side is dark-golden brown, rolling frequently. Remove doughnuts with a slotted spoon and then roll them in the sugar until fully coated. Leave to cool.

7. With a serrated knife cut a triangular length, which goes half deep, out of the top of the doughnut so the custard can be piped into the space. Spoon the custard into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe a generous amount of custard along the length of the doughnut. Make it look pretty.

8. Heat the jam in the microwave until soft and mix until smooth. Fill a piping bag. Cut a small hole and run a strip of jam on top of the custard.

9. Any custard and jam leftover can be used on the cut-out pieces as a chef’s treat.

Keep in fridge on warm days. Consume within two days.

Delicious doughnuts