FINGER DOUGHNUTS RECIPES

Steps:

• Put the butter, sugar and 225ml (8fl oz) water into a pan and melt the butter slowly.

  Bring to the boil, then add the flour and salt. Using a wooden spoon, quickly beat the mixture together until it leaves the sides of the pan. Leave to cool slightly.

  Add the eggs, a little at a time, and continue to beat the mixture to make a smooth, glossy dough.

  Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 190°C or until a cube of bread browns in 30sec. Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a 2cm (3⁄4in) star-shaped nozzle. Pipe 10cm (4in) lengths of dough straight into the oil and cook for 3-5min until golden, turning doughnuts halfway through to brown them evenly. Lift out and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle heavily with sugar.

  To make the hot chocolate, put the grated chocolate and half the milk into a pan and heat gently until the chocolate has melted. Put the cornflour into a bowl and slowly add the remaining milk, stirring well to mix thoroughly. Add the cornflour mix to the pan and whisk it into the melted chocolate, then stir in the sugar. Cook on a low heat for 3min, whisking constantly, until the hot chocolate thickens. Remove pan from the heat and continue to whisk the chocolate until smooth.

Steps:

• To make the doughnuts, sift the flour on to a small sheet of baking paper. Bring the water and milk to the boil in a pan. Tip in the flour and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon, stirring until the dough forms a ball and no longer sticks to the sides of the pan.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let the dough cool a little. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding just enough to give a piping consistency. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large fluted nozzle.
• Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F.
• To cook the doughnuts, heat the oil in a deep fat fryer or a wok until a piece of bread sizzles as soon as it hits the oil.
• Squeeze the piping bag over the pan, snipping off 10cm/4in lengths with kitchen scissors. Fry the donuts in batches of 4-6 til golden, then remove them with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towel and keep warm in the oven while making the hot chocolate.
• To make the Hot Chocolate:.
• Break up the chocolate into small pieces, and put in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Leave alone for 10 minutes, until it has completely melted.
• Bring the milk to the boil in a small pan. When the chocolate has melted, remove it from the heat and stir in a little milk. Now whisk in the remaining milk (a hand held blender is good for this) until frothy.
• Pour into mugs and serve hot. Remove the doughnuts from oven, roll in the sugar and eat immediately, dipping them into the hot chocolate.
• Enjoy!