Coffee and Dougnuts

Yield: 12

Playing on a classic combination, these rich, chilled coffee custards are a delicious contrast to warm New Orleans style beignets.
Ingredients:

Coffee Pot de Crème

1 shot double espresso
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 vanilla bean
6 egg yolk
1/2 cup sugar

Doughnuts

1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 tbsp dry active yeast
1/2 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 egg
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg
icing sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Coffee Pot de Crème

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Heat espresso with cream and scraped seeds from vanilla bean.
While heating, whisk together yolks and sugar. Gradually add hot cream to egg mixture, whisking constantly.
Place 12 espresso cups into a baking pan and pour custard mixture in. Pour boiling water around cups coming up halfway.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until custard no longer jiggles when cup is tapped. Chill for 3 hours before serving.

Doughnuts

Heat milk to just above body temperature and stir in yeast and sugar. Mix in remaining ingredients and blend in a mixer for 5 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise 1 hour.
On a lightly floured surface roll out dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut dough into 2 by 2-inch squares and place on a baking sheet. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Heat a pot with 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium high heat. You will know the oil is hot enough when a drop of water sizzles when added to oil.
Fry doughnuts a few at a time, cooking both sides until a rich brown colour, about 4 minutes for each side. Drain well.
As doughnuts are ideal eaten right after making, you can make and cut the dough ahead of time and chill, and cook the doughnuts at the last minute.

To Assemble