2cupsfresh or frozen strawberriescleaned, hulled and quartered (thawed if frozen)
1/2cupall purpose flour
3/4 teaspoonbaking powder
1/4teaspoonbaking sodea
pinchKosher Salt
6tablespoonsbuttersoftened
1/2cupgranulated sugar
1egg
2teaspoonsvanilla
1cupconfectioners sugar
decorators sugar or sprinkles for garnish, optional
Instructions
Spoon lemon juice into milk and set aside for 10 minutes, until milk is "curdled" (this is a tip for turning milk into buttermilk. If you have buttermilk on hand, you can use that instead of the milk/lemon juice).
In a blender, puree the strawberries until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat until thickens slightly for about 5 minutes. Stir continuously. Once thickened slightly, allow to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. In a separate small bowl, stir together the milk/lemon juice mixture with only 1/3 cup of the strawberry syrup. Set remaining syrup aside for the glaze.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the softened butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until combined. Next, add the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk mixture then flour mixture then buttermilk mixture. Beat each addition just until blended.
Either fill a pastry bag with the donut batter to pipe or use a small spoon to spoon the doughnut batter into prepared donut pan. (I found piping, although prettier, took longer and was more work. Using a small spoon worked just as well).
Bake for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove to a cooling rack. Repeat filling/baking until all batter is used.
For the glaze:
Add the confectioners' sugar to the remaining strawberry syrup along with a pinch of salt. Whisk together until smooth and well blended - you don't want any sugar lumps. Dip the top side of the doughnuts into the glaze then dip in the decorators' sugar or colored sprinkles if desired.
Notes
Adapted from Williams Sonoma Strawberry Donuts. FYI their recipe says 16-18 doughnuts but we only got 10-12 the few times we made these. This is the doughnut pan we use.