Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Vanilla Bean Gelato
- Combine the whole milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape the seeds into the pan, and drop the empty pod in too. Heat over medium until just below a boil, then remove from heat and steep for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt together in a separate bowl until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened.
- Ladle about a quarter cup of the warm milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly. Repeat two more times, then pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking continuously.
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (170 to 175°F). Do not let it boil.
- Remove the vanilla pod and strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions until soft and creamy. Transfer to a container and freeze until ready to serve.
Steep the Pod Too: The empty vanilla pod still holds oils. Keeping it in the cream during the steep pulls out every last bit of flavor before you strain.
Temper Slowly: Adding the hot cream to the yolks too fast scrambles them. Go slow and keep whisking throughout the process.
Apple Cider Donuts
- Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup of dark, syrupy concentrate, approximately 15 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, melted butter, and the cooled cider reduction until fully combined.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a sticky dough forms. Do not add extra flour. The stickiness is correct.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently roll to about half an inch thick. Cut donuts and holes using a donut cutter or two round cutters of different sizes.
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep pot to 350°F. Fry the donuts in small batches for 1 to 2 minutes per side until deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to drain. Not paper towels.
Reduce the Cider First: Cooking the cider down concentrates the apple flavor so it actually comes through in the finished donut instead of disappearing into the dough.
Rack, Not Paper Towels: Paper towels trap steam under a hot donut and soften the crust. A wire rack lets air circulate and keeps the exterior where you want it.
Spiced Caramel Drizzle
- Combine the sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium without stirring until the sugar dissolves and turns deep amber in color, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove from heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. It will bubble aggressively. Keep whisking until smooth.
- Stir in the butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until fully incorporated. Set aside to cool slightly before drizzling.
Don't Stir the Sugar: Stirring before the sugar fully melts causes crystallization. Leave it alone and swirl the pan gently if needed, but keep the spoon out until the cream goes in.
Pecan Crunch
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped pecans and sugar, stirring frequently.
- Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the sugar melts and coats the pecans in a glossy caramel. Sprinkle with salt, then spread immediately onto parchment paper to cool and harden.
Notes
Plating: Warm wide plate, donut out of the fryer within two minutes of plating. One donut set in the center. Caramel drizzled in short streaks across the donut and onto the plate. Pecan crunch scattered over the donut and around the base. Gelato scooped right on top of the donut so it melts down into the caramel. Out of the pass in 15 seconds. Warm and cold is the whole dish.
Wine: Late harvest Riesling or tawny port. You need sweetness and acidity to cut through the caramel. A dry sparkling cider also works and keeps the apple theme running through the whole dessert.
Prep ahead: Make the gelato the day before. The caramel can be made earlier in the day and gently reheated at service. The pecan crunch holds in an airtight container for several days. The donut dough can be mixed and refrigerated for a few hours, but fry as close to service as possible.
Scaling for service: To 8: double everything except the caramel, a single batch covers 8 easily. Fry in batches of 6, hold finished donuts on a rack in a 200°F oven uncovered, 10 minutes max before they lose crunch. To 12: triple the dough and gelato, 1.5x the caramel, fry continuously with two people plating. Never stack warm donuts or the steam goes right through and the caramel turns tacky and the crunch softens.
Dietary swaps: To make it GF: the donut dough does not convert cleanly. A 1-to-1 GF flour blend gives a denser, greasier donut because GF flours absorb oil differently. If someone at the table needs GF, serve them the gelato with caramel and pecan crunch in a bowl instead, it is a real dessert on its own. Not easily dairy-free. The caramel, gelato, and donut dough all depend on butter and cream. Nut-free option: skip the pecan crunch and add an extra drizzle of caramel. Vegetarian as written.