Leche Flan Donut recipe

Being at home, my wife has put me to task of coming up with a donut combining her favourite things to devour. Using her Filipino heritage, I took the best of what they do in terms of delicious, sweet products and combined them to create a brioche style donut, filled with crème caramel cream and leche flan – which is their version of crème caramel but using condensed milk. 

First attempt turns out perfect. Not too sweet, and absolutely moreish. I'm in the good books.

Ingredients

For the leche flan

• 6 Egg yolks
• 375ml Condensed milk
• 375ml Evaporated milk
• 200g Sugar

For the donut 

• 60 ml Warm water
• 12g Yeast
• 22ml Evaporated milk
• 122ml Fresh milk
• 100g Sugar
• 100g Margarine
• 3g Salt
• 65g Egg yolk
• 5g Bread improver
• 445g Flour

Method

For the leche flan

1. Put sugar in a small heavy based pot and place on a medium heat. Melt it down until you have achieved a nice golden caramel colour. Pour into a 12cm by 10cm oven proof deep tray. Let it cool.

2. Combine the milks and egg yolks together and blend until thoroughly mixed. Pour this mixture onto the caramel. 

3. Place this tray inside a deep larger tray and half fill the larger tray with hot water. Cover with foil. Carefully place this into a 140 degree oven for 35 minutes. Once set, place into the fridge to cool down.

For the donut

1. Mix yeast into warm water and allow to activate for 10 minutes.

2. Heat up the two milks until warm. Place all wet ingredients into an electric mixer (I use a KitchenAid) with the dough hook attachment. Mix on a low speed to start the process. Now mix all the dry ingredients and start adding it slowly. Keep adding a little more flour until the mix comes away from the sides and is elastic. This should take at least 10 minutes. 

3. Remove the dough onto a lightly greased surface and use your hands to form a ball. Place dough into a large bowl and allow to prove. The dough will double in size. 

4. Once proved, portion the dough into 45g balls and lay them out on a lightly greased tray nicely spaced out and allow to prove once more.

5. Heat deep fryer to 180 degrees and once the balls have risen, fry them on both sides until golden brown. Remove from fryer and place onto absorbent paper.

6. Using a cutter, cut the set leche flan into 3cm rounds. Take the excess flan and blend it smooth. Cut a hole in the top of the donut to make a cavity deep enough to fit the flan disk. Place some flan cream inside the cavity and then slide the leche flan disk into the same hole. 

7. Dust the completed donut with icing sugar.

Bon appetit.

Elton Inglis is the Executive Chef at Portside Sydney, part of Trippas White Group, and has worked alongside the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver. Find out more.