Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Donuts

Several weeks back, I had made these scrumptious mini donuts and brought them to work to share with the office. The girls DEVOURED them and could not get enough. I thought it was fitting to end my journey in law (for now? perhaps) with this recipe, which began my blogging journey this year.

Below is the recipe for these bite-size donuts, adapted from Tutti Dolci’s Meyer Lemon & Poppy Seed Doughnuts.

• 2 tsp or 8 grams of active yeast
• 2 Tbsp of very warm water
• Zest of 2 lemons (preferably Meyer lemon for a sweeter tang)
• 1/2 cup sugar 2 cups cake flour*
• 2 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup buttermilk
**
• 2 lightly beaten eggs
• 2 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• Zest of one lemon
• Juice of 2 lemons

*How to make your own cake flour: Cake flour is just a combination f all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Tutti Dolci suggests placing 2 tablespoons cornstarch in an empty 1-cup measuring cup and then topping it up with flour. Before use, sift the mixture several times to evenly distribute the cornstarch in the flour.

**How to make your own buttermilk: Pour 1 tbsp of vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of milk (skim, whole, cream). After about 5-10 minutes, the milk will start to curdle. Loosen up any curdles or chunks before use.

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a standard mini donut pan (12 per pan) with nonstick spray or coat with a light layer of unsalted butter.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the yeast and warm water together. Set it aside and wait as the yeast starts to activate and bubble in the water! In the meantime, zest 2 lemons and mix it with the sugar.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients by mixing the lemon/sugar, cake flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients by mixing the buttermilk, eggs, butter, and yeast/water together. Then add the dry mixture into the wet mixture and stir until combined.
5. Spoon batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip and fill each mini donut cup about 1/2 to 2/3 full. If you do not have a pastry bag with round tip, you can spoon the batter into a plastic sandwich bag with one corner of the bag snipped off to emulate a round tip.
6. Bake the batter for about 6 to 7 minutes. The tops of the mini donuts should spring back when you poke it.

1. Place the hot mini donuts on a wire rack to cool completely before glazing. Remember to spray the pan with non-stick spray or unsalted butter between each batch.
2. For the glaze: Whisk together the icing sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Dip each mini donut top in the glaze before placing them back on the wire rack to set. I suggest you place parchment paper under the wire rack to catch any glaze that may drip off the donuts.