How to Make Cream-Filled Doughnuts

Nothing can satisfy a serious sweet tooth more than biting into a tender, sweet doughnut and tasting the deliciously creamy filling hidden in the middle. Take-out doughnuts are fine, but when you try homemade filled doughnuts, take-out doughnuts will never again seem the same.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 pkg. active dry yeast
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 7 cups all-purpose flour
• Peanut oil for frying
• Pastry bag with a small tip

Instructions

Cream Filling

1. Place the shortening in a mixing bowl.

2. Add the powdered sugar, white sugar and vanilla extract.

3. Mix the cream filling with an electric mixer for about ten minutes, until the cream filling is thick and creamy.

Doughnuts

1. Scald the milk in a small saucepan and set it aside. Allow it to cool to lukewarm before using it.

2. Put the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast on the top. Allow it to sit for a few minutes until it begins to foam and then stir it to blend with the water.

3. Break the eggs into a small mixing bowl and beat them slightly with a fork. Add the oil, sugar and salt and mix well. Stir in the yeast mixture and stir until it's incorporated into the other ingredients. Add the flour a little at a time, stirring as you add.

4. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 15 minutes. Put a dry towel over the dough and let it rise until it doubles in size, about 2 hours. Punch the dough down, cover it, and allow it to rise for an additional hour.

5. Pat and roll the dough until it's about 1/2 inch thick and cut it with a doughnut cutter. Spray a baking sheet with a light coating of non-stick cooking spray and put the doughnuts on the pan, leaving about an inch between each one. Cover the pans with a dry towel and allow the doughnuts to rise for about 30 minutes.

6. Fry the doughnuts in hot peanut oil for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, and remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon. Place them on paper towels to drain.

7. Fill a pastry bag with the cream filling, push the tip into each doughnut and squeeze in a small amount of filling.