Yeast Donuts with White Chocolate Glaze

Soft, airy and light yeast donuts are delicious treats, especially when glazed with luscious white chocolate and topped with crunchy almond slices. So simple but so good!

Vacations are a nice way to explore many delicious treats that I wouldn’t normally discover at home. Every time we come home to the Philippines, I fall in love, over and over again, with J.Co Donuts, especially in the one that they call Al Capone donuts.

Oh the joy of bringing back home boxes after boxes of J.Co, and despite the crazy, long lines, I was willing to do it again the next day. Not to mention that once we were there during the Christmas season. The malls were jam-packed with people that it was a real struggle to maneuver a kid’s stroller around. Oh Philippines, Philippines, I miss the haste! 

And J.Co Donuts, I miss you too!

So, when we went back here in Canada, one of the first things I listed in my blogging notebook is to make Al Capone Donuts. But what in the world is Al Capone?  I have not got a clear answer or a recipe from researching on the web for the term.

But a quick look on J.Co Donuts website gave away what I needed to know. Al Capone donuts are made of white chocolate! That is the mysterious, white, delicious thing lying underneath the almonds.  And then the baking, no, the frying begins!

Yeast Donuts with White Chocolate Almond Glaze (Al Capone Donuts): The Process

Add the warm water in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast and about a teaspoon of sugar. Let this stand for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and frothy.

Add in the warm milk, egg, melted butter, sugar and salt. Stir everything well. Add three cups of flour, one cup at a time until the dough gathers into a shaggy mass. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of flour to coat the dough and turn it over on a floured surface.

Knead the dough until it is stretchy and smooth, adding a few tablespoons of flour while kneading to help with the stickiness. Shape the kneaded dough into a ball, then place it in a bowl Cover it with a clean towel and allow it to rise for 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in bulk.  

Gently deflate the risen dough and divide it into 2 portions. On a floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out one portion into a rough rectangle that is 1/2 inch thick. Using a donut cutter, cut 7-8 donuts. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Gather the scraps and re-roll, then cut more donuts as you can.

Place the cut donuts and donut holes on pre-cut parchment paper and arrange them on a baking pan. Cover the baking pan loosely and allow the donuts to rise for 40 minutes.

Heat about 3 inches of oil on a heavy-bottomed pan, until the temperature reaches 350 F. Fry 2-4 donuts at a time, gently peeling off the parchment backing, and lowering them into the hot oil. Fry the donuts until golden on each side, about 1-2 minutes in total. Do not overcrowd the pan to maintain the oil temperature.

Drain the donuts on a towel-lined baking pan. Once they are cooked, make the white chocolate glaze. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the white chocolate, stirring constantly until it is smooth. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool slightly.

Dip each donut in the white chocolate glaze, then sprinkle the top with flaked almonds. Serve.

Writing this post stirred up a lot of emotions in me. First, I craved donuts at exactly 5:42 am. Second, I miss home. I mean, I miss the Philippines, my home and being with the people.

I miss how we all gathered around in one J. Co box, multiple hands reaching for donuts.

But then again, I just remind myself that I can make these donuts anytime, and have them here at home. And then it will just be like being back home. And I will be constantly reminded of good memories, here at our beloved home, with memories from back home.

I know you get me.

More delicious treats from the blog:

• Mamon Recipe
• Mocha Cake Roll
• Puto Recipe with Cheese
• Cornbread Muffins
• Best Ever Brownies
• Salted Caramel Scones
• Tiramisu Donuts
• Buttermilk Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Continue to Content

Yeast Donuts with White Chocolate Almond Glaze

Yield: 15

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 3 minutes

Soft, airy and light yeast donuts are delicious treats especially when glazed with luscious white chocolate and topped with crunchy almond slices.

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Ingredients

For the Yeast Donuts

• 1/2 cup warm water (105-115 F)
• 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 up sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading (see notes)

For the White Chocolate Glaze

• 150 grams white chocolate
• Flaked almonds, for topping.

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast and about a teaspoon of sugar. Let this stand for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and frothy.
2. Add in the warm milk, egg, melted butter, sugar and salt. Stir everything well with a wooden spoon. Add three cups of flour, one cup at a time until the dough gathers into a shaggy mass. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of flour to coat the dough and turn it over on a floured surface.
3. Knead the dough until it is nice and smooth, adding a few tablespoons of flour to help with the stickiness. Shape the kneaded dough into a ball, then place it in a bowl Cover it with a clean towel and allow it to rise for 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in bulk.
4. Gently deflate the risen dough. Divide it onto 2 portions. On a floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out one portion of the dough into a rough rectangle that is 1/2 inch thick. Using a donut cutter, cut 7-8 donuts, then repeat with the other half of the dough. Gather all the scraps, re-roll and cut more donuts until all dough is used up. Note that some donuts may not be frosted and are just extras.
5. Place the cut donuts and donut holes on pre-cut parchment paper and arrange them on a baking pan ( see photos in the post). Cover the baking pan loosely and allow the donuts to rise for 40 minutes.
6. Heat about 3 inches of oil on a heavy-bottomed pan, until the temperature reaches 350 F. Fry 2-4 donuts at a time, gently peeling off the parchment backing, and lowering them into the hot oil. Fry the donuts until golden each side, about 1-2 minutes total per batch. Do not overcrowd the pan to maintain the oil temperature.
7. Drain the donuts on a towel-lined baking pan. Once they are cooked, make the white chocolate glaze. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the white chocolate, stirring constantly until it is smooth. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool slightly.
8. Dip each donut in the white chocolate glaze, then sprinkle the top with flaked almonds. Serve.

Notes

During kneading, you may have to use up to 1/2 cup more of flour to help when the dough sticks to the board or your hands. But do not over flour! Just add only as needed and sparingly only.

Donuts cook fast. Do not walk away while frying as a donut may take less than a minute to cook.

Maintain a range temperature of 310-350 F for your oil during frying. If the donuts are browning too fast, your oil may be too hot. Lower the heat as needed.

Store leftover donuts at room temperature, in a covered container for up to 2 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 197Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 130mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 4g