Here in Ohio – in the midst of bleak midwinter – we thought we'd share a burst of sunshine for all of you, here and elsewhere.  There's nothing like citrus to remind you of brighter days. And here at Cherbourg, we let citrus do some heavy lifting. It's not just a wedge in our water. We order lemons by the caseload and we use every bit of them. You're probably familiar with the Cherbourg double lemon bar, so let us introduce you to its seasonal, citrus cousin: the pink lemonade donut.  

Pink Lemonade Donuts Recipe

Yields 10-12 donuts (can be doubled) 

Ingredients for donut batter: 

• 1 oz. butter, melted

• ¾ C. whole milk warmed

• ¾ C. sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 C. flour

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. salt

• 3 Tbsps. lemon juice

• Zest of 1 lemon

Ingredients for strawberry lemonade glaze donut glaze: 

• 4 C. Confectioners sugar

• Zest and juice of one lemon

• *3 Tbsps. strawberry juice

*Make the day before - at the bakery we chop 2 cups of strawberries, place in a colander over a larger bowl, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and the juice of 1 lemon, in the morning the bowl will be full of strawberry juice.  

Directions for donut batter: 

1. Melt butter and warm the milk. This can be done together in an oven-safe container in a 300° oven or on the stovetop in medium-sized saucepan over a medium flame. Take out of the oven or off the flame once the butter is melted and milk is warm.

2. Add sugar to milk/butter mixture and whisk to combine.

3. Add eggs one at a time to batter, whisking to combine. Add lemon juice and lemon zest. Set this mixture aside.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

5. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and stir until just combined.

6. Butter and flour donut pans. Pour batter into the pans either directly from your bowl or for more control use a liquid measuring cup to pour batter into the pans. Fill to the top.

7. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes.

FINISHING and PLATING: 

1. Dip each donut in granulated sugar

2. Glaze with the strawberry lemonade glaze (palm the donut securely, so the donut does not fall apart from the weight of the glaze)

3. Put on individual muffins liners and display on a platter (do not stack)

The pink lemonade donut is a light, fluffy, baked donut covered in a bright, sweet, strawberry-infused glaze. Surprise! It's secretly a strawberry-lemonade donut. No need for artificial dyes here at Cherbourg! It's simple to make, ready in mere minutes, and won't weigh you down like traditional, fried donuts. Because who wants to wake up on a Saturday morning and put a big pot of oil on the burner? Not to mention that you'd have to prep a yeasted dough at least the day before. We've found at Cherbourg that gluten-free dough doesn't hold up well for frying. Do yourself a favor and buy a donut pan or two. They're cheap, versatile, and bake in no time at all. If you want to be a super-pro, you can prep this easy batter the day before, refrigerate it in the pans overnight, and simply wake up, turn on the oven, and slide them in. Once you're done making yourself a cup of coffee, they will almost be ready! 

The pink lemonade glaze also whisks together quickly. And if you have little hands at home that are always begging to be involved, let them take a turn with the dipping. Just let the donuts cool a little while before dipping them in the glaze (they can be a bit fragile while warm and you don't want half your donut left behind in the glaze). It might be a bit messy, but something tells us you won’t mind your countertop having a little extra pink lemonade glaze on it. The trick to making a good donut glaze is less about technique and more about looking for the right consistency. If it's too thick, it won’t want to stick to your donut and if it's too thin, it will run right off. Adjust your powdered sugar and strawberry-lemon juice as needed until the consistency is just right.  A wire rack is perfect for placing glazed donuts on after glazing.  

Make the start of your weekend a sweet one! 

Be Sweet & 

See you soon. 

Geri