BACON AND EGG DOUGHNUTS

Bacon and Egg Doughnuts image

I've always wanted to try making some kind of sweet/savory bacon-studded fritter using pate a choux, also known as that stuff you make cream puffs with. I went full breakfast theme, and topped mine with a little maple syrup, but feel free to get your beignet on, and cover them with a pile of powdered sugar.

Provided by Chef John

Categories Breakfast and Brunch Meat and Seafood Bacon

Time 1h32m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 cup cold water
2 tablespoons cold water
½ cup butter
2 tablespoons white sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
12 strips bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
vegetable oil for deep frying
¼ cup maple syrup, for serving
¼ teaspoon salt

Steps:

Pour 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add butter, sugar, salt and nutmeg. When mixture starts to simmer, reduce heat to medium and add flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes together into a soft dough ball, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Pour in vanilla extract. Break up dough with a whisk or fork, and let cool for about 5 minutes.
Break an egg into the bowl with the dough and whisk until egg is incorporated and dough becomes smooth and sticky, 4 to 5 minutes. Dough will stick inside the whisk; clean out dough with a spatula before adding successive eggs, 1 at a time. Whisk in each egg until thoroughly incorporated into the dough. Clear dough from whisk; scrape down sides of bowl. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for about an hour.
Place bacon in cold skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bacon is browned and crisp and fat is rendered, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer bacon pieces to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. When bacon is cool enough to handle, place it on a cutting board and chop into small pieces. Reserve some bacon bits for topping the doughnuts.
Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Remove dough from refrigerator and stir in bacon pieces.
Drop dough by scoopfuls (about 2 tablespoons) into hot oil. Fry in batches to avoid crowding. Fry until dough begins to puff and brown, turning occasionally. After doughnuts expand and crack, keep turning them until they are evenly browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer to paper toweled-lined plate to drain slightly.
Serve hot, drizzled with maple syrup and topped with bacon pieces.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 541.5 calories, Carbohydrate 29.5 g, Cholesterol 185.2 mg, Fat 41.4 g, Fiber 0.6 g, Protein 13.4 g, SaturatedFat 15.2 g, Sodium 783.6 mg, Sugar 12.4 g