SAEDNEWS: If you want to make delicious and healthy cream-filled donuts at home, follow this article to the end.
According to Saednews, One of the most popular Persian pastries and breads is piroshki, a versatile treat available in many different varieties. For generations, cream-filled, sugar-coated, and chocolate-filled piroshki have been popular with both children and adults. Today, this beloved pastry comes in even more varieties, including meat-, chicken-, and other savory-filled versions.
Piroshki are commonly served for breakfast, afternoon tea, or as a snack. They have long been a popular street food, and when walking around the city, you are likely to come across numerous piroshki shops.
Many people who are particularly conscious about the quality and healthiness of food, especially when preparing treats for children, prefer to make these delicious pastries at home. With the recipe below, you can easily prepare homemade cream-filled piroshki in a bakery-style fashion and enjoy their delicious flavor.
2½ teaspoons active dry yeast
⅔ cup milk
3½ cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs
7 tablespoons butter
1½ cups milk
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cake flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons heavy cream
Frying oil, as needed
Sugar, for coating
To begin, combine the yeast with room-temperature milk in a suitable bowl. Cover the bowl and allow the yeast to dissolve properly in the milk.
One to two minutes should be enough. Once the yeast has dissolved, transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the flour, eggs, salt, and sugar, and mix on low speed until well combined.
Mixing for approximately three to four minutes is usually sufficient. By the end of this time, the dough should be smooth and evenly combined.
Tip: If the yeast does not become foamy after about five minutes, try using fresh yeast. The eggs should also be at room temperature, as this helps produce a more flexible dough.
Next, cut the butter into several pieces and add it gradually to the dough. Add two pieces at a time, allowing each addition to blend thoroughly with the other ingredients before adding more.
Continue mixing for approximately five to six minutes after each addition, until all the butter has been incorporated.
Once the butter is fully mixed in and the dough has become soft, remove it from the mixer and place it in another suitable bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for approximately six hours to allow it to rest.
After about 10 minutes of mixing, the dough should be smooth, stretchy, and slightly sticky. Using butter that has reached room temperature will also help the dough rise more quickly.
While the dough is chilling, prepare the cream filling.
Combine the sugar, salt, and cake flour in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks for approximately 30 seconds, until smooth and well combined.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg yolks, stirring until the mixture becomes thick and paste-like.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a medium saucepan and then set it aside. The milk should be heated over medium heat until small bubbles begin to appear around the edges of the pan.
Slowly pour the hot milk into the beaten egg yolks while continuously whisking. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat.
Continue whisking constantly for approximately three minutes, until the mixture becomes thick.
Finally, bring the mixture to a rapid boil for about 10 seconds while stirring, then remove it from the heat. The finished cream should be thick and glossy and should not become foamy during those 10 seconds.
Pass the cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly with a whisk or electric mixer.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Press the plastic wrap directly against the surface of the cream with your palm to prevent a skin from forming.
Refrigerate the cream for at least four hours and up to three days, until thoroughly chilled.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and lightly flour your work surface. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin.
Be careful not to roll it too thin or too thick. Using an approximately 8-cm (3-inch) round cutter, cut the dough into individual piroshki.
Arrange the cut pieces separately on a baking tray. Place the tray in a warm location and cover it with plastic wrap or a clean cloth.
Allow the piroshki to rise until they have doubled in size and become light and puffy. Approximately two to three hours should be sufficient.
Once the piroshki have become puffy, they are ready to fry.
Choose a deep frying pan and fill it about halfway with oil. Once the oil is hot, carefully place the piroshki into the oil one at a time.
Fry each side for approximately two to three minutes, until beautifully golden brown.
Keep the oil at medium heat so the piroshki cook evenly. While frying, you can spoon hot oil over the tops to help them puff up further.
Once cooked, transfer the piroshki to paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
Frying at too low a temperature will cause the piroshki to absorb too much oil.
Frying at an excessively high temperature will brown the outside too quickly while leaving the center undercooked.
Maintaining a moderate oil temperature is the key to achieving a golden exterior and fully cooked interior.
Prepare a bowl of sugar and coat the cooled piroshki one by one.
For the best coating, roll the piroshki in sugar while they are still warm so that the sugar adheres well to the surface. After coating, allow them to cool for another 30–40 minutes.
Whip six tablespoons of the chilled heavy cream on medium-high speed until slightly softened.
Make a small hole in the side of each piroshki using a knife or wooden skewer. Fill a piping bag with the cream and pipe the filling generously into the center of each pastry.
These piroshki are best served while they are fresh and warm. For decoration, you can drizzle melted chocolate over them or dust them with powdered sugar.
Your homemade cream-filled piroshki are ready to serve. Enjoy!
Now that you know how to make this nostalgic pastry, you can easily prepare a batch of delicious piroshki for family gatherings, parties, or afternoon snacks. Keep the following storage tips in mind to get the best results.
Because these pastries contain cream filling, they are best served fresh and warm.
If you leave them unfilled, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for one to two days.
Once filled with cream, they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days.
Absolutely. The center of these delicious pastries can be filled with other types of filling, such as vanilla pudding or prepared pudding.
Yes. Piroshki can be prepared in many different ways and with a wide variety of fillings. You can also experiment with other homemade versions, including extra-fluffy piroshki and different sweet or savory fillings.
