These salty-sweet doughnuts are a speciality of Asbury Park’s Confections of a Rock$tar (but you don’t have to live in New Jersey to make them at home).
We know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and there’s no shortage of options no matter where in New Jersey you travel: A cup of coffee to go from the deli, bodega, or drive-through — just something to sip on while you’re commuting (and likely stuck in traffic) or taking that road trip down the shore. Eggs the way you want them at the diner, with your choice of toast. You want a side of bacon, sausage, or Taylor ham with that? On a sandwich with salt, pepper, and ketchup? What about a bagel with cream cheese? A hard roll wrapped in waxed paper? Or these salty-sweet doughnuts from Asbury Park’s Confections of a Rock$tar?
While it’s not hard to find familiar baked goods, owner Kimmee Masi and her staff also offer some offbeat selections like cupcakes topped with candied bacon. A former musician who played drums for a number of bands throughout Jersey, Masi has been working with musical acts on special bakery collaborations. It’s the perfect fit for a town like Asbury Park.
When making these doughnuts, you’ll want to use a chocolate that, once melted, hardens quickly and evenly. You can buy specialty melting chocolate for this, but in general, most high-quality chocolate will do the job. These doughnuts use beer as their liquid; if you want to go a more traditional route, simply substitute 3/4 cup buttermilk plus 2 tablespoons water for the beer. Be forewarned: they’re the kind of snack where you can’t have just one.
Fresh Doughnuts with Beer Glaze and Chocolate-Covered Potato Chip Crumbles
Makes 10–12 doughnuts
Ingredients
The Crumble
- 1½ cups Valrhona or other premium milk chocolate
- 4¼ ounces kettle chips (about half of a big bag)
The Doughnuts
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons India pale ale
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2½ tablespoons butter
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Vegetable oil, for frying
The Glaze
- ¼ cup India pale ale
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions
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The crumble begins with melted chocolate: Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 20 seconds. Stir. If there is still unmelted chocolate in the bowl, heat in 10-second bursts until fully melted.
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Carefully coat the potato chips by dipping into the chocolate, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow to cool completely.
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Once the chips are completely cool, crush them into crumbles. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
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Time to make the doughnuts: Heat the beer in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it reaches 105°F. Pour the warm beer into the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast and half of the granulated sugar (2 tablespoons + 21/2 teaspoons) over the surface; let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy. Add the remaining granulated sugar (2 tablespoons + 21/2 teaspoons), the egg, and the butter, and whisk to combine well.
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In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and salt together, and then add to the wet ingredients. Use a dough hook attachment to mix until the batter forms a ball, 2 to 3 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
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Remove the dough to a floured surface and roll it out to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a doughnut cutter to make 10 to 12 doughnuts. You can reroll and cut extra dough, but those doughnuts will be denser. Place the cut doughnuts on a tray and let sit, uncovered, in a warm place for 30 minutes.
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Pour about 3 inches of oil into a large heavy pot and heat to 265°F. Set up a rack with paper towels underneath for draining the fried doughnuts. Fry the doughnuts in batches until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Set on the prepared rack to cool.
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To make the glaze, pour the beer into a mixing bowl and whisk gently to release some of the bubbles. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar and whisk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add a bit of water to thin it out.
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When the doughnuts are room temperature, you’re ready to glaze them. (If they’re still warm, the chocolate will melt off the potato chip topping.) Dip each doughnut in the glaze, then set back on the rack. Once the glaze sets (just a few minutes), sprinkle the chocolate-covered potato chips over the top.
Text and recipe excerpted from Dishing Up® New Jersey © 2016 by John Holl. Photo © Amy Roth. All rights reserved.
