Light Lenten baked doughnuts without lactose, butter, and eggs
During Lent Catholics are invited to simplicity and to eat food that is not overly rich or indulgent. For this reason I thought of preparing these simple, very soft, lower-calorie baked doughnuts during Lent, following an old recipe from Ada Boni’s “Talismano della Felicità,” with a special cooking method: these doughnuts are NOT fried. They are first boiled in boiling water and then baked; this simple step makes the doughnuts very soft without the need for frying.
Despite their lightness and simplicity, they are anise-flavored doughnuts that are really tasty and fluffy—they disappear in no time, one after another!
I used anise liqueur; if you decide to use anise seeds, let them macerate first for 15 minutes in a bowl with the wine, or you can use ground anise powder directly.
Light dessert without lactose, butter, or eggs.
If you are looking for other light and low-calorie recipes, click my Special: “Light Recipes“.
You might also be interested in:
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- Light Apple Cake by the Simili Sisters, Without Oil or Butter
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 20-30 doughnuts
- Cooking methods: Stove, Boiling, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Lent
Ingredients for Light Lenten Baked Doughnuts
- 4 cups All-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup White wine
- 3/4 cup Warm water (warm)
- 0.7 oz Fresh baker's yeast (about 20 g (or one standard 7 g packet of active dry yeast))
- 1 tbsp Anise seeds (or anise liqueur)
- to taste Salt
Tools
- Kitchen scale
- Bowls various sizes
- Stand mixer kenwood 1200 W power with double bowl
- Pot
- Donut cutter donut shape
- Baking pan extendable and adjustable
Preparation of Light Lenten Baked Doughnuts
Put the flour into the stand mixer bowl (you can also work the dough by hand) with the oil, powdered sugar, anise, the wine and the fresh yeast dissolved in 9 tablespoons of warm water.
Knead first with the paddle attachment for about ten minutes; then add the salt and continue working the dough with the dough hook for about 5 minutes.
The dough should come away from the sides of the bowl and remain fairly soft. Let the dough rise in a place protected from drafts for about an hour.
Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured work surface and form the doughnuts (either using a special cutter (see Shopping Tips below) or by forming ropes about 6–8 inches long and sealing the ends by pressing with a finger).
Place a wide, shallow pot on the stove with water and bring to a boil; then lower the heat and gently drop in a few doughnuts at a time.
As the doughnuts float to the surface, immediately lift them out with a slotted spoon and arrange them on a clean towel, placing them side by side.
When all the doughnuts have had their bath, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 15 minutes; they should take on a light golden color.
These little doughnuts are good even the next day.
Shopping Tips !!!
To knead perfectly and comfortably, I use my Kenwood Titanium Chef Patissier XL stand mixer with illuminated 7L bowl, integrated scale and blender, 1400W, a faithful ally in the kitchen for kneading, weighing, whipping, melting chocolate and pasteurizing eggs.
If instead you are looking for a cheaper and smaller stand mixer, you can safely choose Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker, with double bowls 5L and 3.5L, 1200W.
You can find both stand mixers on Amazon at a special price.
To quickly make the doughnuts I used this practical and handy donut cutter.
I also find this adjustable and extendable baking pan very useful.
You can buy all the items I recommend above on Amazon at a great price—just click directly on the related links.
When should you serve these wine-soaked doughnuts?
You can serve them with coffee after lunch or dinner, perhaps together with a small glass of sweet wine such as vin santo or moscato. A nice idea is to prepare them together with other cookie recipes to offer guests a bit of variety.
