Leche Flan Doughnut Recipe

For the leche flan: Prepare a steamer over low heat or the oven set at 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C. 

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt sugar and cook, swirling the pan, until golden brown and caramelized. Immediately remove from the stove and pour into a 8x8-inch square baking dish. Swirl the pan as necessary until the bottom is covered. Set aside to cool.  

In a large bowl, combine egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract. Pass through a sieve or strainer to remove any egg whites. Gently pour into the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and steam or bake until edges are just set, about 45 minutes in the steamer and 70 minutes in the oven. Remove from the heat, cool completely, then chill until ready to use. 

For the leche flan custard cream: whisk together dulce de leche, fresh milk, 3 egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a saucepan over low heat until the dulce de leche dissolves. Heat the mixture, stirring regularly with a silicone spatula, until the mixture has thickened. Pass through a sieve to remove any lumps and cooked egg, if any. Stir in vanilla extract. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Cool completely then chill until needed.   

(You can make an easy dulce de leche recipe from scratch!)  

For the doughnut dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, whisk together the flour, sugar, nutmeg (or cinnamon if using), and instant yeast. Add the salt and make a well in the center. Pour in the heated milk, beaten eggs, and vanilla extract. Start the stand mixer on Low and mix until the ingredients have combined. (If necessary, add a sprinkle of flour if too wet or fresh milk if too dry.)  

Increase the speed to Medium and knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and cleanly releases from the bowl. Remove the dough from the dough hook, return to the bowl, and cover with a towel. Set aside in a warm area for 45 minutes up to 1 hour or until the dough has risen to double its size. 

Once doubled in size, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. lightly roll out the dough until 1/2-inch thick. Using a large round cookie cutter, cut out doughnut rounds from the dough and place on parchment paper on a sheet tray. Cover. (Recombine any dough scraps together and set aside for at least 30 minutes before rolling out again and making more rounds.) Set aside dough in a warm place to rise another 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat enough oil in a wide pot for deep frying. Uncover doughnut rounds and gently each dough ball into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown then flip. Once golden brown on both sides and fluffy, remove from the oil and onto a rack over paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cool completely. 

To assemble: Using a small round cookie cutter and a sharp knife, trace and cut out the center of the doughnuts. Remove just enough to create a well for the two kinds of filling. Spoon about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons custard into the well. Repeat with remaining doughnuts. 

Using the same small cookie cutter, cut out leche flan rounds from the prepared leche flan. Using an offset spatula, lift and then carefully flip a leche flan round upside down onto a plate, so the browned caramelized surface is on top. Lift and then carefully place the leche flan round into the center of each doughnut. Repeat with remaining doughnuts. 

To serve, sprinkle powdered sugar over each doughnut and drizzle leche flan caramel over each leche flan center. Serve immediately. If desired, gently heat the doughnut in a toaster oven for 3 minutes until just warmed through.