Lucky Trinkets/-/ Golden smoked spud nuts

Busy, busy, busy! 3 days until my sister’s wedding and I am doing the dessert table. So this means many cupcakes and many macarons. When someone ask me to make things I normally pretend to mind, but in reality I love any chance to get into the kitchen, even if it is not my favourite thing to make. Yes, Even though I can make macrons does not mean I enjoy eating them every day. My friends seem to find this trait weird but it is like person who works in the chocolate factory.



Everyone right now is on high alert and is in good spirits for her wedding. My extended family is in town that have not seen in 5 years which is great. The bad thing is that I am normally too shy and uncomfortable in large crowds. This means that awkwardness and uncomfortable silences are a sure thing; sometimes I wish I were not such an introvert. There was a point when I was not so shy, this was when I had a lucky coin, which I carried with me if I had to ever give a speech or be in a crowd. While many of you probably think I was being immature for thinking a coin could bestow good luck, but it boosted my confidence to acceptable levels.



First time, I used it for speech where I did not stumble and shake as I normally do. Second time, I found a large sum of money on the street. Third, I had it with me for an exam, which surprising I passed after skipping most classes for the year. The last one had lot to do with luck!

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of throwing out a pair of pants where I was carrying it. Damn.... lady luck dumped me.



Do you have a lucky trinket you carry? Please tell me I am not only one.

Normal wedding traditions have lucky symbols for a successful, happy marriage. You know the something blue, something odd, something new etc... In Chinese tradition the colours of gold and the continuous round lines are symbols of good luck and prosperity (well that what I learnt from the feng shui master). It is only
right I combine the two in bread.



Golden smoked spud nuts are baked donuts, which are made from an intensity-flavoured base of smoked potatoes, egg yolks and brown butter. I know donuts should be fried, but these donuts are still light due to the smoked potatoes. Like other vegetable flours (corn flour, potato flour etc.), they seem to make them baked goods softer; you have seen the numerous recipes which use this trick. This is well known for hundred of year but for some reason, we have only started using this now. Rich yolks and the nuttiness of brown butter boost the flavour and contribute to the golden hue of this bread without the need of colours.



It is such a strike of lucky that St Patrick’s day is coming round too! I normally Australia is not big on this holiday but with the attractiveness of booze; it is growing at a rapid rate. For me, Irish means potatoes, booze and lucky charms. While these donuts have a savoury edge, they would be wonderful served with honey and clotted cream or as lunchtime sandwich with smoked salmon and dill.

Whether you believe in luck or not, I would be happy to find a pot of these golden ringlets at the end of rainbow.



Golden Smoked Spud nuts

Makes 15 donuts and 15 holes



200g smoked potatoes, mashed

50g brown butter

70g raw sugar

350g Bread flour

150g milk, warm

5g salt

7g dry yeast

1 tbsp Brandy

3 yolks



Smoke potatoes
From Heston’s exploding potato donuts

Prick the potatoes (i used four medium ones) all over with a fork then coat them in groundnut oil and place them on a layer of salt spread on a baking tray. Place the tray in the preheated oven for 2 hours.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and cut them in half.

Place the smoking chips on the bottom of a saucepan and place over a high heat. Using a blow torch, light the chips until they begin to smoke.

Using aluminium foil, make a ‘pillow’ and place in the centre of the pan. Place the potatoes on top of the pillow and cover the pan with a lid. Allow to smoke for 5 minutes.

When smoked, scoop the flesh from the potatoes and reserve the skins. Put the potato flesh through a sieve and weigh out 200g. Reserve



Bread recipe
Adapted from these Sweet potato donuts

Combine sugar, milk and 2g yeast in jug and leave for 1 hour. This should be quick leaven for the bread.

In large bowl, add flour, smoke potatoes, brown butter, milk mix, salt, remaining year, brandy and yolks. Stir to combine. Turn out on to an oiled surface.

Knead the dough until it passes the windowpane test. I did 30 minutes of kneading with a break at 15 minutes for 10 minutes to rest the dough.

Mould into a ball and placed in an oiled bowl covered with cling. Leave to proof for 1-2hours.

Punch dough down once doubled and leave for 5 minutes.

Roll out dough in to a rectangle about 1.5 cm thick. Using a 8cm round cutter, cut circles from this dough. With a 2cm cutter cut the holes for the donuts from these 8cm rounds. You may get more or less depending if you re knead the dough and make new donuts from the scraps.

Transfer to a tray lined with baking paper. Leave to proof for 1 hour.

Pre heat oven to 180c.

Bake for 25 minutes. Once baked transfer to cooling rack.

Submitted to yeastspotting