Ingredients
75g (3oz) Butter
125g (4oz) Flour
4 Eggs
¼ litre (7fl oz) Water
1 Teaspoon of Sugar
Oil for frying
Pinch of salt
Icing sugar to decorate
For Custard Cream Filling
3 Egg yolks
4 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cornflour
Grated rind of a lemon
¼ litre (7fl oz) Boiled milk
Method
These doughnuts are hollow inside, that is why they are called 'Airy'. The secret is in the way they are fried.
(1) Place the butter, salt, sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the flour all at once and beat until the mixture no longer sticks to the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat.
(2) Beat in the eggs, one at a time (making sure that each one is well mixed in before adding another one).
(3) Heat plenty of oil in a large frying pan and before it is too hot, drop in little balls of batter to test. The secret is in the temperature of the oil. It must not be too hot, as the doughnuts must first sink in the oil and rise again without browning.
(4) When one side has swollen, turn over to allow the other side to swell up. Fry until the doughnuts are golden and have burst open.
(5) Keep the temperature even and fry in batches. When the doughnuts are golden around the crack where they burst, drain well and make a slit in the crack with scissors.
(6) Leave to cool, fill with the Custard Cream Filling and dust with icing sugar.
Custard Cream Filling
(7) Place the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour and grated lemon rind in a saucepan. Pour on the boiling milk and simmer until thickened, stirring constantly. Leave to cool.