Watercress and Grapefruit Baked Doughnuts with Citrus Glaze and Grapefruit Pearls

Donuts on a wooden table, next to half a grapefruit.

5 from 2 votes

Watercress and Grapefruit Baked Doughnuts with Citrus Glaze and Grapefruit Pearls

In these Grapefruit Watercress Donuts, the peppery flavor of the watercress fades, leaving a lovely earthy taste that pears beautifully with the grapefruit. The grapefruit pears are a fun alternative to sprinkles.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 212kcal

Author: Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts

Equipment

Donut pan

Ingredients

50 g 1 cup, packed fresh raw watercress
250 g 2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
100 g ¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 egg
250 ml 1 cup buttermilk (or mix full-fat milk with 3 teaspoons of lemon juice and let stand for five minutes)
2 tablespoons butter melted
1 tablespoon pink grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon grapefruit zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the grapefruit pearls:

Half a grapefruit
Oil to cover

For the glaze:

200 g 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons grapefruit juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 175C/350F. Grease a doughnut pan.
Simmer the watercress for a few minutes until tender. Drain, refresh under cold water, squeeze out the moisture and puree with a hand-held blender or food mill. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl, whisk the watercress, egg, oil, buttermilk, butter, zest, juice and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and gently stir to combine but don’t overmix.
Fill the doughnut moulds with the batter until nearly full and bake for 15 minutes or until springy and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tray for 5 mintues, then carefully remove from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the grapefruit pearls

Peel and segment the grapefruit over a bowl to catch the juices (reserve for the glaze). Put the segments in a bowl and cover with olive oil. Gently stir, occasionally. After about 15 minutes the grapefruit will dissolve into pearls. Strain the grapefruit (reserve the infused oil for salad dressings) and rinse under cold water to remove traces of oil. Set aside.

For the glaze

Mix both ingredients until smooth, adding more juice to make a thin consistency. Dip the fully cooled doughnuts in the glaze and allow to cool on a wire rack. Top with the grapefruit pearls.

Nutrition