Cheddar Croissant Donuts with Honey Mustard

[C]an you even remember who you were before you knew that we could turn donuts into croissants and croissants into donuts?  I can’t remember either.  None of that time must have been important.  It’s like life before Instagram… can we even call that life?  

 What if we add cheese to croissant donuts?  What kind of maniacs would we be?  Like mad scientists with cheese on our lips and honey mustard in our hair.  

Well… here’s how!  

Golden brown.  Melty cheddar.  Not a care in the world… well, fewer cares at least.

We need to talk about puff pastry because not all puff pastry is created equal.  

This recipe works best with square-shaped, definitely all-butter, thawed puff pastry.  I love Dufour which is a little pricey, but totally worth the dollars.  It’s made with butter, not weirdo fats.  I like butter.  I’m an enthusiast.  

Tri-folded square-shaped puff pastry is also handy in terms of how we’re going to fold cheese into this business.  

Two pieces of puff pastry are thawed to a cold room temperature then carefully unfolded and slightly rolled out on a lightly floured work surface.  

Sliced cheese (I used colby jack, but sharp cheddar would also be great) is placed onto the puff pastry.  You can also grate the cheese if you don’t want to slice it.  Just get some cheese on there.  It’s not rocket science (I mean… right?). 

Good idea:  Spread a bit of whole grain mustard on top of the cheddar and puff pastry.  Added flavor and great glue as you place the other piece of puff pastry on top of the cheese layer.  

The two layers of puff pastry with cheddar and mustard sandwiches in between… the whole thing is folded into thirds.  

The puff pastry should be relatively cold.  Not firm, just a bit of a chill.  It will make rolling the filled dough easier.  If your puff pastry (or kitchen) is too warm, just pop the dough in the refrigerator for a few minutes.  

Roll the filled puff pastry to about 1/3-inch thickness. 

Just roll gently.  Try not to tear where the cheddar and puff tasty come together.  

Two biscuit cutters:  one big, one small.  That’s what makes a donut.   

Cut circles into the cheddar filled dough.  These little jammers are hitting the fryer! 

Never underestimate the power of a donut hole, especially if it’s filled with cheddar.  In fact, you’ll want to slice more little donut holes from the excess donut.  

Fry as much as you can, really.  

Now… hot oil frying isn’t as scary and daunting as you might think.

I used a large heavy-bottom pot with about 2-inches of canola oil.  A fry thermometer is essential.  It’s really important to know how hot your oil is as you’re cooking so you know that your donuts cook and brown without absorbing too much oil.  

As the donuts cook, you’ll find that some of the cheese cooks out of the donut.  Don’t worry.  There will still be plenty of melty goodness in the donuts when the come out of the oil.  

Fry.  Flip once or twice.  Get golden.  Remove. Drain on paper towel.  Bring the oil back up to temperature.  Fry another batch.  

That’s how this goes.  

 Warm croissant donuts are lightly glazed with a mixture of whole grain mustard and honey.  If you have chives on hand, chop those up and sprinkle your donuts!  That’s the best idea.  

Enjoy warm or at room temperature the day they’re made.  They’re delicious.  Call somebody… you can’t be the only one all up in this goodness! 

Cheddar Croissant Donuts with honey mustard

• Author: Joy the Baker
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 30
• Yield: 10 1x

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Ingredients

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• 2 sheets square shaped, all butter puff pastry (I like Dufour)
• all-purpose flour for dusting the counter
• 9 small slices cheddar cheese
• 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard, divided
• 1 tablespoon honey
• fresh cracked black pepper
• chives for topping (optional)
• canola oil for frying

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Instructions

1. Allow the puff pastry to come to a cool room temperature. Puff pastry can defrost in the refrigerator overnight or come to room temperature on the kitchen counter in about 30 minutes.
2. Separate and unfold the puff pastry. Be careful not to tear the puff pastry as you unfold it.
3. Place on a lightly floured work surface and gently roll with a rolling pin to extend the dough on all sides to about a 1/8-inch thickness. Roll the second puff pastry in the same way and set aside.
4. Place slices on cheese on one piece of the rolled puff pastry. No need to cover the entire surface with cheese, just spread it across the rolled puff pastry.
5. Spread the cheese topped puff pastry with just about 1 tablespoon of mustard.
6. Add the second rolled sheet of puff pastry evenly on top of the cheese and mustard. Lightly press.
7. Fold the right third of dough across the center, and the left third of dough across the center.
8. The dough should still have a faint chill to it which will make it easier to roll. If the dough is too warm, place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes before rolling.
9. Roll dough out to a 1/3-inch thickness. Roll gently, being sure not to tear through the puff pastry and expose the cheese.
10. Use two round biscuit cutters to cut the circles. The large round should be about 3-inches in diameter and the smaller round should be about 1-inch in diameter. Cut large circles of dough out and cut smaller circles out of the large circles. We’re going to fry all of it!
11. In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan with a candy/fry thermometer attached to the side, heat oil to 350 degrees F.
12. Fry the donuts and holes in small batches, flipping one or twice, until the donuts are golden brown on all sides.
13. Remove from the fryer and allow to rest on a sheet of paper towels.
14. Continue to fry until all of the donuts and holes are golden.
15. In a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard, honey, and pepper. Stir and lightly brush onto the warm donuts. Sprinkle with chives, if using. Enjoy immediately!

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