Milk-and-Butter Puff-Puff with Nutmeg-Cinnamon Sugar

Method

1. Warm the milk and butter in a small pan on low heat for 1 min, just until the butter melts. It should feel warm, not hot, to your finger (about 40 °C); let it cool a little if it gets hotter.

   Add in this stepWhole milk 110 mlUnsalted butter 15 g

   low heat

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and half the nutmeg, pour in the warm milk and beat by hand for 5 min. Lift the batter and slap it back into the bowl again and again: this builds gluten, so it turns glossy and starts to stretch from the bowl in long strands.

   Add in this stepPlain (all-purpose) flour 120 gSugar (for the batter) 20 gInstant dry yeast ¾ tspSalt 1 pinchGround nutmeg (batter and coating) 1 pinch

3. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 h, until doubled in size.

4. Stir the batter a few times to knock out the big bubbles, cover again and let it rise for another 20 min; this second rise gives a finer, more even crumb. Meanwhile, mix the coating sugar, cinnamon and the remaining nutmeg in a wide bowl.

   Add in this stepSugar (for coating) 35 gGround cinnamon ½ tspGround nutmeg (batter and coating) 1 pinch

5. Pour at least 3 cm of oil into a 16 cm pot and heat on medium heat for about 6 min, until a thermometer reads 175 °C.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil for deep-frying 600 ml

   medium heat

6. With a wet hand, squeeze walnut-sized balls of batter into the oil, letting them drop gently close to the surface. On medium heat, fry each batch for 4 min, turning them, until evenly deep golden. Check that the oil is back at 170–175 °C between batches, and fry in 2 batch(es) in total. Never leave the oil unattended and keep water away.

   medium heat

7. Drain on a rack for just 1 minute, then roll the still-warm puff-puff in the nutmeg-cinnamon sugar until coated; once cold, the sugar won't stick. They are best eaten within 30 minutes.