Feel the Allure of Hawk's GF Citrus-Glazed Croissant Doughnut! (Recipe)

Ever since its very inception on Lion's Gate, August 8, 2020, the Citrus Glazed Croissant Doughnut has been a force of nature. Something magical happens when you combine the power of 5 citrus fruits in a glaze with the unmatched allure of a handmade butter croissant that's been deep fried to perfection.

It was a serendipitous moment when I tasted this gluten-free version of this legendary doughnut for the very first time. This version is both crispier and softer than the original. Biting through the crispy, citrusy glaze layer and feeling the crunch of the golden, buttery layers of fried gluten-free croissant dough underneath sent my mind racing with electric inspiration. Somehow, I managed to exceed my original expectation of this creation with this new version. There's no way I would ever think about making the old version again. The new GF Citrus-Glazed Croissant Doughnut is not to die for; every bite will give you life. It cannot be compared to any other confection you've ever eaten before. It's in its own class. It's been suggested by people who've eaten the original version that the Citrus-Glazed Croissant Doughnut should be the official dessert of the State of Florida. After the word about the new GF version gets out, there's a strong possibility that it really will replace the strawberry shortcake as Florida's official dessert.

Tiger and I came up with the idea for this confection while we were just laying in bed one night daydreaming about random things like we've always done. It made us well known in the food scene in Orlando, Florida and it spawned a fervent following. Food writer Louis Rosen wrote something beautiful about it in his food blog, The Saboscrivner. And his article caused swarms of hungry fans to sell us out night after night. Amy Drew Thompson, the food columnist for The Orlando Sentinel, heard about it and interviewed me about croissants, their intrigue, and the process behind their unforgettable texture and taste. All because of this doughnut.

The newspaper article that started it all!

I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but I have to say it anyway: Our new gluten-free version of the Citrus-Glazed Crossant Doughnut is way more addictive than its predecessor. People are so traumatized by the low quality of gluten-free baked goods they've tasted in the past that it literally causes them cognitive dissonance when they hear us say that we've somehow managed to take the gluten out and replace it with more flavor. We really do, and this doughnut is proof of that.

I wasn't ready to publish this recipe until I had perfected my GF butter croissant recipe. But now I've perfected it and published it. So it's time. Because let's face it: You can't just put my unparalled citrus glaze on just any croissant base and expect it to hold the magic of a genuine Citrus-Glazed Croissant Doughnut. You have to use a doughnut base that's just as magical as the glaze. I literally had this doughnut recipe in mind while I developed my GF butter croissant recipe. They're intrinsically linked to one another, so if you want to make this doughnut the right way, you're going to have to use my GF croissant recipe!

Now that you have a small idea of how special this doughnut is to us, let's get into the recipe! This doughnut is ultra-boutique, so please try your best to use the exact fruits and exact amounts I specify in the glaze recipe. You'll be rewarded.

Hawk's GF Citrus-Glazed Croissant Doughnut

(makes 6 doughnuts)

Croissant Base:

½ recipe of Hawk’s Golden GF Butter Croissant dough

Citrus Glaze Ingredients:

150 mL freshly squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice

150 mL freshly squeezed navel orange juice

100 mL freshly squeezed honeybell orange juice

55 mL freshly squeezed lemon juice

55 mL freshly squeezed lime juice

100 g granulated sugar

7 g ruby red grapefruit zest

7 g navel orange zest

5 g lemon zest

5 g lime zest

112 g unsalted butter, melted

340 g powdered sugar

Prepare the doughnuts:

1. On a floured silicone mat, roll out the ½ recipe of the croissant dough to a 18 cm x 24 cm rectangle.

2. Cut 6 doughnuts with a 3½-inch square cutter. Cut out the centers with a 1-inch round cutter.

3. Cut out six 4-inch squares of waxed paper, and arrange them evenly on a half-size baking sheet.

4. Transfer the cut doughnuts to the wax paper squares.

5. Let the doughnuts rise at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

1. Make the citrus glaze while the doughnuts are proofing.

2. At the 30 minute mark, start heating your doughnut shortening.

3. Fry the doughnuts, two at a time, by lowering each doughnut and its waxed paper square with a spider into the 350°F shortening. Fry for 1½ minutes on each side, turning with the spider, until both sides are golden and crispy.

4. As the doughnuts are fried, drain the doughnuts on a cooling rack on a baking sheet.

1. While you wait for the shortening to recover its temperature, grab each doughnut gently by its corners, dipping the face of the doughnut into the citrus glaze until it is halfway submerged. Quickly rotate the doughnut back and forth in the glaze to make sure it really bonds with the doughnut. Then, place the dipped doughnut back onto the rack, on the bottom unglazed side to drip dry.

2. After all of the doughnuts have been dipped, use a teaspoon to decoratively drizzle citrus glaze across the tops of the doughnuts.

Citrus Glaze Directions:

1. Combine all of the juices in a medium saucepan on medium heat.

2. Stir in granulated sugar until it is dissolved.

3. When the mixture reaches 212°F, add all of the citrus zest.

4. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches 227°F. Remove from heat.

5. Whisk in the melted butter.

6. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until smooth.

Even if you have practice making doughnuts, gluten-free croissant doughnuts are more delicate than you're used to. I don't recommend that you try to pick up the untried doughnuts by hand to put them into the oil. Use the waxed paper squares to pick them up, and use the spider to lower them into and take them out of the oil. Doing these things will preserve the distinctive shape of the doughnuts and prevent you from getting burned.

This equipment we're listing below will make your experience making these enchanted doughnuts into a pleasant exercise Click on picture to :

Winco Square Mesh Skimmer, 6.75-Inch, Medium, Nickel

Ultra Cuisine Half Sheet Cooling Racks for Cooking and Baking 2-Pack