Happy almost first book birthday to Mooncakes and Milk Bread! What a year it has been. Two book tours, two James Beard Awards, one marriage, so many book signings, and countless happy tears seeing your gorgeous baked goods. My first book baby changed my life and it wouldn’t have been possible without you. Thank you for reading and supporting my little corner of the internet and sharing the love for my book (if you don’t already have a copy, what are you waiting for?!).

In honor of this book’s birthday, I celebrated with Milk Bread Donuts! The Mother of All Milk Bread can really do it all. It makes an incredible loaf, the best burger buns, the prettiest red bean swirls, custardy french toast, flaky croissants, and the airiest donuts you’ve ever bitten into. One of the most underrated recipes in the book are the Milk Bread Donuts with Salted Egg Yolk Cream. When I first made those, all other donuts were ruined for me. Milk Bread dough is already light and fluffy, but the heat of the hot oil allows the structure of the dough to expand and cook rapidly which creates an ethereal and delicate donut texture. In keeping with the increasingly Fall vibes around here, I dusted the donuts in a spiced sugar mixture with cinnamon and Chinese five spice. It’s warm and cozy and I love the little crystals of sugar and spice that get stuck on the corners of your mouth. When I made these, I only made a half bath and use the rest of the dough for burger buns. Thankfully, we only had 6 donuts (and holes) to inhale, otherwise I would have ate the whole dozen.

Chinese Five Spice Sugar Donuts

makes 12

Mother of All Milk Bread Dough (from Mooncakes and Milk Bread), made through step 4

neutral oil, for frying

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder

steps:

1. Cut twelve 4-inch squares of parchment paper. After the dough has proofed, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough until it is 1/2 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Using a 1 inch round cookie cutter, cut out the center. Place each donut and donut hole on a square of parchment paper. Knead the scraps and cut out more rounds to make 12 total (you can also twist the scraps to make more rustic shaped donuts). Cover the dough rounds with a damp, clean kitchen towel and set aside until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

2. In a shallow bowl, whisk to combine sugar, cinnamon, and five spice and set aside.

3. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels and set a wire rack on top. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat 3 inches of oil until it registers 360°F on a deep-fat thermometer.

4. Working in batches of two or three, use the parchment paper to carefully lower the doughnuts into the oil, removing the paper from the oil. Fry doughnuts until one side is golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes (the holes will cook a little quicker). Flip the doughnuts and fry the until other side is golden.

5. While the donuts are still hot (the oil on the surface will help the sugar stick), dip the donuts into the sugar and toss to full coat. Transfer to the wire rack to cool. The donuts are best eaten warm or on the same day as frying.