Baked Osmanthus and Oolong Tea Doughnuts

For my gluten free Baked Osmanthus and Oolong Tea Doughnuts recipe. I have made ring shaped doughnuts infused with Chinese dried sweet osmanthus flowers and Oolong tea. I also baked these doughnuts to perfection and not fried. When you are baking these doughnuts, the nice aroma of sweet osmanthus flowers and Oolong tea will fill your kitchen. This Baked Osmanthus and Oolong Tea Doughnuts recipe is not only gluten free. But also vegan, nut free, dairy free, corn free, egg free, low carb and refined sugar free.

Types of Chinese Doughnuts

There are endless types of doughnuts in all types of international cuisines worldwide. For Chinese doughnuts, the most popular types of doughnuts are: sweet egg shaped doughnuts in Cantonese cuisine. They deep fried them and then rolled in granulated sugar or powdered sugar while still warm from cooking. They call these Chinese doughnuts “gnou lay sou” in Cantonese. Precisely means ox tongue pastry due to its tongue like shape. Likewise, they usually serve these doughnuts as plain, small and puffy rolls with sugar coatings. But sometimes served with fruit or cream fillings injected into the doughnuts with a syringe.

Whereas, they call the savoury version “youtiao” in Mandarin. They commonly serve youtiao with plain congee (traditional rice porridge) and/or soy milk. They most commonly eat this type of doughnuts during breakfast time. Many Chinese restaurants serving Asian buffets and Cantonese Yum Cha restaurants. Both serve the sweet and savoury doughnuts as desserts or dim sum desserts.

You may also like my gluten free Malaysian doughnuts recipe: Chinese 5 Spice Doughnuts (Ham Chim Peng).

About Oolong Tea

Oolong tea (Camellia sinensis) simply means “black dragon tea”. Besides, they created this traditional Chinese tea in South China, specifically Fujian region. The place where they invented the most famous and best quality Oolong tea. The history of Oolong tea dated as far back as more than one thousand years ago during the Song Dynasty. Whereby they initially named Oolong tea as Beiyuan tea. They semi ferment the Oolong tea and then moderately oxidize the tea.

Nutritional Values and Health Benefits of Oolong Tea

Moreover, Oolong tea is not only very rich in antioxidant, it is also a good source of minerals and vitamins. Specifically, calcium, manganese, copper, carotin, selenium, potassium, sodium and magnesium. As well as vitamins A, vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B9 (folate), vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin K. Oolong tea has polyphenol compounds and likewise contains caffeine.

The overall health benefits of Oolong tea may include:

• Assist in weight loss;
• Support removal of free radicals in the body;
• Improve skin health by offering relief from chronic skin conditions like eczema, atopic dermatitis and skin irritation;
• Support healthy strong bone;
• Help manage type 2 diabetes by controlling the blood sugar and insulin levels in the body;
• Lower risks of cancer;
• Reduce inflammation in the body;
• decrease risks of cardiovascular disease; and
• Improves cognitive functions of the brain.

About Osmanthus Flowers

Osmanthus fragrans or sweet osmanthus, is a genus of the species of flowering plants in the Oleaceae family. Likewise, osmanthus originated from Southern China. And they also grow it in other South East Asian countries like Himalayas, Taiwan and Japan. In Chinese cuisine, they infuse dried osmanthus flowers with either green or black tea leaves to make a scented tea. Osmanthus has a fruity and floral aroma. They also use the flowers to make glutinous rice balls in ginger syrup soup. As well as osmanthus scented jam, sweet osmanthus cakes, lotus seed soup and even scented alcohol or wine.

In traditional Chinese medicine, they use osmanthus flowers as herbal tea to treat irregular periods in women. While in North India, they use sweet osmanthus flowers as an insect repellent. Osmanthus flowers contain selenium, manganese, beta carotenes, polyphenol compounds and vitamin B3 (niacin).

Overall, the health benefits of osmanthus flowers may include:

• Promote healthy skin and eyes;
• Fight free radicals;
• Suppress appetite;
• Relieve fatigue;
• Stimulate the mind; and
• Prevent bad breath.

Baked Osmanthus and Oolong Tea Doughnuts

Aromatic baked ring-shaped doughnuts infused with Chinese dried sweet osmanthus flowers and Oolong tea.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Asian Dessert, Chinese

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Fat, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Corn Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Low Carb, Low Carb Baking, Nut Free, Oolong Tea, Osmanthus Flowers, Refined Sugar Free, Vegan

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 18 doughnuts

Calories: 196.56kcal

Author: Daphne Goh

Ingredients

Metric – US Customary

• some vegan butter for greasing the doughnut pans

For the Doughnuts:

Dry Ingredients:

• 800 g gluten free white bread flour
• 40 g dried osmanthus flowers ground into powder in a food processor
• 2 teaspoons dry active yeast
• ½ teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons agave syrup
• 700 ml Oolong tea (2¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon)

For the Oolong Tea (700ml)

• 1½ tablespoons Oolong tea leaves
• 1000 ml water

For the Glaze:

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

For the Sprinkles:

• 3 tablespoons dried osmanthus flowers

Instructions

For brewing the Oolong tea:

• Add Oolong tea leaves and 4 cups (1,000ml) water into a small pot. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat.
• Let the tea leaves continue to infuse in the covered pot for another 5 minutes. Then drain the tea leaves and set aside to cool. You need 700ml (2¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon) of Oolong tea for the bread dough.

For the doughnut batter:

• Mix all the wet ingredients together in an electric mixer large mixing bowl, whisk until combined.
• In another large mixing bowl, add in all the dry ingredients including the yeast.
• Attach the mixing bowl to an electric mixer and then attach the dough hook. Using low speed, mix for about 30 seconds or until ingredients are well combined.
• Continue on low speed, gradually pour the wet ingredients mixture in step 1 into the well in the large bowl for about 2 minute.
• Stop mixing and then use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
• Mix on low setting for another 5 minutes or until dough is well combined.

For baking the doughnuts:

• Preheat fan-forced oven to 190C or 375F.
• Grease all the doughnut pans with some vegan butter.
• Spoon and fill each doughnut pan with some batter, until nearly the edge for each pan.
• Bake the doughnuts for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool in doughnut pans for 5 minutes, then remove and place on a cooling rack.

For glazing and sprinkling the doughnuts:

• Using a baking brush, glaze the smooth side of each doughnut with some pure maple syrup.
• Sprinkle all the glazed doughnuts generously with some dried osmanthus flowers.
• Best served warm or at room temperature.

Recommended Products

Small Pot

KitchenAid Stand Mixer

Rubber Spatula

2 Doughnut Pan

Notes

Dried osmanthus flowers and Oolong tea can be purchased from Asian Groceries Stores.

Allergens: Yeast.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Osmanthus and Oolong Tea Doughnuts

Serving Size

 

1 doughnut

Amount per Serving

Calories

196.56

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

2.73

g

4

%

Saturated Fat

 

0.42

g

3

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

0.25

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

1.74

g

Sodium

 

70.13

mg

3

%

Potassium

 

23.46

mg

1

%

Carbohydrates

 

40.91

g

14

%

Fiber

 

0.59

g

2

%

Sugar

 

4.61

g

5

%

Protein

 

2.28

g

5

%

Vitamin C

 

0.81

mg

1

%

Calcium

 

4.34

mg

0

%

Iron

 

0.04

mg

0

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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