Instructions

Place the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.

Mix together the milk, eggs and lemon zest then mix into the flour, leave the dough to mix for 5 minutes.

Add in the softened butter and work it through the dough thoroughly until it’s silky and stretchy.

Cover dough with cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size.

Grease and sugar 11cm rum baba tins (savarin moulds). Adding the sugar will help the fragile sponges come out of the moulds). If you don’t have a mould, simply pipe the doughnuts into shallow muffin tins – the shape will be different, but they will still taste great!

Halve the guavas, then scoop out the seeds and pulp in the middle, leaving you with the sturdy outside flesh. Reserve the seeds and pulp, and set aside to use in the syrup.

Grate the guava flesh, then turn the dough out of the bowl, and stir in the grated guava flesh until well incorporated.

Place the dough into a piping bag with a large plain nozzle. Pipe the dough into the moulds – about halfway full.

Cover and leave to rise for 5 minutes in a warm place.
Preheat the oven to 180C.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes until the doughnuts are golden.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. Place the sugar, water, lemon juice and guava seeds and pulp into a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil.

When the doughnuts are cooked, take them out of the oven and allow to cool a little before carefully removing them from their tins. They will be a little fragile.

Strain the guava seeds out of the syrup, then drizzle over the doughnuts, allowing them to soak up the syrup.

Serve the doughnuts with with fresh or poached guavas.