Grilled doughnut strawberry shortcakes

 

I made grilled doughnut strawberry shortcakes for National Doughnut Day! This dessert contains three components, all of which (except the grilling) can be done in advance. My goal with this strawberry shortcake recipe was to make it as easy as possible with minimal last-minute prep work so you have more time with friends and family in the backyard at the grill. 

Let's discuss a few questions you may have before getting to the recipe.

What does it mean to hull strawberries? 

It means to remove the green leafy top plus a little bit of the flavorless white core.

What does it mean to macerate the strawberries?

When we macerate strawberries, we sprinkle a little sugar on the strawberries around 30 minutes (and up to 24 hours) before serving. We do this because the hygroscopic properties in sugar draw out the juice from the berries creating a delicious syrupy mixture that’s perfect for shortcakes.

Why use ricotta filling instead of whipped cream?

Whipped cream would be just as delicious in this recipe. However, whipped cream must be made right before serving. And my goal is to make this strawberry shortcake recipe as easy as possible with minimal time in the kitchen right before serving and more time in the backyard at the grill. Ricotta doesn’t have the same buttery mouthfeel as whipped cream, but it’s still very creamy and refreshing.

Why and how would I grill doughnuts?

Grilled doughnuts become really soft and warm on the inside and a little crisp on the outside, plus the grilling helps to caramelize the sugars in the doughnuts, creating a more complex flavor. Also, it just looks really cool to serve a grilled doughnut to guests!

Preheat your grill to medium heat. Cut the doughnuts in half like a bagel, and place them on the grill for just about 1 minute on each side. You’ll need to watch closely so they don’t burn.

Assemble the shortcakes immediately and serve. If the grilled doughnuts sit too long, they become cold and hard.

Grilled doughnut strawberry shortcakes

Yield: 6 servings

Time: About 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the strawberries

• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced about 1 centimeter thick
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

For the ricotta filling

• 8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 1/2 orange, zested (optional)

For assembly

• 6 glazed donuts, cut in half horizontally

Directions

For the strawberries

1. Mix sliced strawberries with sugar in large bowl. Allow to macerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. If planning to macerate longer than several hours, place strawberries in refrigerator.

For the ricotta filling

1. In food processor, process ricotta cheese, honey, and optional orange zest until smooth, about 20 seconds. Don't over whip ricotta because it will turn to liquid.
2. Transfer to bowl, cover, and store in refrigerator until ready to assemble. This can be made and stored in refrigerator up to 3 days in advance.

For assembly

1. Preheat grill to medium heat. Place doughnut halves on grill until lightly charred, about 30 second to 1 minute on each side. Remove doughnuts from grill.
2. To make shortcakes, dollop whipped ricotta onto bottom halves of each doughnut. Spoon strawberries over ricotta and place top half of each doughnut on top. Serve immediately.