4 eggs
2 cups milk
3.5 oz butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1.75 oz yeast
3-4 tbsp vodka (or 2 tbsp of pure alcohol)
1 packet of vanilla sugar
zest from 1 orange
+/- 2.2 lbs flour
1 quart cherries in their own juice for filling
oil for frying
powdered sugar for dusting
Heat the boiled milk well; if using fresh milk, bring it to a boil, let it cool slightly, and then add the butter to dissolve.
Crush the yeast with the sugar.
Add the warm milk with butter, beaten eggs, salt, vanilla sugar, orange zest, and vodka or alcohol.
Mix everything well.
Gradually add the flour (you may need less flour; keep an eye on it to ensure the dough remains soft and not too dense) and knead for about 15 minutes; the dough should be sticky.
Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
You can add the cherries in their juice to the dough, making sure to drain them first.
Once the dough has risen well, shape the doughnuts.
Pinch off small pieces of dough, flatten them, place 2-3 cherries in the center, carefully pinch to seal, forming a doughnut, and place it on a floured board.
Repeat with the remaining dough and let the doughnuts rise on the board for another 40 minutes to 1 hour.
Fry the doughnuts in well-heated oil over moderate heat to ensure they cook through without burning.
Coat the finished doughnuts in powdered sugar, or leave them plain and dust with sugar when serving.