Schoolbread Donuts

Put the egg yolks, milk, sugar, and cornstarch for the custard into a saucepan. Cut the gelatin sheets into pieces and add them to the pan as well.

Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens — you want it about the consistency of a thick vanilla sauce. Take it off the heat and pour it onto a dish with high sides so it cools down faster. Let it cool completely, then whisk it lightly before using so it's smooth and lump-free.

In a bowl, mix together the pancake mix, sugar, vanilla sugar, and baking powder. Add the milk, egg, and oil, and stir until you have a smooth batter.

Spray a donut pan with non-stick spray or brush it with a thin layer of butter. Spoon the batter into a piping bag or a zip-lock bag with the corner snipped off, and pipe the batter into the molds until they're about half full.

Heat the oven to 180 °C. Place the pan in the middle of the oven and bake for about 10 minutes — they're done when they're a light golden color. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack. Bake in batches if you only have one pan.

Mix the icing sugar and water together until you get a glaze that's thick enough to coat — too thin and it'll run right off, too thick and you won't be able to dip.

Dip one side of each donut into the glaze, then straight into a bowl of shredded coconut. Set them on a plate.

Spoon the whipped custard into a piping bag or zip-lock bag and pipe a little into the center of each donut. Pop them in the fridge for 20–30 minutes so the custard sets properly.