The former US president loved these hot doughnuts so much, he had his housekeeper make them for breakfast and dinner
Both FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt loved Berliner pfannkuchen: hot, jam-filled doughnuts, which their indomitable housekeeper Henrietta Nesbitt made by the hundred and served at breakfast and supper.
Makes 14
Mix 125ml lukewarm milk, 25g caster sugar, 1 tsp instant yeast, two egg yolks and 50g cool, melted butter. Sift in 280g plain flour and a pinch of salt, mix until a dough forms and knead for two minutes. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover with clingfilm and set aside somewhere warm to rise for an hour.
On a floured surface, roll out 2cm thick. Cut into 5cm rounds, cover and rest for 10 minutes. Heat 3cm of vegetable oil to 180C (when a bread cube browns in 30 seconds): too hot and the outside will burn; too cold and the doughnuts will be greasy.
Three at a time, cook for three and a half minutes, turning once, then transfer to kitchen paper. When cool enough to handle, roll in sugar. With a piping bag, inject each doughnut with a smooth jam. Serve warm.
Top Photo: Pfannkuchen are hot, jam-filled doughnuts. Photograph: Zoe More O'Ferrall