* You may need more or less vegetable oil. It depends on the size of the pan you will be frying the donuts in. * All ingredients for the dough should be at room temperature. 1. Heat the milk (to approximately 40°C). Add the yeast. Stir, cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let stand for 15-20 minutes. The yeast should become frothy. 2. In a large bowl: mix the dissolved yeast with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Add 3 egg yolks and 350 g of pumpkin puree. Mix. Sift in half of the flour. Mix. Add 0.5 teaspoon of salt and mix. Then gradually add the remaining flour, kneading the dough well (you can do this by hand or with a mixer with a dough hook attachment). Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. 3. Add 2.5 tablespoons of softened butter to the dough. Knead the dough well again. Cover the bowl with the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise. The time depends on the room temperature, from 40 minutes to 1.5 hours. The dough should double in volume. 4. Place the dough on a floured surface. Roll it out to a thickness of approximately 1 inch. Cut out circles. Tie each circle with cotton butcher's twine string, giving it a pumpkin shape. Place the finished pumpkins on a floured tray and cover with a clean, dry towel to prevent the dough from drying out. 5. In a bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, and, if using, 1 tablespoon of pumpkin spice. 6. Prepare a large plate lined with paper towels for placing the donuts after frying. Place scissors and the bowl with sugar and cinnamon next to it. 7. Prepare a large plate lined with parchment paper for the finished pumpkins. 8. Over high heat: heat the oil in a deep pan or pot. (The oil is hot enough if, when you dip a wooden spoon into it, bubbles form around the spoon.) Reduce the heat to medium. Fry the donuts on both sides until golden brown. Place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Let cool slightly, cut and remove the strings. Roll donuts in the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place them on a plate lined with parchment paper. Repeat with all the donuts. 9. Optionally, decorate the donuts with cinnamon sticks. *** COFEE-FLAVORED CREAM Ingredients: white chocolate - 100 g, cream - 200 g, instant coffee - 2 tablespoons, butter - 2 tablespoons, spices (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg) - to taste. Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring continuously until the chocolate is completely dissolved. Do not boil! Strain the resulting mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Whip with a mixer. Put the cream into a pastry bag. Make indentations in the donuts and fill them with the cream. ***

   About 12 croissants DAY 1 1. Warm milk and water to about 105°F / 40°C. 2. Combine warm water, milk, and yeast; let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy. 3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add liquids and softened butter. Knead 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Dough should be soft but not sticky. 4. Flatten into a 1-inch-thick rectangle, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30–45 minutes. 5. Place cold butter between 2 sheets of parchment. Pound and roll into a 7-inch (18 cm) square. Chill while the dough rests — it should be cold but flexible, about the same consistency as the dough. 6. Roll chilled dough into a 10-inch (25 cm) square. Place butter diagonally in the center (like a diamond shape). Fold corners of dough over butter to completely enclose it. 7. 1st turn: Roll into a 20×10-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds (like a letter). Wrap and chill 30–40 minutes. 8. 2nd turn: Rotate dough 90°, roll again into 20×10-inch rectangle, fold into thirds. Wrap and chill 30–40 minutes. 9. 3rd turn: Repeat the same rolling and folding once more. Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours). DAY 2 10. On a lightly floured surface, roll to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick, forming a 20×10-inch rectangle. Trim edges for clean layers. 11. Cut the dough into long isosceles triangles, about 5 inches wide at the base. 12. Stretch each triangle gently, then roll from base to tip. Curve ends slightly to form crescents. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, tip underneath. 13. Cover lightly with plastic or a towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free area 1½–2 hours, until doubled and puffy. (They should jiggle when the tray is moved gently.) 14. Whisk egg and milk. Brush lightly over croissants. 15. Preheat oven: 400°F (200°C). Bake 18–22 minutes, until deep golden brown. 16. Cool on wire rack. * Keep butter cold but workable — if it melts, chill before continuing. * For extra flaky layers, let dough rest longer between turns. * You can freeze shaped croissants before proofing; bake from frozen, adding 5–7 minutes to baking time. * For chocolate croissants: place a small chocolate stick or chips at the wide end before rolling.