How to Cut Jelly Donuts?

[cutter]

i need some advice in cutting jelly donuts in half .......yes i know you shouldn't cut them in half......  i have tried cutting with a serrated knife and i have a mess each time with the jelly oozing out,any one know of a way to help avoid some of this mess or ideas. thanks

Edited June 27, 2017 by Smithy
Adjusted title (log)

[blue_dolphin]

Put them in the fridge then cut with a sharp bread knife

Freeze them solid then cut with a bandsaw

Make smaller donuts...

[Lisa Shock]

It's not just the knife, the direction of the cut is important. Find the hole where the jelly was injected. Line up the doughnut for cutting following the imagined line where the injector was inserted. This should give you two even halves, and since you are opening up the jelly cavity evenly, it shouldn't squirt anywhere.

 

That said, a razor sharp knife and a light hand are also needed. I would use a serrated ceramic knife, as it is much thinner and sharper than a conventional serrated knife. The most difficult part is using a light hand while cutting. In this case, you want a very light sawing motion. Many aspects of pastry arts require a light and skilled hand, it's the most important overall skill needed in the pastry kitchen.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

What @Lisa Shock said, plus using the light hand, as she said, cut the dough part on the top starting in the center and saw, pull a sharp knife to the outside of the pastry. Start in the center again at your cut and saw, pull knife to opposite outside edge. Then flip the donut to avoid squishing out the jelly by mashing down on the pastry with your knife. Then cut from the opposite side through the dough part to follow your initial cuts. Do the same for both sides of the dough casing, again starting from center. My stainless boning knife isn't serrated and very thin. It would not work to pry anything, I'm pretty sure, but I keep it razor sharp and I'm confident it would do this job without being serrated. However, no matter how carefully you cut the donut, depending on how much jelly is inside and how thick it is, it very well might ooze out anyway from gravity.

 

It would be a pretty presentation if you can pull it off. You might lean two halves together on a plate to keep the jelly inside. A mint sprig, if you have it would set it off too.

[jmacnaughtan]

The only proper way to cut a doughnut is with your teeth.

[JeanneCake]

Umm....so why do you want to cut a jelly doughnut?  Just curious!

 

[Arey]

I was  thinking one jelly doughnut two small boys.  It wouldn't have been a problem when I was growing up. My older  brother would have grabbed the doughnut and said "It's a shame there was only one, Arey,  or you could have one too".

[Anna N]

23 minutes ago, JeanneCake said:

Umm....so why do you want to cut a jelly doughnut?  Just curious!

 

 And do you want to cut it vertically so you get two half circles of jelly doughnut or do you want to cut it horizontally so you get two full circles of jelly doughnut?

[Thanks for the Crepes]

7 hours ago, Arey said:

I was  thinking one jelly doughnut two small boys.  It wouldn't have been a problem when I was growing up. My older  brother would have grabbed the doughnut and said "It's a shame there was only one, Arey,  or you could have one too".

 

You have a dark sense of humor, Arey, but always bring a smile or laugh.

 

I still have a cartoon that was published in "Playboy" back in the 70's in a file somewhere. It's caption is "... and that's when things really got tough." The graphic is patrons sitting in a bar. The bartender has hung himself and the only other patron, besides the tie- askew, rumpled-hair speaker, has slit his throat and is slumped on the bar with the knife discarded beside his hand. I found it hilarious and still do. This earthly existence place can be rough! but that experience varies among individuals. YMMV

 

If the boy wants to cut a jelly donut, just let him. Let's help one another. 

 

Here is one that could easily be turned up and leaned together with the filling side up and presented on a plate with a sprig of mint, as I suggested above. Or, the little brother wouldn't have to go without a treat.