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Did I ever tell you all about how I found a GIANT lilac bush???

All spring, I called around to dozens of different stores looking for fresh lilacs but each time came up with nothing. Oh how I wanted to use some lilacs in my photos, but eventually I gave up. Then, towards the middle of June, I suddenly realized that the giant pretty bush up at my parent’s house, the one giving off incredible smells, was actually a bush full of the prettiest purple lilacs. When I realized this, I cannot even begin to explain how excited I was.

Apparently lilacs are actually supposed to bloom in the spring, but since my spring was more like a cold winter, the bush in the yard never bloomed until mid June. Hey, I’ll take them whenever they bloom, I was just so happy to have some lilacs to use.

The ideas kind of came flooding into my head, but me being me, I could not decide on just one.

SO I waited, and waited, until basically I realized that my lilac bush was beginning to die. So right then and there, I decided that day, I was making strawberry jelly doughnuts with lilac sugar.

I had to use those pretty and edible flowers before it was too late.

I also feel I should mention that I asked my dad to plant four more lilac bushes outside the barn…which he did, so next year lots of lilac recipes! I’m thinking something with lilac syrups for breakfast and definitely a lilac cocktail. Already excited!

Anyway, I kind of realized that most of you probably won’t have access to fresh lilacs this late into the summer, but the good news is, you can totally swap the lilacs for fresh or dried lavender. They obviously are not the same, but they work in the same way, and both give off a great floral flavor that pairs perfectly with the strawberries in these doughnuts.

And speaking of the doughnuts…they are brioche…but done a little easier and in a little less time….and SO flipping light, airy and GOOD!!!

I actually think these doughnuts are one of my easier doughnut recipes, and the brioche dough recipe is probably the best ever for doughnuts. I could not believe how light and perfect they turned out.

Total heaven.

For the filling, I really wanted to use strawberries. I have been using a lot of berries and stone fruits lately, but just not enough strawberries. I also wanted a little bit of rich creaminess inside to make the doughnuts just that much more awesome. Plus, I feel like strawberries and cream is a combo one can never go wrong with with…it’s true, so I went with it.

I did not make an egg based cream though, as I really wanted to keep the work for these doughnuts minimal. Personally, I love the whipped cream. I think it keeps the recipe, light, but still decadent, you know?

OK, but here’s the nitty-gritty. I know it’s summer and doughnuts may not be number one on your list of things to eat today, but they should be. I don’t have a whole lot of reasons for this, other than that balance is the key to life and I can’t think of a more delicious balance than strawberry jelly and vanilla cream brioche doughnuts with Lilac Sugar as a beautiful, sweet summer treat!

Lastly, I just have to say, aren’t these doughnuts so stinkin’ cute?!? Flowers make everything better.

Plus, do you see the inside?? It’s totally what all Friday dreams are made of, right? YES!