Prep. time: 15 minutes
Waiting time: 2 hours
Cooking time: 15 minutes

As elsewhere, there are numerous variations, so you will find certain recipes that use milk instead of water - and because we're in Martinique, the addition of a good splash of dark rum to the batter.

There is no baking powder in the original recipe. The doughtnuts are rather compact, but you could add a teaspoonful of baking powder to lighten them a bit.

 Batter

1. Pour the water into a saucepan; add the salt, sugar and butter. Place over high heat and remove once the butter has melted.
2. Add the flour all at once and stir briskly with a wooden spoon to form a smooth thick batter.
3. Return to the heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly so that the mixture doesn't stick.
4. Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the spices and grate in the lime zest with a fine grater. Mix well and let rest for 2 hours.

Cooking and finishing

1. Heat the oil in a large pot or deep fryer. The oil should be hot, but not excessively, in order to cook the doughnuts through without burning.
2. Add balls of dough about the size of a walnut to the hot oil. Let them brown for 3-4 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon.
3. Drain well and transfer to paper towel. Then transfer to a serving platter.
4. Dust each layer of doughnuts with icing sugar, brown sugar or grated coconut. Serve hot.