| |
My family goes through phases of enjoying vanilla, lemon, and cherry, but by far, they always love anything chocolate. This, at least in my mind, is the best chocolate donut I’ve ever tasted, if I say so myself. They are rich, dense, and decadent. It appears that this book’s recipes have the same theme: pamper your taste buds. These donuts are beautiful, and they fill the house with smells of chocolate that are almost worth making them for the scent alone! I top these with chocolate glaze or vanilla glaze or simply hit them with powdered sugar, but any way you choose to eat them, you’ll be glad that you did!
Ingredients
Dry
1 cup flour, unbleached all-purpose
1⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
Wet
3⁄4 cup half-and-half (whole milk, 2%, or even 1% can be substituted)
1 egg, beaten
2⁄3 cup brown sugar (dark for more flavor, light for less)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1⁄2 vanilla bean seeds, scraped
Topping
Powdered confectioners’ sugar, as needed for dusting the finished donuts
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375°F, or start your donut maker and let it come to temperature. While you’re waiting, in a large bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. In another, smaller bowl, mix the half-and-half, beaten egg, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and vanilla beans together. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until it’s all incorporated.
In a donut mold, add a tablespoon or more of batter to each form and bake for 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the topping of your choice, and enjoy!
Yields 10 to 12 donuts