Double Chocolate Baked Doughnuts

I have a great love of sprinkle doughnuts.  It is the one choice that is easiest in my life. Other folks might hum and haw, simply agonizing over the choice (or, is that just me?).  Not me.  I will pick the one with the most colourful sprinkles on it, every time.

I finally got the courage up to try making doughnuts again - homemade doughnuts are my nemesis. I am not talking about heating up a large pan of oil courage - I am not there yet. Maybe someday, with a fireproof suit and a fire extinguisher on hand. No - these are just the baked variety.  Now. my past troubles could be the fault of the recipes I was using - but much more likely to be user error.  So, this is my latest attempt.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.  My only issue is that they were a little crumbly - which could have contributed to (or resulted in) bits sticking to the pan.   I haven't had that problem before. Trust me, the pan was super greased.  But, at the end of the day, they taste pretty darn good. They taste exactly like...chocolate cupcakes in doughnut shape.  So why not just make cupcakes? Because, doughnuts. Doughnuts are like blondes - they are just so much more fun.

Happy Hallowee'en!

Double Chocolate Baked Doughnuts

Doughnuts
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup milk (or 1/3 cup half and half and a bit of water)
1 large egg
1/4 cup or 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted until just browned
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze
1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
pinch of salt
3 to 4 tbsp whole milk or half and half
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat until it just begins to brown.  Remove from heat.  Sift flour into a medium sized bowl.  Add in cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  Stir.  Add in brown sugar and mix well.  Try to break down any lumps of brown sugar that form.  (Why does that always happen when mixing flour and brown sugar? Maybe it's just me.)  In a separate bowl whisk egg and milk (or cream or any combination of the two).  Add vanilla and slightly cooled butter.  Whisk until well combined.  Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until thoroughly mixed. 

Gently spoon into a well greased doughnut pan - only fill 2/3 of the doughnut cavity (or you will get muffins with weird bottoms) and bake for 11-12 minutes at 325 degrees.  Leave doughnuts to cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes before turning out to finish cooling on the rack. 

For the glaze, start with 1 cup of icing sugar, the cocoa, vanilla, and 1 tbsp milk or cream.  Alternately add in more 1 tbsp of milk and 1-2 tbsp of icing sugar until you reach the right consistency.  If you tilt the bowl, it should be able to start moving gently downwards, but not too quickly. Wait until the doughnuts are fully cooled, dip doughnuts one at a time in the glaze and turning a 1/4 turn before removing and placing back on the wire rack.  Once all doughnuts are glazed, shake sprinkles over top before the glaze hardens.