Baked Mini Chocolate Doughnuts

Day 7 of the 12 days of Christmas Gluttony!

It's the holidays and I've been indulging WAY too much...  so am I going to post a recipe that's healthy?  Um, no.  These are the 12 days of Christmas GLUTTONY, not a prelude to your New Years health and diet resolutions.  These doughnuts will not help you lose weight.  These doughnuts, however, are not as bad as the conventional doughnut you know because a) they're baked and b) they contain less fat and sugar than any other doughnut recipe I've ever worked with.  So what does this all mean?  I don't feel AS BAD when I shove half a dozen of these down the hatch and you will too because they are DEELISH!  Enjoy these at your own risk!

Tools Needed:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Scale
• Mini doughnut pan
• Wire cooling rack
• 2 medium bowls
• Sifter or fine mesh sieve
• Whisk
• Spatula
• Olive oil spray or butter
• Pastry cutter (optional)
• Piping bag or thicker plastic bag (optional)

Ingredients:

Doughnut mixture

• 130 grams all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 75 grams cane sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

Buttermilk Glaze (optional)

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• approximately 1 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons of buttermilk (depends on how thick you want the icing to be)
• 1-2 candy canes, crushed (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint or mint extract (optional)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease the mini muffin pan with olive oil spray or butter and set aside.

2.  Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.  Whisk in sugar, nutmeg and salt.

3.  Add butter to dry mixture work it into the mixture with either a pastry cutter, a fork or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4.  In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, yogurt, vanilla extract and egg until thoroughly incorporated.  Stir in the flour mixture and mix just until the ingredients are combined - DO NOT overmix or else your doughnuts will be rubbery!

5.  Fill a piping bag or plastic bag with the dough (if you're using a plastic bag, you can move all of the mixture towards one corner of the bag nd cut off the tip so it acts like a piping bag) or you can simply just spoon the mixture into the doughnut cups.  Fill each doughnut cup 1/2 to 3/4 full - DO NOT overfill or else your doughnuts will rise and the hole will disappear!

6.  Bake 6-9 minutes or until the doughnuts spring back when touched.  Remove from pan when cool enough to handle and place on wire rack to cool completely.  

7.  You can choose to top these doughnuts a few ways: simply top with powdered sugar, top with buttermilk glaze or you can add peppermint extract to the glaze to give it a minty flavour.  You can also add crushed candy cane after glazing for that festive burst of colour and crunch.  Just makes sure that the doughnuts are completely cool before topping them! 

8.  Eat and enjoy!

(Recipe adapted from Lara Ferroni)