Homemade baked donuts — have you tried making them yet? I cannot believe I just recently learned how to make them. I tend to make cookies, scones, muffins, cakes or cupcakes — the usual suspects. Then, I found out how to bake donuts. They are my new baking obsession.
“Procrastibaking. Verb: when you have a million things to do but ignore everything and bake.” — Unknown
One evening while doing my usual perusal on Pinterest, I came across a recipe for chocolate glazed donuts. I decided to check it out as my hubby loves chocolate glazed donuts and double chocolate donuts. I was surprised at what it entailed.
Why? Because it looked easy and I wasn’t expecting a simple recipe. Not sure why. I just figured it was more work than cupcakes or a cake, so I never really gave it that much attention.
I’ve read that donuts were originally simple balls of cake fried, and that the Dutch were the first to really invent them. However, back in the mid-19th century they didn’t call them donuts, they were known as oil cakes.
Makes sense.
They would stuff the oil cakes with nuts and dried fruit. I wonder if they were similar to fruit cakes? Like most things, as time went on, they were influenced by other cultures. Now and days we use icing, sprinkles or fill them with cream. The sweeter the better, I say.
The recipe I used called for one cup of flour, half cup of sugar, quarter cup of cocoa powder, half a teaspoon of baking soda, quarter teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, one large egg, six tablespoons of sour cream, quarter cup of milk and a quarter cup of vegetable oil.
“Stressed is desserts spelled backwards.” — Unknown
Don’t be stressed about making donuts. Follow these simple steps: stir the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then, stir the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl and add the wet ingredients into the dry. Don’t over mix. Once you’re are satisfied with your mixture, spoon it into a greased donut pan and bake for eight minutes at 375.
Tip: Don’t over pour into the donut pan. Just below the line will do. They don’t rise as much as muffins do, you want to try and maintain the shape of a donut as much as possible.
Make your glaze while waiting for your donuts to bake. Mix up one and a half cups of powdered sugar, quarter cup of milk and one teaspoon of vanilla. Make sure it’s a smooth consistency. If too watery, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too dry, add a little milk.
“If you can’t remember my name, just say chocolate and I’ll turn around.” — Unknown
Make sure you cool the donuts before dipping them into the glaze. The last thing you want is trouble trying to get the donuts out of the glaze, or leaving half of one behind. That would be the biggest bummer after spending all that time making them. Once you’ve dipped them, place the donuts on a cooking rack to dry.
Homemade donuts are incredibly soft and fluffy and they deliver on that much loved donut texture you crave. I think it is the sour cream.
“Hold me closer tiny donut.” — Unknown
Ah, yes, an Elton John classic — donut style. I totally sang that as soon as I read it, you?
The recipes for making homemade baked donuts are endless. There is everything from double chocolate, jelly donuts, sugar donuts, old-fashioned donuts, Boston cream donuts, strawberry donuts, apple fritters and maple bacon donuts. Yes, bacon in donuts. I’m totally trying that next time. The point is you can make whatever flavour your little taste buds desire.
“Chocolate comes from cocoa, which is a tree. That makes it a plant. Chocolate is salad.” — Unknown
The recipe I used serves about eight to ten donuts. Pro tip: they’ll last for about eight to 10 minutes. You may as well make a few batches. Seriously, there’s no way you’ll be able to resist.
Happy baking.
Erin Sulley is a self-confessed foodie who lives in Mount Pearl. Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @ErinSulley. Instagram: @erinsulley.
