I've been looking for a great baked doughnut recipe for quite some time now... I mean, baked doughnuts are good - they're cakey and moist and, oh let's face it, they're nothing like those doughnut shop doughnuts. I mean, even the cakey doughnuts at the doughnut shops taste different - denser, somehow more satisfying... Well, I stopped making doughnuts for a bit because I wanted to find a recipe that would give me a more traditional donut taste without all the fat and oil. Impossible? Quite possibly, but I was optimistic..
After mulling it over in my head and scouring the internet and cook books for a mind-blowing recipe, still baked, mind you, I came across a sweet blog, The Baker Chick. She had a recipe for Baked Churros that spurred my interests... Hmm, churros.. crispy exterior, fluffy and a pastry-like interior, actually very similar in nature to a doughnut - those chocolate- or vanilla-frosted plain ones - you know the ones...
With a little nipping and tucking, the churro recipe became my new favorite doughnut recipe! This recipe is actually a pate-a-choux recipe with the addition of sugar. The texture of the doughnut is the closest yet to a traditional doughnut without being fried.. The glaze on top is the same I recently used in my Chocolate Oatmeal Breakfast Cake recipe. This glaze sealed the deal and these doughnuts became the perfect Valentine's Day breakfast for my loved ones.
But don't think this doughnut is too fancy for any old morning... With a 10-minute prep, 30-minute bake-off, and 5-minute glazing, this recipe is fit for any day of the week.
Happy Valentine's Day!
(Check out my most recent post on White Cake, Three Ways! at Leelabean Bakes! - White cake, confetti cake, and chocolate chip cake all from one batter? It can't be beat!)
Best-Yet Homemade, Baked Doughnuts
(Inspired by The Baker Chick's Baked Churros Recipe)
(Yield: about 12 doughnuts)
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 t salt
1 c water
1 t vanilla
1 c all purpose flour
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
3 eggs
cooking spray
Chocolate Glaze
Set your oven to 350 F.
Spray a doughnut pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the water, salt, butter, and vanilla until boiling. While this is coming to a boil, whisk the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Once boiling, take the saucepan off the heat and dump the flour and sugar mix into the pan. Using a wooden spoon, mix vigorously until it comes together and no lumps remain. The mixture will be very thick. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. The mixture will begin to loosen just a bit and when you can spoon up a bit and have it drop back into the pan rather than staying put on the spoon, you know you have achieved the right consistency. It should flow very slowly. Depending on the atmospheric state of your kitchen, you may need to add or subtract an egg to find that desired consistency.
Spoon all the dough into a ziploc or piping bag. Snip off the bottom (the hole on the bottom of the bag should be about 1/3" - 1/2" in diameter). Pipe the dough into the doughnut pan. Using some water and your finger, you can smooth the tops of the doughnuts if there are any points sticking up or unevenness.
Bake for around 30 minutes or until the tops get lightly browned. While the doughnuts are baking, make your chocolate glaze. Take them out of the oven and let them rest for about 10 minutes.
Let the chocolate glaze cool for about 15 minutes to allow it to thicken slightly. Then dunk the top half of your doughnuts into the glaze and eat alongside a tall glass of milk!
