Old Fashioned Doughnuts with Chocolate Glaze
I need to make some decisions. I know… welcome to everyday living.
Who do you turn to when it’s time to make big decisions?
Mama and Dad? Bestest girlfriends? Awesome boyfriends? Husband? Wifey? God? Bottle of beer? Giant stack of doughnuts?
When it comes to making decisions, I make lists… and stare at them. I take hot showers and try to figure out my life. I chip my manicure off. I stop blinking.
I ask friends for advice… and wait for them to give me the answer I want. Are you guilty of this too!? Be real. Bad habit.
I ask God… I listen and then I try to figure out how I’m going to hear his answer.
I think. I make more lists. I stare.
I’ve found that tremendous amounts of fried food also help the decision making process. Well… they help pass the time during the quiet list making/staring phase of the decision making process.
Do people actually make decisions while running around like maniacs? Is that something that works? Is there a lot of yelling involved? That sounds like chaos. I prefer the sitting, staring, fried food eat, and listening method… but really, that’s just my own personal crazybrain.
Oh wait! Are you one of those people that makes important decisions while working out?! Ugh. Why can’t I be you!?
I probably shouldn’t tell you how easy it is to make doughnuts at home.
These are cake doughnuts. They’re more dense than yeasty doughnuts. The outside has just a bit of crunch.
It all starts with just a bit of flour and sugar.
Doesn’t just about everything here start with flour and sugar and end in a ball?
Yes.
When you fry this… it definitely turns into doughnuts.
Small miracle, right?!
There are a few things that might keep you from making these doughnuts.
Do you have the fry/candy thermometer? Do you have lots of different circle biscuit cutters?
If not… you’re totally saving yourself some calories.
But if you do have these things handy in your kitchen, imagine the calories you can get yourself into!
I like the way you live.
Crisp, golden brown cake doughnuts.
Chocolate ready.
Monster dipping manhands ready.
These cake doughnuts don’t need that pesky yeast rise time. They’re crisp, but soft and dense. They’re doughnuts with chocolate glaze… so clearly they’re delicious. How much convincing do you really need?
Should I teach my kitten to speak so he can tell you how much he enjoyed stealing one off the counter and leaving half a kitten eaten doughnut on the floor for me to step in with my bare feet? Would that finally convince you that doughnuts are delicious!? Geez.
Old Fashioned Doughnuts with Chocolate Glaze
makes between 6 and 10 doughnuts (I got 8 out of this batch)
adapted slightly from Doughnuts
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1 large egg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
vegetable oil for frying
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and sugar.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together yogurt (or sour cream), egg, and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together until well incorporated. The dough will take some smooshing to gather into a dish. It will be like a slightly more moist biscuit dough. Wrap bowl in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest for 15 minutes.
Place a candy/fry thermometer in a medium saucepan. Pour oil into the pan until it is about 2-inches deep. Heat oil over medium-low heat.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll bough to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut doughnuts with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter, and cut a hole with a smaller circle cutter.
When oil reaches 360 degrees F, fry 2 or 3 doughnuts at a time for about 1 minute on each side. Doughnuts will be golden brown. Carefully pull out, drain, and let rest on towel paper.
Chocolate Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons milk or water
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract.
In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Slowly stir in milk and vanilla extract. Whisk until silky and smooth. If you need a touch more milk to make this a dippable glaze, add a bit more.
Dip doughnuts in chocolate glaze and let rest to harden slightly.
Doughnuts are best served the day they’re made. They also freeze just fine!
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I totally hear you on asking friends for advice and then waiting for them to give the answer you want to hear. Guilty as charged.
I’m in the midst of gathering up the courage to make one of the most painful decisions I’ve encountered so far in my life. I think a chocolate glazed doughnut just might help lift my spirits. :)
Decisions: totally ask a friend and wait for the answer I want even if I know it’s not the right answer and make lists, workout and pray. It takes all of the above for the tough decisions! Good luck!
Never made doughnuts before, but think I’m going to give it a go!
Fried food helps everything!!! These look great!
Ooh, you just had to didn’t you? I have been on a low sugar diet for almost two years. A lot of things I can live without, and I make do sweetening with honey and the such when I just have to have something sweet. The one thing I keep craving though is doughnuts. This is no fair, torture! These look absolutely amazing!!! You’re one talented lady, and you always know how to make a girl decide to cheat on her diet.
These sound so good. I am going to turn to doughnuts for advice from now on
Madam, you are the devil! (devilsfood?) ~>:-)
I look forward to the day when technology will make pictures real (probably at a price) so I can just reach in and grab that top donut off that stack.
mmmm…..I want one…or two…..well a third one wouldn’t harm right?
Love the opening of this post. So funny and true!
I like to think I make decisions while running, but really I just tell myself that to trick myself. It usually ends up just thinking about how out of breath I am. :)
Oh my goodness do I make lists. I have a notepad just filled and filled with lists and it feels like I keep making the same one. I made a list to rationalize buying new sheets last night, that should tell you something. And the thing is, I truly needed the sheets because it was for a new mattress, for which I didn’t own any sheets that would fit the new mattress! I could make a career out of making lists.
I’ve never seen Facebook comments on a blog. You’ll have to let us know what you think of them. Inquiring minds want to know.
ahh Donuts are my weakness!! I’ve always hesitated to make homemade donuts because I know once I do there will be no turning back. Yours look SO perfect!
Love, love chocolate glazed donuts, although I rarely allow myself to eat one. Seems totally decadent! I’ve never made donuts but may have to try this for *someone else* in my family. Thanks for sharing!
Mmmmm…I grew up in Winston-Salem, NC, the home of cigarettes, Texas Pete hot sauce, Hanes underwear, and KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS. When I was little, it was a really big deal for my family to go out and get a dozen hot doughnuts. Good memories.
Donuts are usually the one treat I don’t have much trouble passing up. Most of the time I feel like if I eat one, I’ll just feel gross afterwords and it’s not worth it. I saw these on your blog yesterday though and I just HAD to make them. I had my bf over for Donut Tuesday. Totally appropriate for a weeknight endeavor, why not! I did only have white wheat flour though, so they were significantly heartier, but still worked. Very filling. Also, instead of chocolate glaze, we decided we needed to make a honey bourbon glaze. Yu-um!
Ugh! When I have 20 lbs to lose from having a baby 7 weeks ago, these doughnuts are NOT the answer… or are they?? Ooooh I love cake doughnuts!
Doughnuts make the world go round. ;-)
I want to try these! Can I use a deep fryer instead of a saucepan of oil and thermometer?
of course ! go for it!
lists, doughnuts, coffee…all necessary in the decision-making process. i might even add “sprinkles on doughnuts” to that list. completely necessary.
just follow your heart, you’ll make the right choice.
Oh YUM. It’s never a good idea to make big decisions on an empty stomach. Good luck. xo
monster dipping manhands….HA! funny! love your blog.
Why are donuts the best tasting food in the world? They are their own food group!
I make most decisions (and come up with my best ideas) in the shower. I think it’s a womb thing.
Lovely looking doughnuts! I like to make yeast doughnuts and then bake them – they come out all soft and pillowy like cinnamon rolls. Heaven. I haven’t had a good homemade cake doughnut in years, though, I may have to dust off my old recipe.
Doughnuts and I… it’s complicated.
I love them, although I know I shouldn’t. I let myself be seduced by shiny glaze and warm, pillowy softness. So after one too many sweets surrenders I decide, that’s it, walk on by, don’t give in, don’t look back. And I don’t, for a while.
We’re only human.
Love your blog. I hope you can enjoy my video.
I wonder if consulting donuts is anything like shaking a magic 8 ball. I’ll try it this weekend just for the sake of science. And my cat, perhaps the dog, maybe they could share one over coffee and finally resolve their issues. Okay, okay, so for the sake of science AND dog-cat world peace.
These look sooooo good. But I am terrified to fry anything. I will fall in love with it. I know I will. These just may be worth it. Thanks for another great one.
Ugh, I’ve been so craving doughnuts lately – exactly these kind, with the golden brown crispy cakey-ness and the chocolate glaze on top. Yum.
Wow, these look awesome! I haven’t had a donut since I was pregnant, which was a year ago, because I still need to lose weight. Cake donuts are my favorite though, and what’s up with Dunkin Donuts getting rid of the simple yet delicious powdered sugar and cinnamon ones? That made for some frustrating pregnant days, so I had to buy a case of all natural donuts online :) Next time I’ll make these myself! By the way, I don’t think you have manhands Joy! Also, how’s that boyfriend of yours? Is he Christian?!
these are beautiful! and so are you. i hope you figure everything out.
Would it be advisable to use buttermilk instead of sour cream/yogurt?
I gotta get rid of it.
So, I have no restraint and already tried these – SO good! Thanks for sharing!
Oh Lord…I have all the ingredients to make thes now. I think their is going to be some trouble today…good trouble ;)
I always talk to friends. One friend in particular. When I was seeing a therapist I talked about decisions that needed to be made with her. She never told me what to do, but she helped me figure things out. And yes, I do make decisions when working out. Running is great for that. But if you don’t want to get sweaty, walking works, too.
these look so soft and delicious! I could eat 2 right about now!
Hmm…those look soooooooo good. About decisions, I think they’re just all around hard to make. The bigger impact it has on your life and happiness, the harder it is to figure out what to do. But at some point, you just have to make a decision and go with it. If you don’t, you’ll end up stuck in the same place five years from now while life just speeds by. Good luck with your decision making process. Lists are often helpful.
Okay. I will make these.
This chocolate glaze reminds me of my failed fondant patisserie I tried to make for my gluten free chocolate éclairs. I think I must get a candy thermometer before I attempt anything like that again. But these donuts, maybe I’ll just throw a little dough in, and if it sizzles I’ll risk it. That could work, right?
I have these whipped up & ready to put together in the am. thanks for a happy treat!
man these are dangerous. i googled baker’s block [my whole fam got done eating dinner & we were all craving something quick and sweet], found your website, browsed through it and saw the doughnuts, made them and devoured them all in less than an hour. these are the types of doughnuts i love! heavy and doughy and super delish. thanks for the recipe :)
ah!! these look A-MAZING i think i need to find a way to make these pumpkin-y for october! do you think that’s possible??!
You had me at “old fashioned” :) These doughnuts are probably the best ever I’m going to be eating…
Joy, is there a simple way to make these donuts with a chocolate base/cake, so they are double chocolate?
Would this recipe work if I baked them in doughnut pans (from sur la table)?
Love your site!
They look absolutely delicious!!! I’ll have to try those :) yummm
ps: I love you blog and your recipes are lovely!
Definitelly added to my faves! x
These doughnuts look like what every doughnut wants to be. Yum! I’ve had the doughnut bug for a while now, but I’m waiting for autumn weather. Apple Cider Doughnuts…Pumpkin Doughnuts. Mmmm…
Erghhh I don’t even normally like sweets, and these are making me drool.
I’m the worst with big decisions. I usually distract myself with other things (ex. cooking) and endless pros/cons lists. Eventually, I need a friend to tell me which way I’m leaning. Good luck!
Thanks for sharing the recipe Joy…..I made these and they were amazing! I’m currently on a pumpkin kick and would love to make pumpkin cake doughnuts – how would you change the recipe? I want to do a cinnamon glaze, but I’m nervous about adding pumpkin puree without taking/adding other ingredients. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
I made these today & will definitely make them again!!!! So easy & delicious!
Cake donuts!!!!YUM!!! My absolute FAVORITE!!
If it weren’t for the fact that I am ABSOLUTELY out of oil, I would make these
right NOW!!!(…with sprinkles, of course:)!!)
Hi Joy!
Logistical question here: can I make the dough, say the night before, and do the frying the next morning? My guests are the kinda people who like to get up and help and I want them to sit and eat