Mini Peanut Butter and Chocolate Baked Donuts

[I] wonder if tastebud tastes are inherited.  If so… I inherited my love (let’s go ahead and call it an obsession) with chocolate and peanut butter from my mother.  She’s the queen of spooning every last bit of peanut butter out of the PB and Chocolate ice cream.  She’s the master of making a holiday dessert called Peanut Butter Balls which are a glamorous mixture of butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar, dipped in chocolate.  Birthday cake?  You can guess, I’m sure.  

What I’m saying is, all of this chocolate baking and peanut butter dipping… I come by it honestly and I’d like to pass it on to you.  

The thing is, we’re making glorified tender, soft, chocolate, peanut butter cupcakes… donut shaped cupcakes.  

It starts here, with flour, cocoa powder, and brown sugar.  

Buttermilk, egg, and melted (and slightly browned) butter are whisked together as our wet ingredients.  

Vanilla extract too.  Remember ages ago we made our own vanilla extract?  I’m still using that good stuff!  

Chocolate batter.  One of life’s great gifts… you know?  

Give it a good stir.  We don’t want lumps.   

I made mini donuts because mini seemed like a good idea for a combination as rich as chocolate and peanut butter.  

I used this mini donut pan, here.  The trick to even donuts, rapping and tapping the filled donut pan against the counter to work out any air pockets.  

Just eight minutes in the oven?  Too good.  

If you were to give these donuts the poke test… and I give nearly everything the poke test… they’d be soft and cake-y and moist.  

Peanut Butter Glaze?  Is there even a question?  Peanut butter, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and milk.  So simple we could be in real trouble.  

Bottoms down and dipped and sprinkled.  

We’re no stranger to the wonders of a cake-y chocolate donut.  Topped with salty and sweet peanut butter glaze and a free sprinkles… of course.  Of course we’re doing the right thing.  All the way right.  

I hope you make these, staring now.  

Mini Peanut Butter and Chocolate Baked Donuts

• Author: Joy the Baker
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 8
• Total Time: 28 minutes
• Yield: 18 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Doughnuts

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted until just browned
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Peanut Butter Glaze

• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• big pinch salt
• 4–6 tablespoons whole milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• color and/or chocolate jimmies

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Instructions

1. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a mini doughnut baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together until all of the ingredients are well combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure that you’re not leaving any flour behind. Stir well to ensure that there are no lumps. Use a small spoon to portion batter into the prepared doughnut baking pan. Each doughnut mold should be about two-thirds full. Bake doughnuts for 8 to 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted into one of the doughnuts comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Allow to rest for five minutes before inverting doughnuts onto a wire rack to cool completely. Allow doughnuts to cool completely before glazing.
5. Repeat the baking process until all of the batter is turned into doughnuts.
6. To make the glaze, in a medium bowl whisk together powdered sugar, peanut butter, and salt. Add 2 tablespoons of milk and all of the vanilla extract. Whisk to combine. Mixture may be thick. Add milk, a tablespoon at a time, until the glaze is thick and just pourable.
7. Dip each doughnut (I dipped the bottom side) into the peanut butter glaze. Shake off some of the excess glaze. Return to the wire rack and sprinkle with jimmies. Allow to rest a few moments for the frosting to harden slightly. These doughnuts are best served within two days of baking.

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