Ingredients
Scale
For the Crumble
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- big pinch of salt
- scant ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
For the Donuts
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/3 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons browned butter (add an extra tablespoons of butter to the pan before browning so there’s enough after some of the butter evaporates off during browning)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
For the Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- big pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons browned butter
- 2 tablespoons whole milk, plus more if necessary
- splash pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the crumble, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until just combined. Add the flour and quickly stir into the butter and sugar mixture. Continue to cook over low heat, lightly breaking up some of the larger bits until the mixture is thoroughly combined. The mixture will resemble wet sand. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes before turning out onto a plate to cool.
- Once mixture is cooled, toss in the chocolate chips.
- To make the doughnuts, place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two mini doughnut pans and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and sugar. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter for the doughnuts and the glaze. Butter will begin to crackle and pop as it melts. That’s the water melting out of the butter. Once the water has evaporated the butter will quiet down and begin to brown. Keep an eye on it, it browns quickly. The butter will begin to smell nutty. Remove from heat and immediately transfer browned butter (brown bits and all) to a small bowl.
- In a small bowl whisk together egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Measure out 2 tablespoons of browned butter and whisk into the wet ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir together until no flour bits remain and all of the ingredients are well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Try not to overmix the batter. That might create rubbery doughnuts.
- Use a small spoon to dollop batter into the prepared pan. Smooth out and fill each doughnut in the pan three-quarters full with batter.
- Place in the oven and bake for 6 to 8 minutes for mini donuts, 8 to 10 minutes for regular baked donuts. Keep an eye on them and try not to over-bake them. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, in a medium bowl whisk together powdered sugar, salt, butter, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and juuust pourable. Add more milk or powdered sugar as necessary to adjust consistency.
- To assemble the doughnuts, dip the doughnuts in the glaze, shake off excess, cover with crumb topping and allow to set for 15 minutes before serving. Donuts are best served within 2 days of baking.