June 22, 2011

Baked Donuts with Espresso Glaze

So before going on my trip recently I made a huge mistake. I turned the air conditioning off in the house. I don’t know if I was distracted from packing or what, but I completely forgot about all the food I have stored in my pantry that wants to live in a cool, dry place. Well, Arizona has got the dry part covered for me. Not the cool part though. The house got, well, unbearably hot while I was away. All my whole-grain flours never had a chance.

Upon coming home I was plagued with a cold which stuffed my nose, impairing my usually keen sense of smell. As I went to bake a chocolate cake type recipe I pulled out my whole-wheat flour to use. Let’s just say the cake had an *off* flavor once baked. Even recovering from a cold I could taste it. That’s when I realized my flour had probably gone rancid. Ew. So into the trash went all my lovely King Arthur wheat flours. Rest in peace.

Please remind me to store my whole-grain flours in the fridge or freezer, especially if I’m leaving town.

Recipe Rundown
Taste: Like early morning. Sweet yet slightly bitter.
Texture: The donuts are fluffy and slightly spongy, but not very cakey. The glaze reminds me of Krispy Kreme donut glaze, thin and shatters when you take a bite.
Ease: The donuts, from start to first bite, take just around 30 minutes.
Appearance: While the glaze wasn’t as picture-perfect as I was hoping, they’re still mouthwatering.

Pros: Simple, quick, much easier and healthier than frying donuts.
Cons: The donuts are best eaten soon after glazed.
Would I make this again? Yes.

Baked Donuts with Espresso Glaze
Yield: 6 donuts
For the donuts:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice

For the glaze:

1/4 cup boiling-hot water
5 teaspoons instant-espresso powder or instant-coffee granules
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the donuts:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another small bowl or large measuring cup stir together egg, yogurt, oil, and lemon juice.
2. Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the hole. Gently fold everything together until combined. The batter will be thick.
3. Scoop batter into a piping bag or ziploc bag, snip a bottom corner with scissors, and squeeze out the batter evenly into a 6-hole donut pan (I got mine from Sur la Table).
4. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a few moments and then flip over onto a cooling rack while still warm.
For the glaze:
1. Stir together boiling-hot water and espresso powder in a medium bowl until powder is dissolved, then whisk in confectioners sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth.

2. Dip doughnuts into glaze, turning to coat well, then put on a rack set in a shallow baking pan (to catch any drips). Let stand about 15-20 minutes until glaze is set.

Donut recipe adapted from Cooking with My Kid
Glaze recipe adapted from Gourmet

donut, recipe

9 comments »

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1

Csilla — June 22, 2011 at 12:20 pm

oh wow, so many new information! like flours go bad, never have i thought such thing happens so quickly! and that making donuts are so easy! they look really really good, too!
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Lauren @ KeepItSweet — June 22, 2011 at 12:37 pm

I really should take that advice and keep my flours in the fridge on a regular basis! That espresso glaze sounds wonderful.
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nancy@skinnykitchen — June 22, 2011 at 2:49 pm

Yummy looking donuts!
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Tracey — June 22, 2011 at 6:53 pm

Giant bummer about your flour. I hate having to throw food away. The donuts look awesome, I've been craving donuts for weeks now!
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maris — June 22, 2011 at 10:33 pm

So much healthier then fried! Yay! I can eat donuts again!
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Jun — June 23, 2011 at 8:33 am

I just throw away a big bag of whole wheat flour myself. I should have known better. I live in a tropical country and I stored it under kitchen sink. LOL

The glaze – I really need to make it. Thank you for sharing this.
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BakerbyNature — June 23, 2011 at 11:00 am

Donuts and coffee are already a perfect morning match, but adding the espresso glaze is heaven. Which reminds me I need to run and get coffee so my brain can begin to function!
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nat@thesweetslife — June 23, 2011 at 8:36 pm

I have a donut pan and have yet to use it..it's been taunting me for a few weeks now! Must do that This glaze sounds amazing!
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whatkatiesbaking — June 24, 2011 at 12:19 am

yummm!! i found your blog on stumbleupon and LOVE IT
this recipe is amazing.