doughnuts Archives - Wood & Spoon

Chocolate Hazelnut Doughnuts

I’m making a new rule. From here on out, Monday’s and doughnuts go together like Lucy and Ethel. No longer will we suffer at the hand of an abruptly short weekend or an agonizing case of the Monday’s. We deserve chocolate hazelnut doughnuts to help us make it through, and I’m here to bring them.

This past week Brett and I took the kids to the fair. It was approximately 347 degrees outside, but we couldn’t resist the allure of fried funnel cakes on a similarly hot and sticky day. With a bag full of cash (and hand sanitizer), we embraced the sweat and watched the kids have the time of their lives.

I’ve decided that kids visiting the fair require no normal sustenance. While mom and dad are dehydrated and weak from lack of nourishment, the kids are soaring high on overstimulation. I barely got through the door before I was ready to buy one of those paper cups full of salty french fries, but the kids had zero interest. Within minutes, George had hair and dirt matted to his forehead, and Aimee raced from the rides to the games and back to the rides again, never stopping once to consider the plethora of snacks available at her fingertips.

Finally, as we were dragging them out the gate, we grabbed a few corn dogs and called it a night, but when I got home I was really wanting some fair food. Where were the fried Oreos? The stuffed crust pizzas? Those hotdogs wrapped in curly fries? If there’s ever a time when you should be able to unbutton your pants and seriously let loose, it’s at the fair. Unfortunately, parents just don’t get to do their snack thing when the kids are fixated on seeing the sights.

Chocolate Hazelnut Doughnuts

Because I didn’t overindulge at the fair, I’m diving in deep today with these chocolate hazelnut doughnuts. Although I’m no stranger to a traditional fried doughnut, I love making these baked ones. They’re WAY easier to prepare in my home. Fried food at the fair is amazing, but a house that smells like hot grease… less amazing.

To make these chocolate hazelnut doughnuts, we start with the batter. The dry ingredients of flour, sugar, and cocoa, mix together first. Next, milk and just the right amount of melted Kerrygold butter to make a thick, fudgy mixture. Prepare your favorite doughnut pan with cooking spray and spoon the batter into a piping bag or large plastic bag with the end snipped off. Pipe the batter into the pan and bake them until they’ve puffed slightly and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

The topping for these chocolate hazelnut doughnuts is a simple shiny glaze that sets up firm and will stick to all of the chopped hazelnuts or chocolate shavings that you to sprinkle on top. While I prefer to nibble on these fresh from the oven, absolutely no one complained when I served them for breakfast on day 2. They were positively destroyed.

Kerrygold is my go-to butter in all circumstances, and I’m thrilled to find that it performs well in these baked chocolate hazelnut doughnuts. The pastries stay moist and flavorful even on day 2 and 3 of consuming, and I have no doubt that choosing a quality butter had something to do with that. Pick some up for yourself next time you’re at the store and let me know what you think. In the meantime, I hope you get the try these chocolate hazelnut doughnuts in your own kitchens! Happy baking!

If you like these chocolate hazelnut doughnuts you should try:

Coffee Donuts: Two Ways

Jelly Donuts

Doughnut Croquembouche

Tiramisu Cream Puffs

Chocolate Hazelnut Doughnuts

Print Recipe

These chocolate hazelnut doughnuts are rich chocolate baked pastries topped with a simple chocolate hazelnut glaze.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 20
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 18
Category: Breakfast

Ingredients

For the donuts:

6 tablespoons (85 gm) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 cup (240 gm) sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1–1/2 cups (210 gm) bread flour
2/3 cup (50 gm) cocoa powder
1 cup (200 gm) brown sugar
1–1/2 teaspoons espresso powder or instant coffee
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2–1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
¼ cup chocolate hazelnut spread
¼ cup milk

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Instructions

To prepare the donuts:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a donut baking pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the butter, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, espresso powder baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. The mixture is thick, so be sure to incorporate the ingredients well. Pour the batter into a piping bag or a quart-sized plastic bag with the end snipped off. Pipe the mixture into the wells of the donut pan, filling each about ¾ of the way full. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Repeat the process with the remaining batter until all the donuts are cooked. Set aside to cool.

To prepare the glaze:

Whisk all of the ingredients together. Add additional milk to thin out the mixture if desired. Dip the cooled donuts in the glaze and allow to set. Feel free to sprinkle with chopped toasted hazelnuts prior to glaze setting if desired.

Doughnut Croquembouche

7 Comments / Tutorials

Listen, I’ve searched through and through my family tree to hunt out any trace of French in my lineage. It’s nowhere to be found. Apparently my undying fascination of French culture is built on a foundation of croissant consumption, not some innate inner tug towards the homeland. Regardless, I will forever be starry-eyed over the language, the scenery, and those precise methods of cooking. There’s something about that place that is almost fairytale-like, you know?

So even though there’s not a hint of Parisian in my blood, today we’re whipping out treats for Bastille Day. Why? Well, I think there’s some of you out there who are a little like me- willing and ready to celebrate just about anything if there’s fun and food and a party to be had. So let’s do this. Let’s celebrate the French Revolution, okay?

Croquembouche

Croquembouche is a classic French dessert that towers cone-shaped stacks of profiteroles spun with candied caramel. I’m not typically one to shy away from making intricate, time-requiring desserts, but the thought of making over a hundred homemade cream puffs while risking third-degree burns to spin magma-hot candy around said tower was all out-terrifying to me. No thank you. Instead, I decided we’d take the easy (and delicious) way out by making a doughnut croquembouche. Spoiler alert: I even skipped the effort of homemade doughnuts and bought these! That means less time baking, more time spent eating doughnuts- a wise decision, if you ask me.

So here’s your tutorial: a DIY doughnut croquembouche for you to make for Bastille Day, a wedding, a birthday party or whatever else is deemed worthy of loads of doughnut holes (which is really anything my opinion.) Let’s get started!

What You’ll Need:

One New 5″x18″ Styrofoam Cone (I bought mine here)

12 Dozen Doughnut Holes (I ordered mine a day in advance from our local donut shop for less than $20)

1 Bag of Mini Powdered Sugar Doughnuts

About 300-400 Toothpicks

Additional Powdered Sugar and A Sifter, If Desired

Directions:

Begin by inserting toothpicks about halfway into the base of the styrofoam cone. The toothpicks should be in sets of two about an inch apart. You can go ahead and stick in a few doughnut holes to make sure that you’re spacing out your toothpicks well. I chose to place toothpicks into the bottom quarter section of the cone before putting the doughnuts on, but you can do this however you’d like. Make sure your doughnuts are snug together on the cone so that the styrofoam cone isn’t visible beneath. Continue filling in the cone from bottom to top until you get to the very end of the cone. Arrange doughnuts on the peak of the cone and feel free to use toothpicks to stick a couple more doughnuts on top of the tippy top doughnuts as well.

Next, fill in the cone with some of the powdered sugar doughnuts. I chose to do this step last so that I could space the powdered sugar doughnuts out well. Alternatively, you could use some powdered sugar doughnuts as well. Simply remove a doughnut hole and barely squish the doughnuts around it to make room for the slightly larger powdered sugar mini doughnut. Place the mini doughnut on the toothpicks and continue arranging a few more around the cone as desired. I chose to place one on top as well, but this is your choice.

Finally, if desired, use a fine sifter to sift on a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Be sure to do this step just before serving.

What Else You Need to Know:

Each doughnut requires about two toothpicks to ensure that it stays on the cone well.
Be gentle with the top of the cone! I broke mine while trying to pull out a toothpick. You can glue this back on, but it’s an added step that isn’t necessary.
If you use a larger or smaller cone, the amount of doughnuts and toothpicks you’ll require will differ.
Fresh doughnuts taste best, so do try to assemble this the day you’re planning to serve it.

And That’s All It Takes to Make a Doughnut Croquembouche!

Truly, this has got to be one of the cutest shortcut DIYs I’ve ever made. I hope you’ll give it a try for your upcoming parties. In the meantime, vive la France! Vive la dougnuts! Vive la croquembouche!

If You Liked This Tutorial for Doughnut Croquembouche, You Should Check Out:

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Coffee Donuts : Two Ways

10 Comments / Breakfast

Coffee Donuts by Wood and Spoon blog. This is a recipe for cinnamon sugar doughnuts filled two ways- with a coffee / espresso custard or a coffee cream. For a sweeter taste, try the cream with a buttercream/ white cream filling. For a creamy mouthfeel and rich eclair filling, try the cooked custard make with eggs, milk, and butter. These fried doughnuts are delicious breakfast or brunch option! Find the recipe by Kate Wood on thewoodandspoon.com

My only love affair that has lasted longer than my marriage to Brett is that with coffee. For almost 10 years now I’ve been a routine coffee drinker, and that daily cup of brew is 99% of the reason I love the mornings so much. Long before I was drinking Joe, I had beautiful memories of it, so I’m delighted to share a few stories and these coffee donuts with you this morning.

On Food Memories

To this day, when I trace my memories of coffee back as far as my brain will take me, I think of my Nana and Pops’ home. I can hear the whir of the burr grinder and the pot slowly filling with coffee. That first whiff of brew was strong and comforting, and even now, in my mind’s eye, a 5-year old me is pitter-pattering into the kitchen to dole out morning hugs and kisses to a few of my favorite sleepy-eyed faces.

While the adults sipped their mugs, I’d saddle up to a plate of powdered sugar donuts and a tall glass of chocolate milk. It’s a tradition that they probably shared with their other grandchildren but always felt like a secret morning ritual that was shared exclusively between us. Well into my teenage years and adulthood, their home welcomed me with those same tastes and smells, so much so that I can’t hear a burr grinder or look at a bag of Sweet Sixteen donuts without being transported in time back to that kitchen. Memories like that fill me up, even today.

“Food and music have the ability to bring back memories I have long forgotten. I will take a double order of them both.”
-Krayl Funch

This past week, my Nana and Pops flew into Selma to celebrate George’s second birthday. It’s remarkable to watch people who have loved you for so long share that same affection with your own children, and it doesn’t escape me that we are hugely blessed to be able to share in those generational relationships. Now, I’m one of the grown ups, the early riser boiling the water and grinding the beans and setting the table for breakfast. I wait for snuggles from my little ones like I think they probably did, but even now, if I close my eyes hard enough, that smell of coffee and the sound of their voices makes me feel like the kid again.

Coffee Donuts

Today’s recipe, coffee donuts, is an ode to those mornings and the foods in our lives that takes us back to sweet moments in time. I have a number of those special memories, but these breakfast treats are something I think you’ll enjoy too. Admittedly, the amount that I love eating donuts is inversely related to the amount that I enjoy frying them myself. Making and waiting on yeast donuts is not something I’d choose every day of the week, but these coffee donuts just feel right- the flavors and smells of those childhood memories all fried up into one fluffy round of dough.

Making the Donuts

To make these coffee donuts, we start with the dough. Yeast dissolves in warm milk before eggs, butter, sugar and flour mmix in. The dough is sticky but firm and will rise for about an hour until doubled in size. From the risen dough, cut out rounds and allow them to rise a second time until slightly puffed. Heat a pot of oil and gently fry the coffee donuts a few at a time until golden brown and cooked through.

Finishing the Donuts

The coffee donuts toss in a dusting of cinnamon sugar before stuffing them with your choice of coffee filling. here, we have two options! The first, my favorite, is a coffee custard, made by cooking milk, eggs, and espresso powder into a custard. This filling is rich and decadent, similar to a Boston cream or eclair filling. The second option is for the sweet toothers who just need more sugar. Similar to a white donut filling, this coffee cream prepares like a buttercream and requires a little less time. Both are delicious; you just can’t go wrong.

These coffee donuts are the perfect pairing of two morning favorites. Give them a try and let me know what you think! Happy hump day and happy frying.

If you like these coffee donuts, you should check out:

Coffee Donuts : Two Ways

Print Recipe

These coffee donuts are simple yeast donuts tossed in cinnamon sugar and filled with either a coffee custard or a coffee cream filling. You can stuff the doughnuts in whichever you choose- a yummy fried coffee treat for the morning.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 45
Cook Time: 120
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Yield: 12

Ingredients

For the doughnuts:

1–1/4 cup (300 gm) milk (I use whole or 2%)
2–1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 large eggs
½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
¼ cup (50 gm) sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4–1/4 cups (550 gm) all-purpose flour
2 quarts of neutral flavored oil for frying
1 cup (200 gm) sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the custard (if desired):

2 cups (480 gm) milk (I use whole or 2%)
¼ cup (50 gm) plus 1/3 cup (65 gm) sugar
1 tablespoon espresso powder or instant coffee
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
¼ cup (30 gm) cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the cream (if desired):

2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon espresso powder or instant coffee granules
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups (230 gm) powdered sugar

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Instructions

To prepare the doughnuts:

Heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave until lukewarm but not hot. Pour the milk into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast over top of it. Allow the yeast to dissolve, about 5 minutes.
Once the yeast is foaming, add the eggs, melted butter, sugar, salt, and two cups of flour to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until combined and then add the remaining flour. Switch to a dough hook attachment and mix on medium-low speed until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If it’s still too wet to pull off the bowl add flour two tablespoons at a time until the dough is tacky and pulling away. Knead for a minute and then place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover tightly with a sheet of plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm spot of the kitchen for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.
Once risen, turn the dough out on a floured surface and roll or pat out until ½ thick. Use a floured doughnut cutter or a 2-3/4-3” drinking glass to cut out rounds of dough. If you don’t want to fill your doughnuts, you can cut out center holes as well, saving the small pieces for doughnuts holes. Knead any scraps together and repeat this process. Place your cut out doughnuts 2” apart on a floured baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel or greased sheet of plastic wrap to rise in a warm spot of your kitchen a second time. Once the doughnuts are slightly puffed, about 45 minutes, heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan or fryer to 375 degrees. Combine the cup of sugar with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a large baking dish or rimmed sheet pan. Add a few doughnuts to the oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan or burn yourself with the oil. Cook on one side for about 45 seconds or until golden and then use a metal spatula to carefully flip to the other side. Cook for another 45 seconds or until golden. Remove the doughnuts to a towel-lined baking sheet or cookie sheet to cool for about 30 second to a minute and then carefully shake in the pan of cinnamon and sugar. Repeat this process with the remaining doughnuts, being sure to keep the oil to temperature. Allow to cool prior to filling to custard or cream. When ready to fill, poke a small hole into the side of the doughnuts to be filled and pipe the custard or cream into the doughnut using a piping bag or a large plastic bag with the end snipped off. Pipe until the doughnuts are full. Doughnuts are best eaten the day they are prepared.

To prepare the custard:

Combine the milk, ¼ cup sugar, and espresso powder in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a separate large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, 1/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch. Once the milk mixture has begun to boil, carefully remove the pot from the stove and ladle a small stream of the milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking all the while. Be careful to whisk vigorously the whole time to avoid cooking the eggs and curdling your mixture. Add more of the milk mixture, continuing to whisk, until about half of the milk has been integrated into the eggs. Pour all of the mixture back into the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until bubbling and thickened to a pudding consistency. Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla, stirring to combine, and pour the mixture into a heat-safe bowl. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap directly touching the custard and refrigerate until the mixture has cooled at least to room temperature.

To prepare the cream:

In a small bowl, combine the milk, espresso powder, and vanilla until the espresso powder is mostly dissolved. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the powdered sugar. Stir on low speed until combined and add the milk mixture. Whip to combine, about one minute. Add more sugar if your frosting appears a bit loose, or add more milk if it is too stiff.

Notes

It’s important to keep the oil for the doughnuts at the appropriate temp! If it drops too low, it will take the doughnuts longer to cook and they will absorb the oil easily. They’ll tasty bad and greasy.
Donuts are best eaten the day they are fried.

Recipe Adapted from New York Times

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