Chocolate Donut Holes Recipes

CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUT HOLES

Steps:

• To make the doughnut batter whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a separate medium-sized bowl whisk together the melted butter, sugars, egg and vanilla. Add the buttermilk into the wet ingredients and whisk until combined.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and fold together using a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula until evenly mixed. The batter will be thick.
• Spoon the batter onto a large piece of clingfilm and form into flat disk shape. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Once ready to fry the doughnut holes, remove the dough from the fridge and form into balls about 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon in size using a cookie scoop and your fingers. I got a total of 24 doughnut holes. If the dough is sticking a lot to your hands, add a couple drops of oil to your palms.
• To fry the doughnut holes, first place paper towels on the counter and a wire cooling rack over top. Clamp a deep-fry thermometer to the side of a heavy bottom saucepan or Dutch oven. On medium-high heat, heat at least 2 inches of oil in the bottom of the pan until it reaches 350F degrees. There should be at least 2 inches between the top of the oil and the top of the pot. Fry the doughnuts by carefully placing the dough balls into the hot oil, doing about 4-5 doughnut holes at a time. Fry for about 2-3 minutes, using a slotted spoon to turn the doughnuts over. Remove the doughnuts from the hot oil using a slotted spoon and place on the wire rack to cool. Break your first doughnut in half to ensure they're cooked throughout, and adjust your fry time accordingly.
• Allow the oil to come back to 350F degrees, and repeat the process with the rest of the dough balls.
• To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, cream and vanilla. Dip the doughnut holes into the glaze and set them on the wire rack to dry. Optionally, shower the doughnuts with sprinkles or roll them in sprinkles while the glaze is still slightly sticky.

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUT HOLES

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a small bowl, combine the milk, yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons sugar with the flour and salt. Stir in yeast mixture and egg, and knead it in the bowl a few times to incorporate the liquid. Tip the dough onto a work surface and knead it until smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes. Add the butter, a bit at a time, and continue to knead the dough until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth, another 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky.
• Gather the dough into a neat ball. Grease the inside of a large bowl with butter and add the dough. Cover with plastic and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 2 hours. (After the dough has doubled, you can punch it down, wrap it well and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.)
• Tip the dough onto a very lightly floured surface and pat the dough out into a 7-by-4 inch rectangle. (You can work with the dough directly from the refrigerator if it has been chilled.) Divide the dough into 14 even pieces using a bench scraper or a knife and slightly flatten each. Add 1 chocolate fève or about 1 teaspoon of chocolate to the center of each piece of dough, wrap and pinch the dough to enclose the chocolate, and roll it into a neat ball. Transfer the dough pieces to a floured rimmed baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with two layers of paper towels. Clip a candy thermometer to the edge of a large pot. Heat the oil over medium-high until it reaches 350 degrees.
• As oil heats, make the cinnamon-sugar mixture: Mix 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon in a large bowl.
• Working one at a time, carefully transfer dough to a spider or slotted spoon without deflating it. Then transfer the dough to the hot oil. Add up to 4 pieces of dough at a time. Maintain the temperature of the oil by increasing or lowering the heat as necessary, and allow the oil to return to temperature between batches. Cook the doughnuts until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side, then using the spider, transfer the doughnuts to the prepared sheet.
• Repeat with the remaining dough. Toss the warm doughnuts in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and serve immediately.

HOMEMADE GLAZED CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUT HOLES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder. Slowly stir in 3 tablespoons of milk and the vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth. If the glaze isn't thin enough, stir in 1 additional tablespoon of milk. Cover the glaze with plastic wrap and set it aside while you make the doughnut holes.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, buttermilk and melted butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined. (The dough will be very wet.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours until chilled.
• When you are ready to make the doughnuts, attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side of a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add 3 to 4 inches of oil, ensuring there are at least 2 inches from the top of the oil to the top of the pot. Begin heating the oil over medium-high heat. (The oil is ready for frying when it reaches 375ºF.)
• Scrape the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Flour your hands then pat the dough out until it is about 1/2-inch thick all around. (The dough will be very sticky and wet. Do not hesitate to add more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.)
• Flour the cookie cutter, lightly flour a small baking sheet and line a separate baking sheet with paper towels. Using the cookie cutter, cut out circles from the dough and transfer them to the floured baking sheet, re-flouring the cookie cutter after each cut. Gather the scraps, pat them down and cut out as many additional circles as you can. Once the oil reaches 375ºF, carefully add the doughnut holes in batches of 3 or 4, cooking them for 1 to 2 minutes per side and flipping them as needed. (See Kelly's Notes.)
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnut holes to the paper towel-lined baking sheet. Allow the doughnut holes to cool completely then dip them into the prepared glaze, shake off any excess and decorate them with sprinkles (optional). Place the doughnut holes on a cooling rack to allow the glaze to set slightly. Serve the doughnut holes immediately or store them in an air-tight container.
• For chocolate doughnut holes with vanilla glaze, use the vanilla glaze recipe from my Easy Homemade Glazed Doughnut Holes.
• This is a very wet dough. The less you handle it, the better. It's also very important that it's properly chilled and that you use enough flour when patting out the dough and cutting it into circles.
• The dark color of these doughnut holes makes it harder to decide when they're fully cooked. Test the exact cooking time by adding one doughnut hole to the hot oil and then testing the doneness at different intervals using a toothpick. Insert the toothpick into the doughnut and then remove it. If it comes out clean, the doughnut hole is fully cooked and you'll know the exact time to cook the doughnut holes.
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