Win at Weekend Brunch with Baked Chocolate Donuts

Our occasional neighborhood brunches never disappoint. The food is always delicious and plentiful and the conversation between neighbors-turned-friends flows as easily as the Bloody Mary mix. Although our outdoor brunches are relegated to the warm-weather months, there's no reason for the food to be put into timeout as well. For the last get-together, I brought these baked chocolate donuts, and I've made them several times since. Although the original donut recipe I used was accompanied on the website with a recipe for a vanilla glaze, I dipped the tops instead into a delicious chocolate icing, the recipe for which I've also included here. You could make them either way, depending on your donut preference and individual level of chocolate desire. Remember: Baked donuts do not have the same consistency as fried donuts, but as long as you have the appropriate expectations, you'll enjoy these donuts. Baked apple cider donuts are a treat that I've made every autumn in my house for years, so I knew a chocolate version would be equally devoured. I thought my first batch was a little dry after baking for the 17 minutes called for in the original recipe, so I scaled it back a couple of minutes in the range I've provided below. Adjust accordingly based on your own oven's heat level and don't overbake, or they will dry out quickly. Also, the original recipe called for whole milk, but I never buy whole milk and instead substituted low-fat and thought that it worked fine. Baker's choice. These donuts are delicious and last for a few days post-brunch, although I prefer them when warmed slightly in the microwave for a quick 15 seconds. Plus, a hot cup of coffee with a warm chocolate donut can make any Monday morning slightly more tolerable. Baked Chocolate Donuts Recipe adapted from errenskitchen.com Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup cocoa powder 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup whole or low-fat milk 2 Tbsp. melted butter 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three (six-per-pan) donut pans well. Into large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt. In small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, melted butter, vegetable oil and vanilla. Stir wet mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. If the mixture looks dry or gummy, add more milk until it loosens into a batter. Spoon batter into baking pans, filling each one a little more than three-quarters full. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then tap donuts out onto cooling rack. Chocolate Icing Adapted from lifeasastrawberry.com Ingredients: 1 cup powdered sugar 1/4 cup cocoa powder Pinch of salt 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 cup hot water, as needed Instructions: Whisk powdered sugar and cocoa powder together with pinch of salt in medium mixing bowl. Whisk melted butter and vanilla extract into powdered sugar mixture. It will be clumpy. Add hot water a tiny bit at a time, whisking well between each addition, until it becomes a smooth, shiny glaze. (You might not need the entire quarter cup of hot water.) Dip tops of donuts into icing and return donuts to wire cooling rack. Let icing set for an hour or so to firm up.