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Chocolate Doughnuts

Source of Recipe


From "The Good Enough to Eat Breakfast Cookbook"






List of Ingredients



• 1 quart vegetable oil (or enough to fill frying pot at least 3 inches deep)
  
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  
• 2 Tbsp butter
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus 3 Tbsp for board and 3-inch doughnut cutter)
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 2-1/2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
  
• 2 Tbsp Callebaut unsweetened cocoa (if using other cocoa, double amount)
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
  
• .
  
• -- For Chocolate Icing --
  
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
  
• 2 Tbsp Callebaut cocoa
  
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  
• 1 egg white
  
• 2 tsp water
  






Instructions



1. Preheat 3 inches of oil in your heavy pot to around 320° F. Use the thermometer.
   
   
2. Beat the brown sugar and butter together, using the standing mixer and paddle attachment, until creamed. In a large bowl, sift together 2 cups flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa. Set aside. Beat the egg and vanilla together, then add to the mixer, beating to combine. In the adding, beating, stopping, scraping-down sequence, add one-third of the flour mixture to the mixer, then one-half sour cream, then one-third flour, one-half sour cream, one-third flour. Don't overbeat!
   
   
3. Bring the dough together onto your board -- flour if the dough is sticky -- and roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Using the doughnut cutter, cut out the doughnuts from the edge. Flour the cutter if the dough sticks to it. Save the holes for cooking, too. If the area of your kitchen is warm, place the doughnuts on a lightly floured baking sheet, and put them in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes. Cooler dough is easier to handle.
   
   
4. Check the temperature of the oil. Bring it up to 375° F. Try to ease it up there -- if the oil gets too hot, it will start to smoke, and that's not good. You can also check to see if the oil's hot enough by dropping in a chunk of bread -- it should immediately bob to the surface, lightly browned. Put the doughnuts in the hot oil 2 or 3 at a time, depending on the size of your pot. They should be able to move around in the oil. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on the first side, turn and cook another 2 to 3 minutes on the second. Make sure your wire spoon is dry -- no water should ever come in contact with the hot oil; severe burns from spattering could result. As the doughnuts are finished, transfer them to a paper towel.
   
   
5. Turning to the ingredients for the icing, sift the confectioners' sugar and cocoa together into a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk together until smooth. You can spread the icing on the doughnuts after they have cooled for about 10 minutes.
   
   Makes 8 doughnuts.