Baked Doughnuts for Everyone + GIVEAWAY

So, one day I give you green macaroni and cheese . . . and the next, doughnuts. I like to keep you on your toes. FACT: Did you know you can roast Brussels sprouts and bake doughnuts at the same time? 350 degrees F, baby. It's the sweet spot in the range of oven temperatures, I suppose. And I didn't realize until last night, but it's that sort of brilliant multi-tasking I strive to discover in all areas of my life.

Goodness me.

I had long been awaiting the release of Edible Perspective Ashley's amazing cookbook Baked Doughnuts for Everyone: From Sweet to Savory to Everything in Between, 101 Delicious Recipes, All Gluten-Free. And when Ashley generously offered a chance to review a copy, I signed on gladly. Ashley was my first blog friend ever. All her hard work has definitely paid off -- and I am so, so proud of her.

So, the night I received my book in the mail, I was elbows deep in Ada's surgery situation. Yet somehow despite everything going on, all the delicious photos (Ashley's photos are THE BEST!) sucked me into making a batch right then and there. No joke. It was just the stress release I needed at that moment.

I chose to bake the Vegan Gooey Chocolate Doughnuts with a tasty chocolate glaze. We've since discovered in our house that this recipe is a new favorite. It's healthy, light, sweet, and just as good with a simple dusting of powdered sugar, which is how I made them for this review.

I even give these doughnuts to Ada for breakfast.


VEGAN GOOEY CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUTS 
recipe printed w/ permission from pg. 111 of Baked Doughnuts for Everyone

What you'll need . . . 

• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/2 cup sweet rice flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup pure cane sugar
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1-1/2 tablespoons ground flax meal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease your doughnut pan.
2. Combine the oat flour, sweet rice flour, cocoa powder, cane sugar, coconut flour, flax meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, mixing well. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, brown rice syrup, pumpkin puree, oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a large wooden spoon until just combined, being careful not to overmix (stop when you no longer see dry flour). Gently fold in the chocolate chips. The mixture will be thick.
4. Spoon the batter into the doughnuts molds, filling just below the top of each mold, 1/8 - 1/4 inch from the top. Bake for 20 to 26 minutes until lightly golden brown around the edges. The cake is supposed to have a gooey center. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Slide a thin spatula around the edges of the doughnuts and help loosen then out. Then place on a cooling rack and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Dust with powdered sugar.

This recipe makes 8 to 10 doughnuts in a standard doughnut pan. You may have noticed I used a mini bundt pan to make my batch. Whatever works!

I'm also happy to write as a non-gluten free person, I am able to adapt Ashley's recipes to whatever ingredients I have on hand. I've made some of the sweet + savory doughnuts exactly as written in the book and others with like ingredients (like white-whole wheat flour in place of substitutes or coconut sugar in place of cane, etc.) in the same ratio -- all with excellent results.

// GIVEAWAY

Thanks to Ashley's publisher, if you'd like a chance to win a copy of this book -- please leave a comment below! Make sure you leave some way of contacting you. Winner will be chosen via random number generator + announced next Friday morning (11/15).

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Sunday Scenes + Emotional Eating

I've always had difficulty when attempting to change my definition of "comfort food." And only recently did I start to understand or, rather, accept that the reason has nothing to do with self control or inability to truly enjoy "good," healthy foods. I fill my belly with plenty of kale, carrots, and other nutrient-dense produce. Comfort food is what it is because it serves an emotional purpose. Even the act of baking itself feeds my soul.

I've read of different methods + tricks to change out of eating my feelings in books + magazines, and, of course, on blogs. Paint your nails (I bite mine). Take a luxurious bath (I hate baths). Walk around the block (I get more than enough exercise). Drink a glass of water (my bladder is already bursting as it is). Eat celery instead (which gets my in the kitchen anyway). Basically, indulge in some other way that doesn't involve food.

And yet . . .

Doughnuts are sort of the ultimate for me when it comes to emotional eating. So, I made them yesterday. And not the healthier baked variety either. I tried replicating the same yeasted fry cakes we get at local farms in autumn. Except I didn't have any cider to go with them, so my experience was somewhat limited.

I guess what this divulges to you all is that it was a rough weekend in many respects. (And, if I'm being totally honest, the rough continues.) Between Ada's impending MRI appointment and all the worry that goes along with it, Stephen's dwindling summer vacation (which ends today), deadlines, a wildly messy house I just can't seem to tame, and a list of other stresses that seems to build . . . because I let them.

Anyway, these doughnuts were good, but not good enough for a recipe feature on the blog. So, I'm making them again soon -- happily. I'll be using pumpkin puree and a bit more sugar next time around. (Yes, even though I bake and indulge in a solid share of comfort food, I do make an effort to use healthy substitutions when they make sense. It's give/take.)

My thoughts toward emotional eating have changed a lot over the years. I can recognize when I'm doing it now, whether it's to mark a dark point in my day/week/month/life or to celebrate some momentous occasion. (Yup! I don't eat just for upset – I eat for joy as well.) But I've started shedding the guilt I used to associate with it which, in turn, has lessened the quantity of food I consume. In some blissful compromise, it seems.

I'm trying in this decade to enjoy food versus battling it. To give myself freedom from guilt and negativity where it's just not necessary to inject. What I'm finding already is that letting go in this way has extended beyond the food to other areas of my life. A "don't sweat the small stuff" reaction, if you will. So, if you're finding yourself in a bad loop, give it a try. I'm still very much in process, but the internal progress is compelling.

Those of you off on holiday today, enjoy! I have some fun stuff in the queue for this week, including more about my month's worth of shopping at the grocery store yesterday. I could hardly turn my cart down the aisles it was so heavy!

Time to cook 24 more meals to accompany all that tangy BBQ sauce. Go!

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Apple Cider Dunkers

It's fall. Well, almost. But it FEELS like it. Sign? Our favorite local cider mill opened last week. They have everything from mums to cider, of course, to cheddar cheese to doughnuts. I cannot get enough.

Behold! The cider doughnut in all its glory.

Thing is, it's not reasonable for me to eat three doughnuts a day (yeah -- that happened), every day. Not for the wallet. Not for the waistline. So, I spend some time looking through my various muffin/cake recipes, attempting to craft a similar, but baked-versus-fried treat.

And then the Cider Dunker was born.



As you'll see, the ingredients -- including sparkling water again! -- in this little guy are hardly sinful. In fact, I made them for breakfast (sans the sugar-topping, which I'll get to in a minute), and can't wait to have more tomorrow morning.

But enough about me. Let's get to it.


What you'll need . . .

• 3 tablespoons Earth Balance 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar 
• 2 tablespoons apple cider 
• 1 tablespoon flax meal + 2 tablespoons almond milk 
• 1/2 cup sparkling water 
• 1 cup whole wheat flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• pinch salt

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spritz a mini muffin pan and set aside. 
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (I got this awesome one that scrapes the bowl as it mixes for X-mas!), beat together the Earth Balance, olive oil, sugar, apple cider, flax meal + almond milk, and sparkling water. 
3. In another bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients and then add them into the wet. Mix until just combined. 
4. Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of the batter into the mini muffin pan. (This recipe yields approx. 16 dunkers, so you won't use the entire pan.) 
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
6. Let rest in pan for 5 minutes or so before removing.

This next part is entirely optional, but highly recommended. Well, and it's where the "dunker" part comes from. If you dip the top of the dunker into a bit of cider and roll it into some cinnamon/sugar mixture, it's divine.

Too bad we ate them all already.


And SPEAKING of eating lots of stuff, we have literally tons of squash to use up from our CSA share this week. Can't wait to share some fun recipes with you!

By the way, have you ever heard of ground cherries?


We hadn't, but they're very interesting. Sort of like cherries. Sort of like tomatoes. We didn't get enough to make much of anything, so we just ate them raw. But I'd love to make something more elaborate in the future. Suggestions?


Today on Writing Chapter Three, we posted some photos from our new evening routine. It rained too much today, so looking back at these photos is nice. I love the whole descent into fall!

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Chocolatey Peanut Doughnuts

Being sick while taking care of a 2 month old isn't my idea of a good time. Being sick in GENERAL isn't exactly fun. We've been laying low the past week. Sleeping a lot. Sniffling, too. Thankfully the weather was snowy enough to cancel this past weekend's Freeze 10K, so I didn't miss out on my weekly race (it's rescheduled).

Instead, I stayed indoors and baked up another tasty -- and still healthy -- doughnut. The scale has budged one more pound since my Weight Loss Journey post. Not stellar progress, but I'm choosing much better foods than I was in the holiday season.

CHOCOLATEY PEANUT DOUGHNUTS

What you'll need . . .

• 1-1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt
• 2/3 cup almond milk
• 3 teaspoons Ener-G Egg replacer mixed with 4 tablespoons water

Method . . .

1. Preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a mini bundt pan (or doughnut pan, if you have one).
2. In a food processor, pulse the oats and peanuts until they are flour-like. Pour into a medium bowl.
3. Add all other ingredients and mix well. (If you don't have Ener-G egg replacer, use your favorite replacer for 2 eggs. I imagine eggs, too, would work fine. Let me know!)
4. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Frost with plain peanut butter.

This recipe yielded an especially moist (hate that word, but it's true) treat. And -- yes -- you do taste the peanuts. They're incredible. If you're in the mood for doughnuts, check out these other recipes:

Baked Chocolate Doughnuts
Chocolate Frosted Doughnuts -- my favorite!
Chocolate Glazed Doughnuts


Today on (never home)maker, baby! I wrote a monster of a post about our must-have baby items. And tons of stuff that we totally don't need or want.

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Chocolate Frosted Doughnuts

At week 15 of my pregnancy (by the time my morning sickness had faded), it was clear to everyone that I had a penchant for doughnuts. In fact, after most of my midwife appointments, I would swing by the store to grab one (or two) as a treat. Of course, toward the end, my appointments were weekly. That's a lot of doughnuts.

I enjoy all kinds, but chocolate glazed and chocolate frosted hold a special place in my heart.

Had I figured out this recipe sooner, I may have completely given up on regular food. I tend to do that. Get obsessed with a certain ANYTHING. And right now, that THING is these doughnuts. If you missed version one, Baked Chocolate Doughnuts, you'll want to check out that recipe as well.

Version two, in my opinion, is far superior. Plus, I increased the yield to make 6 treats this time. (But that doesn't mean they lasted any longer than the first batch.)


CHOCOLATE FROSTED DOUGHNUTS

What you'll need . . .

• 1-1/2 cups rolled oats (processed into flour)
• 1/4 cup wheat bran
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• Energ-G egg replacer for 1 egg (plus the 2 tablespoons water)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt

Method . . .

1. Preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a mini bundt pan (or doughnut pan, if you have one).
2. Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Pour into the six bundts.
4. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until slightly firm. Let cool in pan and then turn over to pop out.

To frost, I used -- again -- one of Ashley's chocolate frosting recipes. This time, I used the paddle attachment on our food processor -- on high -- to blend together:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 to 3 tablespoons almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Now that we're out, I'm going to need to make more. Oh, well. I'm still astounded that they taste so great without eggs, oil, butter, etc!

If you're following baby-related posts, I wrote all about my life three weeks postpartum on (never home)maker, baby! I still can't believe Ada is nearly a month old. Yesterday we decorated her first Christmas tree!


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Baked Chocolate Doughnuts -- Oops!

I tried my best to knock out another Richard Simmons Dazzling Desserts recipe yesterday afternoon. For those of you new to the blog, I found the cookbook at a store in my hometown a couple years ago. It's ridiculous -- full of silly photos and cheesy writing -- so, naturally, we're slowly baking our way through the entire thing.

The recipe I originally followed was for a basic bundt cake. But I made so many modifications and substitutions, it didn't turn out at all like I expected it would. It was way, way better.

You see, my mix yielded tasty and insanely healthy (just you wait -- I can't believe how healthy they are!) doughnuts.


BAKED CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUTS

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup rolled oats, processed into flour
• 1/4 cup pecans (processed with oats)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Ener-G egg replacer (plus required water) for one egg (or egg/other substitute)

Method . . .

1. Preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a mini bundt pan (or doughnut pan, if you have one).
2. Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Pour into five of the six bundts (I need to rework the recipe to make more -- trust me, it's so good, I'm making more today).
4. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until slightly firm. Let cool in pan and then turn over to pop out.

They're good naked, but I highly recommend frosting them.


I riffed off one of Ashley's chocolate frosting recipes to make this tasty chocolate-peanut butter topping.

Just use a fork to mix everything together in a small bowl:

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 to 2 tablespoons almond milk

Like I said, I will be making these again. Today, if I get a chance. We ate them all yesterday afternoon. This time around, I'll be omitting the pecans because I don't have any left. I'll be increasing the amount of batter to make that sixth doughnut . . . and I'll be tweaking the frosting.

If you'd like to check out other Richard Simmons-inspired desserts, visit the links below.

• Coconut-Carob Pie
• Purple Sticky Rice Tart
• Pomegranate-Dream Bundt Cake
• Fortune Cookies
• Pear-Strawberry Faux-Pie
• Apple Cider Pound Cake

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Our Recipes: Cookies, Brownies, Squares, Doughnuts

COOKIES, BROWNIES, SQUARES, and DOUGHNUTS:

• Accidental Blondies*
• Sweet Potato Brownies*
• Basic Vegan Chocolate Chippers*
• Microwave Choco-PB Oat Bars*
• Basic Graham Bars*
• S'Mores Graham Bars
• PB-Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
• Chunky Monkey Cookies*
• Sweet Potato Brownies, 2.0*
• Apple-Oat Bars*
• Tahini-Fudge Squares*
• Maple-Almond Cookies*
• Hidden Cider Cookies*
• Nutella Mini-Chip Cookies
• Festivus Bars*
• Mexican Hot Chocolate Chippers*
• Salted Cornmeal Sugar Cookies*
• Double Chocolate Scottish Chippers*
• Quinoa Ginger Snaps*
• Mapled Matcha-Sunflower Seedsters*
• The ULTIMATE, ULTIMATE Vegan Brownies*
• Vegan Pecan Chocolate Chippers*
• Peanut Butter Chip Oatmeal Cookies*
• Banana Chocolate-Chunk Cookies
• Trail Mix Cookies*
• Homemade Chocolate-PB Twix Bars*
• Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Babycakes Chocolate Chippers*
• Vegan Peanut Butter Chip Cookies*
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Pillows*
• Dark Chocolate Mint Cookies*
• Coconut and Carob Chip "Cookies"*
• Chocolate Glazed Donuts
• Crispy Chocolate-PB Squares
• Nutella Brownies
• Double Chocolate and Coconut Biscotti*
• Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies
• Double Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies*
• Peanut Butter Frosted Brownies
• Holiday Cookie E-Book (FREE!)
• Sunflower Butter Cookies*
• Tangerine Brownies*
• Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods*
• WF, GF Chocolate Chippers*
• Chocolate Chip Shortbread*
• Chocolate-PB Whoopie Pies*
• Peanut Butter Bites*

* means VEGAN

BACK TO ALL RECIPES >>>

OR BROWSE BY CATEGORY:

GRANOLA & OATS	PANCAKES, ETC.	SMOOTHIES
SPREAD, SAUCES, DIPS	SALADS	SOUPS & STEWS
SNACKS & STARTERS	SANDWICHES & BURGERS	PIZZA, ETC.
STIR-FRIES, ETC.	OTHER MEALS	BREADS
CAKES & CUPCAKES	COOKIES & BROWNIES	PIES & TARTS
ICE CREAM & PUDDING	DRINKS	CONVERSIONS

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Best-Ever Homemade Chocolate Glazed Donuts

Yet another favorite from the METHOD archives: You need not adjust your screen. What you're seeing is REAL. Homemade donuts -- perhaps one of the only creations better than homemade bagels! I made these puppies for my parents last year, and they turned out about as authentic as possible. So, I'm going to shut my mouth now and give ya'll the recipe.

(Yeah. It's a long one, but well worth the effort!)

What you'll need . . . (for the doughnut part -- inspired by this recipe)

• One 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons warm water (98 degrees)
• 3/4 cup warm soy milk (or milk)
• 2-1/2 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups vegetable or canola oil
• I also added a bit of food coloring for fun
  

Method . . .

1. In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
2. Add the soy milk, margarine or butter, egg, sugar, and salt, and blend with an electric mixer until smooth.
3. Add half the flour and mix for 30 seconds.
4. Add the remaining flour and knead the dough with flour-dusted hands until smooth.
5. Cover the bowl of dough and leave it in a comfy, warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour. You can tell that the dough has risen enough when you poke it with your finger and the indentation stays.
6. Roll out the dough on a heavily floured surface until it's about 1/2 inch thick.
7. If you don't have a doughnut cutter, simply use a drinking glass about the same diameter as a 14-ounce can. You should be able to get about 12 to 14 donuts this way.
8. Now it's time to get creative -- it's time for the holes! Find the cap to a bottle of lemon juice or Worcestershire sauce, or any other small cap with a diameter of about 1 1/4 inches. Use this to punch out holes in the center of each of your donuts.
9. Place the donuts on plates or cookie sheets, cover, and let stand in the same warm, comfy place until they nearly double in size (about 30 to 45 minutes).
10. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat (to about 350 degrees). It is easily tested with scrap dough left over from punching out the donuts. The dough should bubble rapidly. I also found it helpful to place a small carrot in the oil while frying -- prevents burning, I've heard.
11. Fry each doughnut for about 30 seconds per side, or until light golden brown -- the color is key.
12. Cool 5 minutes on paper towels.
    

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

What you'll need . . .(NOTE: I found that this made WAY too much glaze, but it's what the original recipe calls for . . . I'd advise making half, but it's up to you.)

• 5 1/3 tablespoons Earth Balance or butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  

Method . . .

1. Combine the margarine or butter with the powdered sugar in a medium bowl and blend with an electric mixer.
2. Add the vanilla and hot water. Mix until smooth.
3. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds. Stir, then microwave another 30 seconds and stir again until completely melted.
4. Add to the plain glaze mixture. Blend until smooth.
5. When the donuts have cooled, dip each top surface into the glaze and then flip over and cool on a plate until the glaze firms up, about 15 minutes.

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