This has to be the best bad idea I’ve had in a while: buying a doughnut pan.
I resisted and resisted for as long as I could, knowing that once I had one of these things in my house I’d have no choice but to bake doughnuts as often as I wanted (could I handle this?). But then as I was contemplating ideas for Valentine’s Day treats – especially those that pair well with coffee (see the Seattle’s Best Coffee Giveaway at the end of today’s post! 5 winners!) – the thought of heart-shaped doughnuts entered my head. End of story: within 45 seconds, I’d reached for my phone, pulled up the Amazon app, found a Wilton heart-shaped doughnut pan for $10 and pressed the button for one-click ordering. And it was done.
I must say that baking doughnuts was far easier and way more fun than I anticipated. Help! The batter takes about the same amount of effort as pancakes or waffles and they only take 5 minutes in the oven to bake. They’re somewhere between a muffin and a madeleine – like a muffin that holds its shape without crumbling much. Where the magic really happens is with the glaze. I made both the pink raspberry glaze from the Wilton package (pretty!) and Alton Brown’s chocolate glaze which were just the right sweet finishing touches for these doughnuts. And then, of course, I had fun with a few different kinds of sprinkles.
Seattle’s Best Coffee Giveaway! FIVE Winners!
You can’t have doughnuts without coffee. Enter to win a sampler pack of Seattle’s Best Coffee, featuring its new Level system that makes it easy to choose a blend that matches your taste preferences from a mild, light, crisp Level 1 to a bold, dark and intense Level 5. The sampler pack contains each of the five Levels.
To enter: [THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED] Leave a comment on this post telling us how you like your coffee. (Ex: I like bold roasts – but still decaf – with a splash of lowfat milk and one Splenda.)
One entry per person, please. The contest ends this Friday, February 4 at 12 PM PST. FIVE winners will be selected at random and announced in this post later that day. This giveaway is open to those with U.S. and Canadian addresses only.
** UPDATE (2/4/11) : Congrats to the winners!
#23 – David
#67 – Victoria Furin
#13 – Sharlene
#121 – Wendy
#50 – Ellen S.
Baked Chocolate Doughnuts
From the Wilton Heart Doughnut Pan package
Makes 24 doughnuts
INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cups cake flour, sifted
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray (I used Pam for Baking).
In large mixing bowl, sift together cake flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add buttermilk, eggs, oil and vanilla; mix gently until just combined. Fill each doughnut cup approximately 1/2 full (2 tablespoons batter).
Bake 4-5 minutes or until the tops of the doughnuts spring back when touched. Let cool in pan for 3 minutes before removing. Repeat with remaining batter. Finish doughnuts with desired toppings. Doughnuts are best served fresh.
Raspberry Glaze
From the Wilton Heart Doughnut Pan package
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 tablespoon milk
Pink food color (optional – I didn’t use it)
DIRECTIONS:
In small bowl, stir together sugar, jam and milk; mix until sugar is completely dissolved. Mix in color if desired. Use immediately to glaze doughnuts.
Chocolate Glaze
From Alton Brown on FoodNetwork.com
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk, warmed
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
DIRECTIONS:
Combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla in medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Decrease the heat to low, add the chocolate, and whisk until melted. Turn off heat, add the confectioners’ sugar, and whisk until smooth. Place the mixture over a bowl of warm water and dip the doughnuts immediately. Allow glaze to set for 30 minutes before serving.
Thanks to Seattle’s Best Coffee for providing the sampler packs for today’s giveaway.
I like a medium roast with sweetener and creamer. Yumm!!!
I like all different kinds of coffee with 2% milk in my 24 oz coffee mug!!
I like it bold and so strong a spoon will stand up in it!
Amen, baby! THAT is a cup of coffee.
BOLD ROAST with a touch of evaporated milk makes my day
I like the super dark coffee but with some sugar and cream added….
I like my coffee not too strong, decaffeinated, lightly sweetened with sugar and some almond milk added.
I like Kona coffee extra bold with Coffee Mate’s italian Cream creamer added to it.
Thanks
I love Seattle’s Best flavored coffee (all of them) with half and half and Splenda. Yum, think I’ll have a cup now 🙂
I like my coffee mold with milk,coffee creamer and nutrasweet
This may sound kind of strange, but I have different taste for coffee’s at different times. For breakfast I like a blend that is lighter. I usual like to add a touch of vanilla to it.
I also help out with my church with kids in the 1st through 5th grades, and when we go on weekend retreats, I need an extra kick, dark, with a spoonful of sugar to get me going.
I like trying out other coffee’s and blending them together. I’d probably do the same with the sampler packs.
If I was eating pancakes for supper, I like corn-pancakes, I’d go with a medium blend. Not quite enough to keep me restless at night.
I also like to grind my coffee, when possible.
Look forward to adding these to my list. God Bless.
Those doughnuts looks delicious!
I like my coffee strong with a little bit of milk [or a nice flavored creamer] and a few teaspoons of sugar. NEVER decaf.
Oh neat! I never knew such a pan existed! I had the round donut pan, but lost it in a housefire over a decade ago with my mini bundt pan. Gotta have coffee with donuts, so for me it will be some of Seattle’s Best French Roast made in my manual drip cone holder, right into my thermally insulated mug. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
I like mild coffee with a little skim milk and some sweet n low.
And I love the doughnut pans!
Level 3 works for me…
I love my coffee strong and robust with a little bit of powder coffee mate and splenda!
These look absolutely amazing, and are just in time for Valentines Day! 🙂 I love my coffee with either pumpkin spice creamer, or a little bit of milk and some gingerbread syrup. :). Just thinking about it is making me want some coffee right now!
I love strong coffee…friends sometimes need to water it down! A little sugar and powder, not liquid creamer. And any time of the day or night will do for a great java fix!
I like coffee dark, with half and half with 2-3 sugar in the raw
I like medium roast coffee, black and smooth. Yum!
I like a medium bodied coffee. I sometimes get a flavored grind to spice things up. I use 1/2 & 1/2 and a blue sweetener 🙂
I like very bold coffee, but I make 1/2 decaf and 1/2 regular to cut down on the caffeine.
I like rich black coffee as I can’t wait for anything to go in it!
I prefer dark roast, the bolder the better. Also, I won’t tolerate any junk in my coffee. Always black, unless someone offers me a mocha. I mean seriously, what’s better than coffee and chocolate together??
i like my de cafe coffee mild, with a splash of fudge and a bit of light cream. yummy!
I like a bold dark roast coffee made 2 different ways: the morning cup is just with a splash of milk, while the late afternoon cup, what I call an afternoon delight, is a cup of coffee with chocolate shavings and a splash of vanilla, topped with whipped cream and cinnamon.
I like my coffee strong, smooth, mellow and a little sweet – like my boyfriend <3
Oh, and I just checked Amazon – the donut pan is showing a ship date of 2-4 weeks. I have a feeling this post had something to do with that 🙂
I like mine mild (2?) with either some sugar-free vanilla syrup added or some soy & raw sugar…mmmm…now I want want and we have a storm and can’t go anywhere!!
I was a Seattle’s best barista for a long time, and I love my morning coffee bold and smooth… Autumn Reserve is my favorite blend (next to Organic French Roast). Then I use Sugar in the Raw 1 pack per 4oz of coffee and about a 1/2 inch of organic half ‘n half. Perfection!
I like my coffee with sugar and cream. Sometimes it’s Coffee-Mat or another flavored creamer and then sometimes it’s plain milk.
I drink Seattles best French Roast…aka SB#5. Moderately hot, & strong. No training wheels.
Dear Coffee…..How do I love Thee, let me list the way, Level 5 – bold, dark and intense, no milk or sugar, just pure coffee.
i like my coffee with pan dulce! 😀
I like my coffee with 3 splenda and 2 cream. Love this post! I’m going to make the donuts tomorrow!
I like medium with creamer.
I love a medium roast (Breakfast Blend is the best!) with 2 tbs half and half and 1 equal. Yum!
I like bold coffee with just a little bit of sugar. I am a coffee fiend!
freshly made-love that smell- hot,strong, with milk!!!!seattle’s best is a winner!
I like all differnt kinds of coffee and it has to be black no sugar or milk.
I like a light roast with real cream and just a smidgen of raw sugar.
I like more mild coffee — with cream only, no sugar!
I like it straight up (black) and STRONG – and usually decaf. No fancy drinks for me. : )
Mmmmm – i like it strong and smooth with a lot of ½-½ and a little splenda! No powdered or non-dairy creamers, please!
I like a medium roast, not bitter. Sometimes sugar, usually just half and half.
In a great big mug with Sweet & Low and milk!
French roast with almond extract added, cream, and sugar:)
I like a mellow coffee, with 2% and splenda. Love the pan.
Karen
I like Seattle’s Best Coffee #3 with half & half.
I like number 3, straight up black.
Rich coffee with character and attitude, like Henry’s Blend (looks like that’s becoming “Level 4”), served with a splotch of half and half and a single rounded teaspoon of real sugar. Now, that is my idea of nirvana!
I love a dark roast coffee…..no need to add anything to a great cup of coffee! One of life’s simple pleasures.