Chocolate Doughnut Muffins

You may remember that a while back I made some baked doughnut bites.  They were good, but upon further review they need some tweaking.  I'm working on that.

However, I've been tossing around these chocolate doughnut muffins around in my head for a while.  What does it say about you when you're thinking about recipes and ingredient proportions while you're driving down the highway?? 

Anyway, these are oh-so-good.  I baked them in mini muffin pans again, to try to get the impression that they are more like doughnut holes.  (By the way, do you prefer "doughnut" or "donut"? and a funny quote about it all.)  They were then dipped in a chocolate glaze.  Do they truly taste like chocolate cake doughnuts?  Not exactly. But the chocolate glaze?  It tastes just like the glaze you would get at a doughnut shop.  For "research" purposes, I even stopped at a doughnut shop and got a chocolate cake doughnut with chocolate glaze to compare (hey, it was next to the place I get my hair cut at!).  I didn't do too shabby if I do say so myself!

My 8-year-old helper and taste tester couldn't stay out of these.  Honestly, I had a hard time with that myself.  The muffin has a pleasing chocolate flavor, was moist and not too heavy.  I even mixed them by hand instead of getting out the stand mixer.  The glaze is easy to make, although you'll probably have some left over.  I'm thinking about what I can do with the extra (other than eat it with a spoon). 

Chocolate Doughnut Muffins
adapted from King Arthur Flour

2-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp espresso powder
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375'F.  Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray (makes 36 mini muffins). 

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, cream together butter, oil and sugars until smooth.  Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing well until combined.  Stir in half the sifted dry ingredients until combined.  Mix in the milk, then add the remaining flour mixture and combine well.

Spoon the batter into the prepared baking tins, filling each cup almost full.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool on a wire rack.  Dust with powdered sugar or dip in chocolate glaze.

Makes 36 mini muffins.

***

Chocolate Doughnut Glaze
from the only man I might leave my husband for, AKA Alton Brown (um, just kidding honey!)

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

Heat butter, milk, corn syrup and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat just until butter is melted.  Turn the heat down to low and whisk in the chocolate until it is melted.  Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth.  Dip tops of doughnuts (or muffins) in the glaze.  Allow glaze to set for 20-30 minutes before serving. (You can also double dip the muffins if you'd like!)

Enjoy!  :)