Belated "V" Day! Healthier Baked Doughnuts

Before Valentine's Day I had already decided I would not stick to my weird radical and restricted paleo diet  TheHub and I had dinner reservations and the meal was a prix fixe deal.  I was not about to pay a set price and only eat a bit of quail and a small short rib.  In addition to the meats I wanted to be able to enjoy a craft beer, the charcuterie tray, a glass of wine, the mushroom and wild  rice souffle, the mixed greens, the apple gallette, and did I mention the pots de creme?  So, I had preplanned to go off the plan for the day.  One day only, but I planned to take the entire day just the same.

Sometimes all the planets align and the universe decides to be exceptionally kind.  Valentine's was one of those days.  Each year my parents take my beloved sister and me out to eat lunch.  If Valentine's is on a weekday we eat on that day, always at a restaurant near the beloved sister's office. Since it was on a Saturday this year, we had decided to have Valenlunch on Wednesday.  Mom and Dad both had obligations every other afternoon and Wednesday Dad had only an early morning Dr. appointment.  At least that is what he told us.  If he had mentioned he was going to have a MRI and have to see the doctor again afterwards for the results, we would have made other plans.  I was pulling into the restaurant parking lot when I got the call that they were still waiting and could not make it.

Hmmm! No Valenlunch and no option for any other afternoon, so we decided to have Valenbrunch mid-morning on Saturday.  Mom had given me some doughnut pans for Christmas and they had been sitting, unused so I decided to make some baked treats.  And why would I make just one kind when I could make 2 ?

                                                       Doughnuts 2 Ways

The recipe for the chocolate doughnuts came with the pan.  I am just printing it with the substitutions I used.  The recipe for the apple cider doughnuts can be found here at The Faux Martha, but I am posting it along with the changes I made.

Chocolate Cake Doughnuts

2/3 cup Dutch process cocoa* ( see below if using regular cocoa)
1 3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk or kefir
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oils

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix the cocoa* (if using regular cocoa you have to neutralize it by stirring 1/2 teaspoon of soda into the cocoa), flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips on a large bowl.  Whisk to combine thoroughly.

In another bowl mix the buttermilk or kefir, vanilla, eggs and vinegar.  The milk might curdle a little but don't worry about it.  Add the milk mixture and the oil to the dry mix alternately.  Stir until just blended.  Fill  greased doughnut pans just over half full and bake for about 10 minutes.  Remove  from the oven and let them sit 1 minute.  Put a wire rack over the doughnuts and invert the pan.  The doughnuts should fall out on the rack.  Let them cool completely before icing them. 

For Icing use 1 cup confectioners sugar, 1 tablespoon of cocoa and 1 tablespoon milk.  I put it all in a ziploc bag, seal and squish it around until everything is smooth.  If the icing is runnier than you want add a bit more confectioners sugar.  If it is too thick add more milk, a few drops at a time, until you get the consistency you want.  Snip one corner from the bottom of the bag and squeeze to swirl icing on the each doughnut.  This recipe made 15 regular size doughnuts (16 if you count the one that fell on the floor)

Apple Cider Doughnuts
6 tablespoons butter
2 cup apple cider vinegar, reduced to 1 cup (use 2/3 cup for doughnuts, save remaining for icing)
1 cup white whole wheat flour (King Arthur Flours makes this)
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons honey
2 large eggs

Icing
1 cup confectioners
2 tablespoons reduced apple cider

preheat oven to 350 degrees

Melt butter and stir into 2/3 cup of reduced apple cider.  Let cool.
Whisk all the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices  in a medium bowl and set aside.  Stir the honey, sugar and egg in the cooled butter/ cider mix until it is completely mixed.  Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just blended.  Fill greased doughnut pans just under 1/2 full.  bake 5-7 minutes, remove from  the oven and let sit for 1 minute before turning them on a wire rack to cool.  When completely cool ice with the icing mixture.

Mix the confectioners sugar and the reduced apple cider in a ziploc bag.  Adjust more sugar or cider to your personal taste. Squish to blend thoroughly.  Cut one corner end of the bag off and drizzle the icing over each doughnut.  This recipe made 14 doughnuts filling them half full.

And now Valentine'd Day is officially over, and I will be back on the Whole 30 plan tomorrow, but tonight I will sleep with doughnuts and deliciousness in my belly. And Tums, I did mention the need for Tums didn't I?

For the record the words in italics are totally made up words, but my beloved sister and I have used them for years so they are now completely immersed as part of our vocabulary. The word in bold was added yesterday, but I am sure it will remain in our day to day language also.