December Donuts - Week 1: "Peppermint Pattie/Mounds" Donuts...Chocolate Cake Donuts with Peppermint Glaze and Toasted Coconut

It is time for donuts!  It has been over a year, and I have been waiting to get my pans back to make donuts. So, December will be donut month.  One donut recipe every Friday this month.  Next week, maple brown sugar donuts with a maple glaze that might just have to have bacon on top.  The trick is I want to serve the donuts the day they are made; they just aren't as good the second day around.  So, the game plan, and it worked this week, is to prep all materials the night before.  Even measuring out the butter and storing it in a plastic container.  Then, when I get home from boot camp its donut time, and time to get ready for work!  It can be done!  So ...Happy Donut December! 

The first donut this month is what would happen if a York Peppermint Pattie got together with a Mounds bar and had a donut.  The base is a baked chocolate cake donut.  It is then topped with peppermint glaze and finished off with toasted coconut.  The flavors really do go well together. The donut came out light, cakey and delicious.  Give them a try, because donuts really are fun and easy to make at home; its really just all about having the pans to do it.   Enjoy!

This is what happens when you meet a friend in the city for happy hour and to get your donut pans back.  First the pans end up sitting on the bar at Zengo...where else was I supposed to put them?  Then I walked out with them in my arms.  Finally I realized, Oh Yeah my purse is pretty darn big. I wonder if these pans will fit in it while I ride the metro home.

The night before I measured out my dry ingredients, brown sugar, and butter, and stored them in an airtight containers. (The butter of course went back into the refrigerator after measuring.) 

A little gentle mixing, and this batter comes together easily.

Using a large Ziploc bag as a piping bag, allows these to come out quickly and easily.

Fresh out of the oven, now they just need to cool while I eat breakfast and make my lunch.

Glazing time.  I threw together the glaze while the donuts were cooling.  I had pre-measured the powdered sugar the night before.

And a little toasted coconut to finish them off while the glaze is still soft.  (You can definitely toast the coconut the night before.)

Baked Chocolate Cake Donuts with Peppermint Glaze and Toasted Coconut: (recipe adapted from Shutterbean)
*makes approximately 8-9 donuts
1 cup all- purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk (or 1/2 cup skim milk + 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar)
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze/topping:
1  cups powdered’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2-2 1/2 tablespoons milk
1 cup toasted coconut flakes

1.  Heat oven to 325 F.  Coat doughnut pan with non-stick cooking spray. 

2.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. 

3.  In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sugar, egg, butter and vanilla until smooth.  Add milk mixture to flour mixture; whisk until smooth.

4.  Spoon batter into a large resealable plastic bag. Cut of the corner and squeeze batter into prepared doughnut pan about 2/3 full. Bake for 13 minutes, until doughnuts spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in pan on rack 3 minutes, then carefully turn out directly onto rack to cool.

5.  In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and with 2 tablespoons milk and peppermint extract, and stir until consistency is thick and glazey.  If the consistency is too thin, add more sugar.  If too thick add a bit more milk.

6.  Dip cooled doughnuts into bowl and allow excess frosting to drip back into bowl. Transfer to rack. Top with coconut immediately and serve.  Enjoy!