Whole Wheat Espresso Gazed Mini Doughnuts (baked, not fried)

I bought one of those mini doughnut pans, can you tell?  I got it on a whim, but the truth is, I’ve always turned up my nose at the thought of baked doughnuts, mini or otherwise.  I’m a native East Coaster, and we take our doughnuts very, very seriously.  I mean, why mess with an already perfect food?  I imagined them tough, dry, and not doughnut-like at all.  But hey, we all make mistakes, and in fact, I can’t tell the difference at all between these and regular fried doughnuts.  If anything, I like these better.  Soft and pillowy, not too sweet, with a subtle hint of nutmeg and cardamom. I love them!

I finished my first batch of soft, whole wheat doughnuts in two ways because I couldn’t make up my mind.  First I popped the warm doughnuts, fresh out of the pan, into a bag filled with confectioner’s sugar and gave them a good shake.

The whole wheat flour and brown sugar gives the interior a warm toffee color. The fresh nutmeg gives them that unmistakable ‘doughnut’ taste.  These are classic, and they beg to be dunked in a cup of good strong coffee.

I went a different route with the second batch.  I made a thick espresso glaze and dipped the doughnuts in head first.  The result was the perfect mid morning bite.

I do have a definite competitive streak, and sometimes it flares up when I go into a Starbucks.  Their mini doughnuts always tempt me, but I know if I order them I’ll be disappointed.  They’re dry, and don’t taste anywhere near as good as they look.  That’s a sin in my book, and tantamount to throwing down the gauntlet.

This is the way mini doughnuts should taste, and my espresso glaze is so much better than pink frosting with sprinkles.

Whole Wheat Mini Baked Doughnuts
makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen mini doughnuts
oven to 325F
dry ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cups light brown sugar (packed)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp cardamom (you can substitute cinnamon, or leave it out)
wet ingredients:
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup milk, cream, or half and half
1 Tbsp vanilla paste (or regular vanilla extract)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

• Whisk together the dry ingredients, making sure the brown sugar is completely dispersed and there are no lumps.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well.
• The easiest way to fill the little doughnut wells in the pan is to pipe it.  Spoon the batter into a large baggie and cut a hole in one corner.
• Lightly spray the doughnut pan with cooking spray, and then pipe the batter into the doughnut wells, filling each about 2/3 to 3/4 full.  (or according to the instructions that came with your particular pan)
• Bake for 9 minutes until the doughnuts spring back when touched.
• Cool briefly and then remove the doughnuts from the pan.
• Shake the warm doughnuts in a bag filled with confectioner’s sugar, or glaze with Espresso Glaze.

Espresso Glaze
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp instant espresso powder
several Tbsp milk or heavy cream

• Dissolve the espresso powder in 2 Tbsp of the milk or cream.  Let sit for a few minutes to allow the powder to dissolve.  Mix in the sugar, and enough additional milk or cream to get a glaze consistency.  There is no right or wrong to this— go thicker if you want a heavier, frosted look, go thinner for a more translucent glaze effect.

Notes:  Don’t forget the nutmeg, it’s the flavor that makes a doughnut taste like a doughnut.  Trust me.

These were very very good.  I’m a baked mini doughnut convert.