Servings 24 doughnut holes
Ingredients
For the chocolate glaze:
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
- 3 1/2 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the doughnut holes:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Assorted sprinkles, for decorating (optional)
Equipment:
- 1- inch round cookie cutter; deep-fry thermometer
Instructions
Make the chocolate glaze:
- In a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder. Slowly stir in 3 tablespoons of milk and the vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth. If the glaze isn't thin enough, stir in 1 additional tablespoon of milk. Cover the glaze with plastic wrap and set it aside while you make the doughnut holes.
Make the doughnut holes:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, buttermilk and melted butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined. (The dough will be very wet.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours until chilled.
- When you are ready to make the doughnuts, attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side of a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add 3 to 4 inches of oil, ensuring there are at least 2 inches from the top of the oil to the top of the pot. Begin heating the oil over medium-high heat. (The oil is ready for frying when it reaches 375ºF.)
- Scrape the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Flour your hands then pat the dough out until it is about 1/2-inch thick all around. (The dough will be very sticky and wet. Do not hesitate to add more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.)
- Flour the cookie cutter, lightly flour a small baking sheet and line a separate baking sheet with paper towels. Using the cookie cutter, cut out circles from the dough and transfer them to the floured baking sheet, re-flouring the cookie cutter after each cut. Gather the scraps, pat them down and cut out as many additional circles as you can. Once the oil reaches 375ºF, carefully add the doughnut holes in batches of 3 or 4, cooking them for 1 to 2 minutes per side and flipping them as needed. (See Kelly's Notes.)
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnut holes to the paper towel-lined baking sheet. Allow the doughnut holes to cool completely then dip them into the prepared glaze, shake off any excess and decorate them with sprinkles (optional). Place the doughnut holes on a cooling rack to allow the glaze to set slightly. Serve the doughnut holes immediately or store them in an air-tight container.
Kelly's Notes:
- For chocolate doughnut holes with vanilla glaze, use the vanilla glaze recipe from my Easy Homemade Glazed Doughnut Holes.
- This is a very wet dough. The less you handle it, the better. It's also very important that it's properly chilled and that you use enough flour when patting out the dough and cutting it into circles.
- The dark color of these doughnut holes makes it harder to decide when they’re fully cooked. Test the exact cooking time by adding one doughnut hole to the hot oil and then testing the doneness at different intervals using a toothpick. Insert the toothpick into the doughnut and then remove it. If it comes out clean, the doughnut hole is fully cooked and you'll know the exact time to cook the doughnut holes.
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