These are inspired by Turkish coffee, and are a combination Molly loves: chocolate, coffee, cardamom and cinnamon. As Molly has gotten older, she prefers the dense texture of a cake donut compared to an airy yeasted donut. These have rustic craggles and a crunchy sugar shell. It’s basically a love note to Nick in donut form, for the mornings he makes Molly’s coffee.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 25 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 9 large donuts plus 9 donut holes |
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (133 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick/56 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (180 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups (150 grams) cake flour
- 1 cup (60 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup (98 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- Neutral oil, for frying
- 3 3/4 cups (450 grams) powdered sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- For the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the granulated sugar and butter and beat on medium-high speed until fully combined and light, about 1 minute. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition until combined. Beat in the vanilla. Add the sour cream and beat, stopping and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer and add the cake flour, cocoa powder and all-purpose flour. Sprinkle the baking powder, salt, cardamom and espresso powder evenly over the flour and give the dry ingredients a rough little whisk to combine. Beat using the stand mixer paddle on low to incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Flour your work surface generously, scrape out the dough, flour the top of the dough and roll it out into a 9-inch square that is a scant 1/2 inch thick. With a sharp knife, divide the dough into 9 squares (3 by 3) and cut out 9 little circles or squares (using a large piping tip or small square cookie cutter) from the center. Place the donuts and their holes onto a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Heat about 2 inches of neutral oil to 350 degrees F in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Set a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
- To fry the donuts: Carefully and gently add 3 of the donuts and donut holes into the oil to fry for 2 minutes on each side until puffed and craggily (the donut holes will be done a little faster). Using a spider or slotted spoon, remove the donuts to the wire rack to drain of excess oil and cool until safe to handle. Repeat with the second and third batches of donuts, letting the oil return to 350 degrees F in between.
- For the glaze: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt and 6 tablespoons water until smooth. The glaze should be thick, but if it is still pasty, whisk in up to a tablespoon additional water little by little.
- Dip each donut and donut hole into the glaze to fully coat. Return them to the wire rack to let the glaze dry completely.
- These are best eaten the day they’re made. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 9 servings |
| Calories | 644 |
| Total Fat | 31 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 92 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 65 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 86 mg |
| Sodium | 355 mg |
Reviews
Hey Molly, my family loved these donuts. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They were delicious. I would also like to try and make these plain, without the chocolate, as I have family members who like the plain donuts better. If it is possible to convert the recipe, do I need to add more flour to replace the cocoa powder and if so, which one and how much? Love your show.