Baked Chocolate Donuts with Chocolate Ganache Glaze

There are some dishes I seem to make a lot. It is especially true of the ones requested by my children, and my son is a huge chocolate donut lover. Wait, he is a small person who hugely loves chocolate donuts. Oh, well, you know what I mean. I have made Baked Chocolate Donuts before. And I will do it again. Differently every time, apparently.

In today's version I used oatmeal in the batter and melted butter instead of oil. The butter adds a nice softness and the oatmeal adds a little extra fiber, so I can pretend that I made a healthy breakfast for my kids. We won't discuss the health benefits of the chocolate ganache glaze.

To make these, you will need a donut pan. And a chocoholic to help you finish them off.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/3 cup Hersheys Special Dark cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 lightly beaten egg
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled
• For the Glaze:
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Pour milk over oats and set aside to soak.
2. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a donut pan with cooking spray.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
4. Stir the melted butter into the oatmeal-milk mixture. Add egg and vanilla. Stir to combine.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and blend well. This mixture is halfway between cookie dough and muffin batter. It will be heavy.
6. Pour (or shape) the dough into the muffin pan. Bake about 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean.
7. For the glaze:
   1. Break or chop the chocolate into pieces (unless you are already using chocolate chips).
   2. Heat the cream in the microwave about 40 seconds until hot.
   3. Pour hot cream over room temperature chocolate. Add vanilla.
   4. Stir until the chocolate is well blended and glossy. It should resemble a loose chocolate pudding.
8. Set a cooling rack over a silicone baking mat (or foil) to catch the chocolate drips. Or skip this step and plan to wash your counter.
9. Cool the donuts in the pan about 2-3 minutes then turn out onto the cooling rack.
10. Carefully (so as to not burn yourself) dip the tops of each donut in the chocolate glaze and set on the rack to cool.