Best Chocolate Doughnut Holes Recipes

CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUT HOLES

Steps:

• Make the doughnut holes: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla and orange zest until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes. Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in the flour mixture, alternating with the sour cream, until a sticky dough forms, about 2 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 340 degrees F. Meanwhile, roll out the dough until 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface. (The dough will be sticky.) Cut out rounds using a 1-inch-round cookie cutter, dipping the cutter in flour each time. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheet.
• Set a rack on another baking sheet. Working in batches, carefully fry the doughnut holes until puffed and browned, 30 seconds per side. Transfer to the rack using a slotted spoon or wire strainer.
• Make the glaze: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan and immediately pour over the chocolate; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth, then whisk in the corn syrup and vanilla. Set aside until cooled and thickened, about 5 minutes. Dip the doughnut holes in the glaze, transfer to the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with nonpareils. Let sit at least 1 hour before serving.

CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL DOUGHNUT HOLES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together sugar, buttermilk, butter, and eggs until thoroughly combined. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture just until a smooth dough forms.
• On a lightly floured work surface, pat dough flat and lightly flour. Roll out dough to a 1/3-inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter (to lift rounds from work surface, use a thin spatula). Reroll and cut scraps.
• Place a caramel in the center of each round, pinch dough closed around it, and gently roll into a smooth ball.
• Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Fill a wide shallow bowl with 1 inch sugar. In a large heavy pot, heat 4 inches oil until it registers 350 degrees on a candy thermometer. In batches of 4, fry doughnuts 5 minutes, turning once with a slotted spoon and adjusting heat as needed. Transfer doughnuts to prepared sheet; let rest 4 minutes. Roll in sugar to coat. Serve immediately.

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUT HOLES

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a small bowl, combine the milk, yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons sugar with the flour and salt. Stir in yeast mixture and egg, and knead it in the bowl a few times to incorporate the liquid. Tip the dough onto a work surface and knead it until smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes. Add the butter, a bit at a time, and continue to knead the dough until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth, another 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky.
• Gather the dough into a neat ball. Grease the inside of a large bowl with butter and add the dough. Cover with plastic and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 2 hours. (After the dough has doubled, you can punch it down, wrap it well and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.)
• Tip the dough onto a very lightly floured surface and pat the dough out into a 7-by-4 inch rectangle. (You can work with the dough directly from the refrigerator if it has been chilled.) Divide the dough into 14 even pieces using a bench scraper or a knife and slightly flatten each. Add 1 chocolate fève or about 1 teaspoon of chocolate to the center of each piece of dough, wrap and pinch the dough to enclose the chocolate, and roll it into a neat ball. Transfer the dough pieces to a floured rimmed baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with two layers of paper towels. Clip a candy thermometer to the edge of a large pot. Heat the oil over medium-high until it reaches 350 degrees.
• As oil heats, make the cinnamon-sugar mixture: Mix 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon in a large bowl.
• Working one at a time, carefully transfer dough to a spider or slotted spoon without deflating it. Then transfer the dough to the hot oil. Add up to 4 pieces of dough at a time. Maintain the temperature of the oil by increasing or lowering the heat as necessary, and allow the oil to return to temperature between batches. Cook the doughnuts until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side, then using the spider, transfer the doughnuts to the prepared sheet.
• Repeat with the remaining dough. Toss the warm doughnuts in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUT HOLES

Steps:

• Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium one, whisk eggs, sugar, sour cream or buttermilk and butter. Stir wet ingredients into dry until well blended. Chill batter until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 3. Flour your counter generously (see Note up top) and scrape dough onto it. Flour dough. Flour your hands. Gently pat dough out until it is 1/2-inch thick. Dip a 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch round cutter into a dish of flour and cut rounds from dough. Pat scraps of dough together and cut them again. If your dough or doughnut holes have gotten too soft to easily pick up, put them on a floured or parchment or waxed paper-lined tray and put them in the freezer for a few minutes, until they're firm enough to gently handle again. Prepare your fryer or fill a 5 to 6-quart with 4 inches of oil. Heat to 375°F (190°C). You can fry 6 to 12 doughnut holes at a time, about one full minute on each side. The trickiest parts will be visualizing when the doughnuts are done - since they're chocolate, the color change will be subtle; I suggest practicing with scraps of extra dough first - and keeping your oil at an even temperature, if you're not using a deep-fryer. Make sure you bring the oil back to 375°F after each batch. Drain doughnut holes on a stack of paper towels. Once cool, roll in glaze (below) and let drain and dry on cooling racks. Whisk together galzing ingredients until smooth. Thin with drops of liquid if needed.

CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL DOUGHNUT HOLES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together sugar, buttermilk, butter, and eggs until thoroughly combined. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture just until a smooth dough forms.
• On a lightly floured work surface, pat dough flat and lightly flour. Roll out dough to a 1/3-inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter (to lift rounds from work surface, use a thin spatula). Reroll and cut scraps.
• Place a caramel in the center of each round, pinch dough closed around it, and gently roll into a smooth ball.
• Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Fill a wide shallow bowl with 1 inch sugar. In a large heavy pot, heat 4 inches oil until it registers 350 degrees on a candy thermometer. In batches of 4, fry doughnuts 5 minutes, turning once with a slotted spoon and adjusting heat as needed. Transfer doughnuts to prepared sheet; let rest 4 minutes. Roll in sugar to coat. Serve immediately.