Hey guys!
Thank you so much for the sweet comments on yesterday’s Christmas inspired pancakes. It’s good to know that I’m not the only one ready for the season a bit early this year…now to get to work on my Christmas list! 😉
But first, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about a hot steamy cup of perfectly roasted coffee?
Coffee haters remain silent…you’ll kill the mood.
How about chocolate cherry cake doughnuts coated in a mix of cocoa and powdered sugar?
Yes? No? Maybe?
As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I was sent two free bags of Peet’s Coffee to taste and asked to pair it with a breakfast, brunch, or dessert dish.
I had never tried Peet’s coffee before and honestly, I was a bit skeptical at first after I discovered that both the Cafe’ Solano and the Cafe’ Domingo were medium roasted coffees.
I like my coffee like I like my men…
Hot, smooth, and STRONG!
Luckily neither blend disappointed. They both have such a depth of flavor that I’ve never tasted with other brands. I may have just found my new favorite coffee! 😉
After trying my first cup, I knew exactly what I wanted to pair it with, but without any clue as to how to make my own doughnuts…I may be the “Queen of Pancakes”, but a baker, I am not….I took a little help from a pair of twins who know their way around a doughnut pan.
As soon as I saw the Baked Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnuts on The Healthy Diaries, the gears in my head started turning and it wasn’t long before I made the recipe my own!
Chocolate Cherry Cake Doughnuts
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes, plus cooling
Keywords: bake breakfast snack dessert cocoa whole wheat pastry flour
Ingredients (7 doughnuts)
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 egg, whisked
- 3/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon cocoa bean extract (or vanilla extract)
- 1 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup jarred maraschino cherries, chopped
- 4 tablespoons cherry juice from jar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a doughnut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk well to break up any cocoa clumps (not to be confused with “lady lumps”).
3. In a separate bowl, add whisked egg, yogurt, extract, oil, milk, and cherry juice and whisk together until combined.
4. Carefully stir in the chopped cherries.
5. Transfer batter to a large zip top bag, cut one of the corners off and squeeze batter into doughnut pan.*
6. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest doughnut comes out clean.
7. While doughnuts are baking, whisk together the cocoa and sugar in a large bowl (the larger the bowl, the less chance for a cocoa-sugar coated kitchen).
8. When done, immediately turn doughnuts out onto a cooling rack. One at a time, coat them with the cocoa/sugar mix and then allow to cool…or devour one right away like I did! 😉
*My batter was actually enough to make 7 doughnuts so I poured the batter into a mini muffin pan and made makeshift “doughnut holes.”
Fresh out of the oven
Can you see the specks of cherries?
All dusted up and ready for coffee dunkin’
But don’t think you have to be a coffee lover to enjoy one of these for breakfast…as a snack…or a late night nibble…try dipping them in hot cocoa!
Because, let’s face it, you can never have too much chocolate! 😉
What is your favorite hot beverage during the cold months?
Are you a “dunker”?
