Baked Chocolate Donuts

I decided to make donuts for my birthday weekend, using this baked recipe from a Cozy Kitchen. These are decadent, full of chocolate and so rich they beg for a glass of milk to get the chocolate off the roof of your mouth. They are best eaten with a fork since they tend to crumble.

Pretty much, if it's your birthday and you want cake for breakfast, these fit the bill.

Baked Chocolate Donuts
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 oz. chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. liquid cocoa extract or instant espresso powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. milk

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a donut pan with cooking spray, and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Then add the chocolate chips, melt and mix until smooth. Turn off the heat, and add cocoa extract or espresso powder, sugar and egg yolk. Lastly, whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir just until mixed. Fill each donut hole to the top, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until firm to the touch. Cool for two minutes, and then carefully transfer to a cooling rack.

To make the glaze, combine all the ingredients, whisking until smooth. Add more milk as needed to get desired consistency. Either dip the donuts or use a spoon to pour on the glaze. Top with sprinkles, grab a fork and get messy! Makes 6 donuts. 

Restaurant-Style Salsa

Do you know how addictive the salsa at Mexican restaurants can be? That flavor combination and texture with no big chunks makes you keep dipping and dipping. We usually can salsa every year, and we make pretty darn good salsas if I say so myself. But after I made this quick salsa from Brown Eyed Baker, my husband said he wasn't sure we ever needed to can salsa again.

This comes together quickly, makes use of canned tomatoes to ensure quality flavor no matter the season and has just a few cheap fresh ingredients that make it pop. Word of warning, though, for those with sensitive (a.k.a. sissy) palates ... you might not want to add any jalapenos to the mix.

Restaurant-Style Salsa
28 oz. can whole tomatoes, drained
2 10-oz. cans Rotel
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno (thinly sliced and seeds removed)
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 lime, juiced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cumin

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until combined and desired consistency. Makes about 6 cups of salsa. Ideally let stand for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to blend, but it's still tasty right away.