The first Saturday morning in our new home I wanted to make something delicious for breakfast. It would be the first thing I baked in my new kitchen and I wanted to try something new. I have had these little bites earmarked for a long time now. I figured these would be perfect to snack on as we got settled into our new home.

Some notes about this recipe. The recipe states that it makes 28-30 but I got 47 and they were by no means small doughnut holes! Also, I found that I could easily cook in batches of 6-7 and the oil temperature wouldn’t lower. I also reduced the cooking time because the dough was getting a bit tough. Tossing leftovers in the microwave for 15 seconds will melt the caramel but wont toughen the dough!

Chocolate Caramel Doughnut Holes

Printer Friendly

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour,plus more for work surface

1 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp coarse salt

1 cup sugar, plus more for coating

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

4 Tbsp unsalted butter,melted

2 large eggs

28-30 store bought soft caramel squares, unwrapped

5 to 6 cups vegetable oil, for frying

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 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. 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 baking sheet with paper towels. Fill wide, shallow bowl with 1 inch of sugar. In a large, heavy pot, heat 4 inches of oil until it registers 350 on a candy thermometer. In batches of 4, fry doughnuts for 5 minutes, turning once with a slotted spoon and adjusting heat as needed. Transfer doughnuts to prepared sheet; let rest for 4 minutes. Roll in sugar to coat. Serve immediately.

Source: Everyday Food, October 2009