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January 11, 2011

Baking with Carla: mini baked donuts



Last week I was looking around for new kitchen gadgets. I so need to buy a silicon mat. I so need to buy a ice-cream spoon. I so need/wish to buy so many things. But then I saw a mini muffin donut pan and I got the compulsive buyer bug.


How could I resist buying it? And how could I resist making baked mini donuts with Carla? I knew that she was going to love them. Ehm….actually, Wally and I dreamt of mini donuts since the moment I ordered the pan. I spent the weekend baking mini donuts. I have to taste test a recipe before making it with Carla, right? J

I found mainly two types of recipes around, the main difference being in the use or not of yogurt in the dough. I was intrigued by the recipes that use yogurt because they seemed to be a lighter version of donuts, hence more kids-friendly. (But honestly, these donuts are not fried so they are not in essence that heavy and greasy anyway.)



I experimented with both types of recipes. None of the recipes I found truly satisfied me so I modified them all and came out with my version of both the yogurt and non-yogurt mini donuts.

Verdict: despite the initial excitement, the non-yogurt donuts were far superior to the yogurt ones, which to us tasted bland, too dense, and eggy (all in all, an “ewww”).



So I’m leaving you with the recipe for the non-yogurt one. You can easily make them chocolate flavored by substituting a couple of spoons of flour with powdered chocolate. Oh, and don’t forget the glaze and sprinkles…have fun with them!

Final note: I have decided to submit this recipe and post to the Frigidaire fund raising for Save the Children. As Foodbuzz Tastemakers know, we featured publishers of Foodbuzz were encouraged to submit one (or more) posts about children-friendly recipes. Well, as you all know my Mondays with Carla are not just about children-friendly recipes but also and above all about making her discover the joy and accomplishment of baking. Give that we all very much loved this recipe, I decided to submit it. I might submit others. Foodbuzz and Frigidaire will donate $50 to Save the Children for each post submitted so...it's a for a good cause. Don't forget to check out the amazing website of the Cooking Academy!


Mini baked donuts
Ingredients
Yields 18 mini donuts

130 gr (4.5 oz or 1 cup) all purpose flour
75 gr (2.6 oz 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) sugar
5 gr (1 tsp) baking powder
2 gr (1/2 tsp) salt
7 gr (½ tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
45 ml (1.5 fl oz) milk
45 ml (1.5 fl oz) whipping cream
5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract

Method
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Add the melted butter, the egg, the milk, the whipping cream, and the vanilla extract and whisk until well blended.

Fill each donut hole 2/3 full, or even less. Do not put too much dough into the molds or you will end up with donuts without holes…which are still good but technically not donuts J



Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Let them cool in the pan a bit before trying to unmold them.

Decorate the donuts as you most liked. Wally loves icing, so I dipped them into glaze (the usual confectioners’ sugar and milk glaze) and then I put some sprinkles. You can also just dip the donuts into cinnamon and sugar.

Have a sweet day!


47 comments:

  1. Adorable! And I love that they're not fried!

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  2. Oh my, they are so pretty! Wow - Great job!

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  3. These are just too cute!! I love em!!

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  4. These are absolutely adorable. I love the way that you guys decorated. I think you need to put a picture of Carla on here so I can picture the two of you working together in the kitchen.

    How can you, such an excellent baker, not have a silicone mat yet and I own two????

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  5. These are so cute! Now I totally hope we have a blogger brunch because I hope you'll bring these :)

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  6. These are adorable!!! Zach is always asking for donuts and I refuse to buy the fried ones - I'll have to make these this weekend!

    Blogger brunch?! Yes, please! I'm in SF!! =)

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  7. Che belli e carini.

    complimenti.

    buon anno

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  8. those mini donuts look adorable and delicious! glad to see you had fun with the little one

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  9. I have been eyeballing the same pan, I think I need it now.

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  10. Those look nice, i have been looking for a donut recipe that can be baked. I am not crazy about having a vat of fat in my kitchen to deep fry them. I now have a recipe and have to find a pan!! Thanks for sharing!

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  11. These look excellent! Who wouldn't be happy to have baked doughnuts with frosting waiting for them?

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  12. Sara,those are so adorable, so perfect! I'm well past being a kid but when I look at these, I want to smile. I'm sure Carla will love these. :-)

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  13. I bought myself a big donut pan recently and still have yet to bake anything in it! Maybe I'll try this recipe but with big donuts? I need a silicon mat too, let me know if you find one because I don't know where to get one! Maybe I could register for it? haha

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  14. I've been seeing these mini donut pans everywhere and think that they are so cute! I love how pretty you decorated them. Thanks for sharing!

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  15. Those minis are so cute. I should get the dust off my mini donut pans.

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  16. you girls did a wonderful job. love the decorations.
    I do need to buy some new gadgets too, but first and foremost looking to get a new ..ahem.. camera ;;)

    Thanks for sharing Sara,
    best wishes,
    Roxana

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  17. Did you use a donut pan and muffin pan for these? You mention a muffin pan in the post, and I don't get how you can make donuts with holes in them in a muffin pan...

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  18. Sorry guys, you are so right! I used a mini DONUT pan...what was I thinking when I wrote muffins! :)
    That aside...these donuts were a lot of fun to make and to decorate. I'm going to make them soon again :) Best thing: you make the dough in 10 minutes and they bake in 10 minutes. So quick!

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  19. What sweet donuts! Your pics are beautiful. I'm a huge donut fan - never made baked before but it's on my "to do list". These should make the top 9!

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  20. Baking with Carla posts are my favorite. Even better than your trilogies (sorry!) These mini donuts are perfect. A precious little size. Baked, not fried. And sooo adorable with the little sprinkles and stars on the glaze!

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  21. i gonna try this,..looks delicious,..

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  22. Those donuts are so cute! I have been wanting to buy a mini donut pan that I saw at Sur La Table. After seeing these cute and delicious looking donuts, I just have to buy it. And I love that you baked the donuts. Oil scares me, I always burn myself! I just adore the posts about baking with Carla. :)

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  23. belli belli belli e sicuramente anche buoni, non ho dubbi!
    buon 2011!
    a presto.

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  24. So cute! This pan has been on my wanties list for a while. ;)

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  25. this is such a cute dessert:) love the assorted sprinkles on top, it's just perfect.

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  26. HI Sara
    those doughnuts are adorable! I know they had to be delicious! What I wouldn't give for a few right now....I hope Carla had fun helping you make them.
    Cheers
    Dennis

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  27. I just bought a doughnut pan and I can't wait to try this recipe out with it. Definitely added to my t-do/cook list!

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  28. These are so adorable. Such bright, beautiful colors and your pictures are great, Sara! Hope you had fun with Carla. You just reminded me...I need a silicon mat too.

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  29. I love your baking with Carla series. Even though I am not a doughnut fan, these turned out amazing! Well done and interesting the difference between he yoghurt and non yoghurt ones...

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  30. I love how cute they are! I bet Carla was super happy with them too! Get the silicon mats, you will be so happy with them. I think I'd like the non-yogurt ones too. For sure wouldn't leave off the glaze and sprinkles. Have a great weekend, do lots of relaxing!
    -Gina-

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  31. It's too bad the yogurt ones didn't turn out, it sounds very promising. Regardless, I love the idea of baked donuts as opposed to fried!

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  32. A healthy version donuts yay! Fluffy,soft and delicious not to mention they look so cute makes me want to eat them. It so sad the yogurt one didn't work out.

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  33. Those look professional! They are adorable! I'd love to try making donuts someday.

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  34. Congrats on the top 9 Today! I don't know how I missed these the first time around, but they are so cute and not fried:) I'm bookmarking this recipe-no yeast either!

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  35. I'm happy you got to top9 .. for more than one reason ..... I found a non-fried donut recipe! I try to minimize deep frying and have avoided making donuts til now. Also a good excuse to get myself another cool kitchen gadget :D a donut pan! Thanks!

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  36. oh my, ADORABLE!!! congrats on top 9!

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  37. I'm not a baker so I didn't know they made mini donut pans, or regular sized donut pans for that matter ;) Wow, these little cuties are bright and colorful, festive, fun and sound delicious (the non-yogurt ones) - terrific entry to the Frigidaire campaign and congrats on the Top 9 today!

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  38. These are so adorable!!! I can't wait to make them for my significant other!! :)

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  39. I have a mini doughnut pan on my wish list! Maybe this will have to become a must have item... These look incredible! Congrats on making the Top 9 today!

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  40. Sara, congrats on the Top 9! I'll bet Carla was excited!
    Love these little donuts. I used to make those with Liv, but somehow we've just forgotten about them. Thanks for the reminder! We will have to get our pan out. My recipe is long forgotten, so we will use this one.

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  41. These are amazing, I can't wait to make them! I'm your newest follower :)

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  42. Thank you all guys for the lovely comments and yes...get a mini donut pan, which btw is very very cheap and so worth it :)
    And Alexis (MOM - I love the name!) welcome to my humble blog. I hope you will have fun going through it!

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