mini baked chocolate cake donuts

growing up, donuts were for special occasions.

when i was little and spent the night at grandma's, she always had a box of mini chocolate covered donuts. always. and when mom came downstairs in the morning, we always got the look for not eating something with a but less sugar.

then for the really special days - thanksgiving, christmas, easter, memorial day - my uncle would get up before all of us and pick up a box of dunkin donuts.

when i was older and slept in way past noon (as i suspect all teenagers do), every once and a while when i rolled out of bed, there would be a box from the corner bakery with two lonely donuts. long johns, slit down the middle, filled with fresh whipped cream and raspberry jam. one for me, one for kristy. and every once in a while, only half of one would be left. dad found the box.

maybe that's why it's taken me so long to make them from scratch. and the fact that i don't have a donut pan. which i found out, you definitely don't need. i mean, sure, my baked donuts are missing the hole in the middle, but does that really matter? the flavor is still the same. chocolately, sweet, and nice and light.

nutmeg sounds weird, i know. but don't skip it, or you'll have a chocolate muffin. nutmeg is the characteristic donut flavor.

mini baked chocolate cake donuts
adapted from lara ferroni
30 minutes, makes 15 mini donuts

1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

1. lightly grease a muffin tin (or mini donut pan, if you're so lucky). preheat your oven to 350F.
2. sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda together (be sure to sift it and not just whisk it, to break up the lumps of cocoa). whisk in the sugar, nutmeg and salt. use your fingers to add the butter. crumble it together with the other dry ingredients until it resembles coarse sand. set aside.
3. in another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla and egg. add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
4. fill each muffin tin (or donut mold) 1/2 to 2/3 of the way full. bake for about 8 minutes, until they spring back when touched. turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
5. dip the entire donut in glaze (whisk milk & powdered sugar until it's the consistency you want) or dip the top in caramel sauce.