Heath Chip Donuts

I've been bad. I've been very, very bad. I...BAKED!!!

This is what happens when I'm home alone and bored. In case you didn't know, I am currently in the process of getting my good body back. I have made changes to my diet and my daily routine to facilitate this. I've actually entered a contest at my gym to keep me motivated. Baking donuts, however, is not conducive to achieving my fitness goals.

All that said, these are pretty darn good! I ate one hot off the presses--more about that in a moment--and now I'm done. Now, you'll notice I said I baked donuts, and not that I fried donuts. This makes me feel a teensy bit better about this recipe. It still has too much butter and sugar to be considered acceptable, though.

Anyway, back to the baking process: in a Christmas gift exchange with our family, we received a Sunbeam Donut Maker. It's been chilling out in the box for a month, and tonight it called to me. I had a feeling there'd be a recipe book inside, and sure enough, there was. (You can find the entire user manual at the link above.) I took the liberty of adding Heath chips, to give these donuts a little more dimension. And because, obviously, there weren't enough calories already.

The only problem I had with this very simple recipe was the batter's thickness. I anticipated it being pourable, and it wasn't. Not sure why, but this is what happened as a result of slightly over-filling the molds with extra thick batter:

Oops.


Chocolate Chip Donuts

Makes: 10
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking: 12 minutes (6 minutes per batch)
This donut batter is best made just before making donuts. Un-iced donuts will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

1½ cups plain flour
½ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
9 tablespoons butter, melted
¾ cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup milk chocolate bits
Cocoa powder, to dust

1. Preheat Donut machine. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Whisk in the butter, milk, egg and chocolate bits until mixture forms a smooth batter. Transfer to a pitcher or fabric piping bag.

2. Spray machine with cooking oil. Fill bases of preheated donut rings with half of the batter. Close lid and cook for 6 minutes or until donuts are golden and cooked. Use a non-stick spatula to transfer donuts to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter to make 10 donuts in total. Dust with cocoa powder, if desired.