If you are a regular reader, you probably know about my cookie dough obsession. Anything that has “cookie dough” in its’ title, I am immediately drawn to it. When I saw this recipe for cookie dough donuts, I knew I had to make them. I am not usually a donut person. I have made it a point to never eat donuts. I think, perhaps, I feel like I can get a sweet tooth fix in a better way. And eating something that heavily fried in the morning is not appealing to me. Unless it’s bacon. Then I could eat a plateful. But that’s another story for another day.
These donuts are the “healthier” version (that’s what I tell myself when I am eating them). They are baked instead of fried in copious amounts of oil. Baking them makes the donuts light and fluffy and moist. And not to mention the dollop of cookie dough in the center of each donut. Yes! These are best the day they are made, but will last in the refrigerator for a couple of days. New Christmas morning tradition?
(Did anyone else notice that donut was said a record amount of times in this post? I like to push the envelope.)
Recipe from The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook by Lindsay Landis
Baked Cookie Dough Donuts
These softly baked donuts are every cookie dough lovers dream. The donuts are dipped in a cookie dough flavored glaze and topped with an eggless cookie dough. The ultimate breakfast treat.
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
For the cookie dough
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips
For the glaze
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- For the donuts; heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until butter almost melted. Remove from the heat and whisk until smooth. Pour in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and let cool until lukewarm (about 100ºF). In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup warm water and let sit for 5 minutes, or until frothy. Then add the yeast to the milk mixture. Whisk in the sugar, egg, vanilla extract and salt. On low speed, slowly mix in the flour, 1 cup at a time. Once the dough is incorporated, switch to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time until it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Be careful not to add too much flour, donut dough is supposed to be more wet than bread dough. Once the dough is done kneading, transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 1/2-inch thick. Using a donut cutter, or a large circle with a small cookie cutter, cut out rings and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat, spacing about 2 inches apart. Roll out some of the remaining dough into 1/8-inch-thick pieces. Cut out holes that are slightly bigger than the donut holes. Gently slip the circles under the donut holes. This will make a foundation for the cookie dough after baking. Any remaining dough can be cut into donut holes. Lightly grease plastic wrap, then cover the donuts on the baking sheets. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Bake the risen donuts for 8-10 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool.
- For the cookie dough; beat together the butter and sugars in a mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract. On low speed, mix in the flour and salt until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- For the glaze; combine the heavy cream, brown sugar and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Sift the confectioners' sugar into the saucepan (or else you will have chunky glaze) and whisk until incorporated. Let cool.
- To assemble the donuts; dip the tops of the donuts into the cooled glaze and place upright on a wire rack. Drop dollops of cookie dough into the center of each donut hole. Serve immediately. These can be kept covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, but are best the day they are made.
