Everyone in my family loves doughnuts, but we rarely buy them; they’ve always been viewed as an extravagant treat saved for special occasions. So when the first day of full-day Kindergarten rolled around and my daughter hinted that coming home to doughnuts would make things a bit easier, I was happy to oblige.

I know that a fried yeast doughnut trumps a baked doughnut any day of the week, but I decided to make a baked version at home anyway. I had discovered a baked doughnut recipe that was quite good, and I must admit that my frying adventures always end in a huge, greasy mess. Baking them in the oven insured a doughnut that was a (little) bit less indulgent, and also kept my kitchen clean.

My daughter arrived home exhausted from a long day, but when my 3-year-old son and I presented her with chocolate glazed doughnuts (complete with sprinkles!) we had made that morning, her smile couldn’t have been any bigger. We ate them in blissful silence, and enjoyed every bite.

Baked Doughnuts with Chocolate Glaze

This recipe is adapted from one found on FauxMartha. The only change I made was to omit the vanilla bean and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the wet ingredients.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze
Adapted from Dorrie Greenspan

This makes just enough glaze for 6 doughnuts. You can easily double it if you’d like a bit more.

• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• Sprinkles (optional)

Break the chocolate into small pieces and put them in a mixing bowl. Bring heavy cream, sugar, and water to a full boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, and cover with plastic wrap for 3-5 minutes. Uncover, and using a whisk, mix chocolate and cream together until smooth. Use glaze immediately on doughnuts. (I found dunking the doughnuts in the glaze worked well.) Top with sprinkles (if desired) while the glaze is still setting.

Yum!