#439 - Chocolate Cake Donuts

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup milk
2 TBSP melted butter
2 squares Baker's unsweetened baking chocolate
cooking oil for frying

In bowl, add 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt--stir set aside. In a mixer, add eggs, white sugar and vanilla--beat until thick. In a small bowl, add milk and melted butter. Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and add it to the melted butter mixture--stir. Add the milk/butter/chocolate mixture to the batter--beat. Slowly add the flour mixture to the batter and beat. Remove from the mixer and add the remaining cup of flour--stir with a wooden spoon. Cover the mixing bowl with saran wrap and refrigerate for two hours. Remove dough from refrigerator. Lightly flour the counter, place dough on floured counter, and sprinkle the top of the dough with flour--use a rolling pin to roll dough to 1/2" thickness. Cut donuts with a floured 2 1/2" donut cutter or floured glass or jar lid and a soda bottle cap to make the donut hole. Fry 2-3 donuts at a time in deep hot fat or canola oil (dutch oven pot, deep fryer, deep pot--if using a pot you will need a few inches of hot fat or hot oil). Fry for about 1 minute on each side--use a slotted spoon to turn them. Use slotted spoon to remove them and drain on paper towels. Place in ziploc bag one at a time with powdered sugar to coat.