Chocolate Doughnut Muffins

Chocolate Doughnut Muffins

These supersoft, pillowy chocolate muffins are reminiscent of your favorite chocolate doughnut, but with no fussy frying necessary. Packed with sour cream and just a drop of oil, they stay moist and delicious for days. They come together quickly in one bowl, so you can mix them up for a morning treat or afternoon snack without much effort. The cinnamon-sugar coating gives them a crunchy and lightly spiced exterior, which is a pleasing contrast to their soft centers, but they are just as tasty with a heavy dusting of confectioners’ sugar instead.

Yield: 12 muffins

½ cup plus 4 tablespoons/170 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing

2 large eggs

1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar

1 cup/220 grams sour cream

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus a pinch

½ cup/45 grams Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup/128 grams all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 375 degrees with a rack set in the center. Generously butter a 12-cup muffin tin.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs and ¾ cup/150 grams granulated sugar and whisk until well combined.

Add the sour cream, ½ cup/113 grams butter, the oil, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon salt; whisk until well combined.

Whisk in the cocoa powder, followed by the baking powder and the baking soda. Then use a flexible spatula to fold in the flour by gently scooping up some batter from the bottom and folding it over the flour on the top. Rotate the bowl and repeat until just incorporated.

Divide the mixture among the 12 wells and bake until the muffins are puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 18 to 23 minutes.

In a shallow bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup/50 grams granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon and a pinch of salt.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer them to a rack. Working with one warm muffin at a time, brush it with some remaining melted butter then toss in the cinnamon sugar; repeat with remaining muffins.

Serve immediately. Store any extras in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. (The sugar will gradually melt into the muffins as they sit, but you can reroll the muffins in cinnamon sugar, if desired.)

TIP: I didn’t have enough sour cream and I really wanted to make them, so I used a scant 1/2 cup sour cream plus approximately 1/4 cup each Greek yogurt and ricotta. They came out perfectly. Next time I’ll try with all Greek yogurt.

I’m gonna ditch the nutmeg and add in a bit of instant coffee to deepen the chocolate flavor. Maybe douse with a glaze!

Three people sent me this recipe and asked me to make them! Considering how easy they are, it was a pleasure.

I made these as mini muffins, doughnut holes, and mini doughnuts. All successful.

Few hints: King Arthur Double Dark Chocolate had the best flavor. Heat and brush melted butter on the pans first to make a crisper crust. I toss baked items in a bag of cinnamon sugar to completely cover. Great glazed with chocolate, others with a simple sugar glaze. One tsp of nutmeg was fine. A keeper!

I made these tonight for a last-minute dinner thing and they are terrific-tender, fluffy and spicy! They came together in no time and everyone-including my neighbor’s 18-month-old granddaughter-loved them. I made mini-muffins (with the cups filled to the top of the well) and baked them for 15 minutes. I got 2 dozen muffins. I used a good teaspoon of nutmeg and might have used more except my hand got tired of grating! The nutmeg is not overpowering & the cinnamon-nutmeg combo really rocks.