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December 22, 2021

December Recipe of the Month: Chocolate Reindeer Donuts

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chocolate donuts, doughnuts, cake donuts, baked donuts, christmas, holiday, reindeer, cranberry, pretzel, pinecone, winter, cinnamonThese chocolate reindeer donuts are as delicious as they are adorable. Be sure to save one for yourself before they fly away "like the down of a thistle!"

Ingredients

Donuts

  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  •  1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ganache

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 8 ounces local dark chocolate: our favorites are Ritual's Mid Mountain Blend, Amano's Dos Rios, or Solstice's Madagascar. You can pick these up from your local Harmons.

Decorations

  • 12 cranberries
  • 12 pretzels
  • 24 candy eyes

Equipment

  • donut pan
  • 2 piping bags
  • cooling rack

Directions

  1. To make donuts: Preheat oven to 350°. Grease pan and set aside.
  2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together sour cream, melted butter, and sugars until combined. Stir in vanilla and one egg at a time.
  4. Gently fold the flour mixture into wet ingredients and mix by hand just until combined.
  5. Fill a piping bag with batter and fill donut pan 2/3 of the way full.
  6. Bake for 12 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 3-5 minutes, then remove from pan.
  7. To make the ganache: In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Stir until smooth. Set aside for 15-20 minutes until ganache has cooled and thickened a bit.
  8. To make the buttercream for decoration: In a mixing bowl, mix together butter and sugar, add milk and vanilla. Mix on high for 3 minutes. Put into a piping bag and cut a very small hole at the end. Set aside.
  9. To assemble chocolate reindeer donuts: Dip donuts into the ganache, then place on a cooling rack until ganache sets.
  10. Place eyes, and cranberry in the center as the nose.
  11. Break/cut pretzels in half, length-wise for antlers.
Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

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