About 3 weeks ago we celebrated my husband Mikey’s 32nd birthday! The way I grew up, birthdays are not confined to a solitary party or a nice cake and presents. Rather, a birthday is an event stretching anywhere from 24-72 hours in which the sole focus of everyone’s attention is celebrating the awesomeness that is you. My mom even made all of us girls separate tablecloths, used only on our birthdays. Mine was a spangely magenta masterpiece, while my younger sister favored a light pink velour table runner. Nice work Mom.
Anyway, I was determined that Mikey was going to have the best birthday EVER despite my raging flu, his three hour night class, and all day meetings. The morning of, I got up early and drove to get his all-time favorite breakfast: donuts from Dunkin’ Donuts. I pulled through the drive through and leaned out my window into the frigid mid-western morning and said “Hi, I’m grabbing donuts for my husband’s birthday. Do you have one double chocolate and one peanut cluster?” “Sure do”, came the automatic reply. “Will that be all? Or can I get you one as well?”
Yes. Yes I will have a light, fluffy, yeasty chocolate donut with Bavarian cream. Or a thick, dense powdered sugar donut that leaves my lips frosted with a delectable white ring. Or a few coy, round donut holes, the bane of the dieters existence but ever dear to my own heart.
“No.” I replied regretfully. “That’s all.”
Mike’s birthday passed but I haven’t been able to get the vision of those donuts out of my head! Finally I decided to get serious, and get a darn donut! This is my favorite variation of different recipes I have tried to get the perfect double chocolate, paleo friendly donut.
Ingredients: (Donut)
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 2 TBS honey
- 3 eggs
- 1 TBS strongly brewed coffee
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
Instructions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the donut pan very well with coconut oil or oil of choice.
- Combine all of the dry ingredients and sift to combine. Make sure to use 100% unsweetened cacoa powder.
- Combine wet ingredients except for the eggs and stir to combine. Add eggs and beat until well combined. You should be able to pour into molds. If it is too sticky, add a little bit of water.
- Pour into donut mold until 2/3 full. Bake for 10 minutes, no longer. Remove from molds while warm.
Ingredients: (Frosting)
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 ounces unsweetened cacao in bar form
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Heat oil in sauce pan over medium heat until melted.
- Add cacao and stir constantly, making sure it doesn’t burn. Adjust heat as needed.
- Add honey and whisk to combine.
- Remove sauce pan from heat and add vanilla extract. Stir well.
- Cool to slightly warm. Dip donuts into chocolate and then let cool. The frosting will slightly harden as it cools. Best when slightly warm.
Dunkin’ Donuts ain’t got nothin’ on me!
livingfullywithout 