Recipe developer and food photographer at Cupcakes and Couscous
10 minute read
1 Aug 2019
03:00 pm
Mini chocolate mousse doughnuts
This easy baked doughnut recipe is sure to be a hit with your friends and family, try them soon!
Time for another healthy snack recipe. Ha ha, I wish! But you have to treat yourself every now and then, yes? I realised recently that I have never posted a doughnut recipe until now, so let me make up for that with these baked mini chocolate mousse doughnuts.
I developed this recipe a few months ago after being asked to present a doughnut segment on The Expresso Show. (Check out the video below!) These mini doughnuts are baked instead of fried, dusted in cinnamon sugar and filled with delicious chocolate mousse – absolutely divine! You can also make them without a doughnut pan which is great.
It’s worth noting the doughnuts can be fried in vegetable oil too. I tried both methods and although baking is my preference you could prepare the doughnuts either way. My favourite bit of the recipe is the virtually instant, three ingredient chocolate mousse filling. This gorgeous mousse could definitely also work as a dessert all on its own!
I wanted to mention the dish towel in these images which was a gift from Elmarie Berry at Samesyn. The print is of an old recipe book and it reminds me of some of my Mom’s old recipe notebooks filled with recipes either handwritten or typed and pasted in – I love it! The Samesyn range is absolutely beautiful so do pop over to their Facebook page for a squizz.
This easy baked doughnut recipe is sure to be a hit with your friends and family, try them soon!
Cook’s notes:
Entertaining a crowd? Double the recipe to make a large batch of mini chocolate mousse doughnuts.
The doughnut yeast dough can also be fried in vegetable oil if you prefer.
Best served fresh!
MINI CHOCOLATE MOUSSE DOUGHNUTS
Servings: 12
For the doughnuts:
¼ cup warm milk
1 x 7g sachet instant yeast
250g flour
50g castor sugar
pinch of salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
5-6 tbsp warm water
For the chocolate mousse:
¾ cup cream
90ml soft chocolate spread
few drops of vanilla extract
For the coating:
100ml castor sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
50g butter, melted
1.) Place the warm milk in a small bowl and stir in the yeast. Leave to froth for a few minutes.
2.) Combine the flour, castor sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the yeast mixture and egg and mix together. Add enough warm water to make a soft dough, then knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth and stretchy. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for an hour to rise.
3.) Make the chocolate mousse while the dough is rising. Whisk the cream until stiff. Add the chocolate spread and vanilla extract and whisk for a few seconds until combined. Place in the fridge to chill while you finish the doughnuts.
4.) Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll these into balls. Place on a lightly greased baking tray and leave to rise for another 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 180ºC.
5.) Arrange the dough balls on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.
6.) Combine the castor sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush melted butter over the warm doughnuts and roll in the cinnamon sugar. Leave to cool slightly.
7.) Spoon the chocolate mousse into a piping bag. Use a knife or the handle of a wooden spoon to make a hole in the side of each doughnut and squeeze some of the mousse inside. Serve immediately.
Teresa hails from the beautiful city of Cape Town. Her passion for food started at a very early age and she has many fond memories of baking mince pies and biscuits over the Christmas school holidays, her grandmother’s famous apple pie and custard, her mum’s muesli slowly baking in the oven, plum jam bubbling on the stove and Monday night roast chicken being enjoyed with home made gravy. That is where her food journey started and she has been baking and cooking ever since!
