CHOCOLATE-COFFEE MINI DOUGHNUTS

In both this and the Red Velvet Doughnuts, Poulos uses Dutch process cocoa because she prefers the color and the deeper flavor.

Hershey’s cocoa, the most widely available cocoa on your grocer’s shelves, is natural cocoa powder, not Dutch process. Hershey’s Special Dark, also available at the grocery, is a mixture of natural and Dutch process. To get full Dutch process cocoa, you’ll need to purchase online. You’ll find all Poulos’ preferred flours and other ingredients at kingarthurflour.com.

We tested the recipe with both natural and Dutch process cocoas and were successful with both, with slightly different results.

Any leftover coffee-sugar would be perfect for sweetening a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

1 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon coffee grounds

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

⅛ teaspoon salt

1/2 cup full-fat buttermilk

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 extra-large egg

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla

Make coffee-sugar: In the bowl of a food processor, combine 1 cup sugar with coffee grounds and pulse until finely ground. Put coffee-sugar in a rimmed dish large enough to hold a finished doughnut and set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray mini doughnut pans with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, light brown sugar, egg, remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter and vanilla.

Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Scoop batter into a pastry bag fitted with a round tip and pipe into the mini doughnut cavities. Do not fill more than halfway as doughnuts will rise when baked.

Bake approximately 8 minutes or until doughnuts pull away from the pan slightly and spring back when touched. Remove from oven and invert doughnuts onto parchment lined sheet pan.

Be sure remaining 8 tablespoons melted butter is warm and pour into a rimmed plate large enough to hold one doughnut at a time. Dip doughnuts in butter and then toss to coat in coffesugar. Makes: 18 2-inch doughnuts

Per doughnut: 155 calories (percent of calories from fat, 39), 2 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 7 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 29 milligrams cholesterol, 63 milligrams sodium.

STYLING BY CHRYSTA POULOS. PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY CHRIS HUNT