Chocolate covered donuts.
A chocolate donut is a fried bread-based confection that is made, covered, or filled with chocolate. Donuts and donut-like desserts are popular in many countries around the world. However, chocolate varieties are generally considered an American invention and are most popular in the United States. There are many different varieties of chocolate donuts, but they are all generally recognizable in appearance and taste.
Some donuts are chocolate.
The more traditional chocolate donut is little more than fried bread covered in chocolate glaze or frosting. Plain donuts are usually egg-based bread dough that has been fried in hot oil or animal fat. They are usually ring-shaped, usually about 4 inches in diameter, with a palpable hole in the center.
Donut dough is almost always very sweet. Some varieties of chocolate donuts increase this sweetness by incorporating the chocolate directly into the dough. Chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and even artificial chocolate flavors are common means of creating chocolate donut flavors. Most of the time, these candies have a distinctive dark brown color and in many ways resemble small chocolate cakes.
Making donuts by hand is one of the most traditional methods. Homemade donuts are usually made by rolling the dough into thick threads that need to be connected end to end. Very thick dough is sometimes rolled into a round, then a hole is cut in the center with a cookie cutter or other circular object. Commercial clothing generally uses donut molds to ensure a consistent shape and save time in the bakery.
After shaping, the dough is usually placed in vats of hot oil or fat to fry. The heat of the oil cooks the dough, crushing the outer part and giving it a characteristic fried flavor. Cooks who like the taste of donuts but are a bit more health-conscious may also choose to bake their donuts, often washing the eggs for a similar shiny exterior. Baking donuts can come close to the taste of fried food, but it rarely compares to it.
Frosting or icing is added once the donuts finish cooking. In the case of plain donuts, the chocolate coating gives them a distinctive flavor and is what makes them go from “plain” to “chocolate.” Flavored donuts can also be frozen for a double dose of flavor, although plain frosting or icing sugar is also common. As the glaze is applied, many cooks also add sprinkles, crushed nuts, or coconut flakes to add texture and flavor potential.
Chocolate filled donuts and bar donuts are common variations, but they usually require a different cooking process. Both are still traditionally fried, but neither has the characteristic ring shape. Filled donuts are usually round, but instead of a hole, they have a chocolate center. Bars are essentially long rectangles that can be filled. More often, however, they are simply covered in chocolate-flavored icing.
Most filled donuts start out as plain slices. The chocolate is injected into their centers after cooking. The dough often expands in oil, leaving pockets of air that can fill the chocolate ganache, frosting, or cream. It’s also sometimes possible to make these donut desserts by forming the dough around the filling before cooking, although this usually requires special tools or forming molds.
A chocolate donut is generally considered a chocolate dessert, but it is also a popular breakfast item, particularly in the United States. Dedicated bakeries and donut shops usually start selling the cakes first thing in the morning. They are popular accompaniments to coffee or milk, and are many children’s favorite morning treat.