Double Chocolate Walnut Donuts Recipe

The other day when I was at the grocery store, at my favorite coffee shop, and out running errands, I kept seeing donuts. Donuts seemed to be everywhere, but I resisted buying any, I didn't need donuts, right?

When I got home, I still wanted donuts, so I pulled out my donut pan and decided to make these delicious Double Chocolate Walnut Donuts, which I think are just as good as any bakery sells.

One of the great things I love about making donuts is that, except for the buttermilk, I always have the ingredients on hand. I used to think they would be hard to make but they aren't, in fact it's very easy.

These donuts are chocolate, with a chocolate glaze, and can be made with nuts or sprinkles, or just left plain. Either way, they taste great.


Recipe for Double Chocolate Walnut Donuts

Ingredients:

 1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Glaze:

 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
big pinch salt
4 tablespoons whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup walnuts, chopped small

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a donut pan with a light coating of nonstick baking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar.
In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together until all of the ingredients are well combined. Use a small spoon to portion batter into the prepared doughnut baking pan.  Each doughnut mold should be about two-thirds full.  Bake doughnuts for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into one of the doughnuts comes out clean.  Remove from the oven.  Allow to rest for five minutes before inverting doughnuts onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Allow doughnuts to cool completely before glazing.
Repeat the baking process until all of the batter is turned into doughnuts.

 To make the glaze, in a medium bowl whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.  Add 2 tablespoons of milk and all of the vanilla extract.  Whisk to combine.  Mixture may be thick.  Add milk, a tablespoon at a time, until the glaze is thick but still pourable.
Dip each donut about halfway down into the chocolate glaze. Place on a wire rack, and then sprinkle on walnuts.
Let the donuts sit for a few minutes to settle.

Makes 10 donuts.

Summer Camp Deals- Made by Girls Technology Camp from Digital Media Academy #ad

* I am participating in a USFamilyGuide blogger campaign and this is a sponsored post #ad

I never knew how many options were available for summer camps until this week. My son is only 5 and I was not thinking about summer camps at his age until his teachers said he needs some group setting learning before he starts kindergarten in the fall. I found music, science, art, math and reading camps for his age. I was thrilled that there programs out there for your children's needs. I have not selected a camp yet since I am searching for the right camp for him and a good deal. I do have a deal to share with you for a camp in California I have learned about. They just started Made By Girls, classes geared at empowering girls in technology. 

Founded at Stanford University, Digital Media Academy is ranked as one of the ten best summer camps in the world.

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Hallmark Put Your Heart to Paper Mother’s Day Greeting Cards Giveaway #lovehallmark

Hallmark Greeting Cards are by far my favorite present to give and get for all occasions. Having a card from a loved one to look at many years after receiving can take you back to the happy moment of first reading it. Mother's Day cards are very important not just to me as a Mom but as once being the kid giving them. I know how special it made me feel to give my Mom a card and have her read it. I love getting cards from my son over the years to see him grow in the cards by what he "writes" and the type of cards he picks. I treasure them with all my heart and have a special box in my closet for them.

The Hallmark Mother's Day cards I received for my review are adorable! They included new designs from the Signature and Shoebox collections. I had a few favorites including the Giraffe and Wonder Woman cards. The giraffe card almost made me cry because giraffes are a big deal in our house. Every year for my son's birthday he gets a stuffed animal giraffe, with the size of the giraffe getting bigger each year. I love how Hallmark has so many unique options for cards. There is one out there for all the Moms you have in your life.

The Wonder Woman card is beyond cool! What Mom wouldn't love to use the "lasso of truth" on her kids or super human powers to take on all we do. I feel like sometimes I need to be Wonder Woman to function since I am a Mom, work full time and a blogger. I can't wait to see what card my son will pick out for me to open on Mother's Day.

I am hosting a giveaway for Hallmark Mother’s Day greeting cards 5 pack for one lucky reader.
Enter in the rafflecopter form below and have a Happy Mother's Day.



a Rafflecopter giveaway




*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts April 29, 2015 and ends on May 3, 2015 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 24 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.

Recipe For Strawberry Cake From Martha Stewart's Cakes Book

This is another cake recipe from the new Martha Stewart's Cakes book. With all the strawberries that are now available at grocery stores and farmer's markets, this recipe is a real winner for strawberry lovers.

It's easy to make, and moist and delicious inside. Keep a close eye on the baking time, as you don't want it to bake too long and end up too dry.

We put some whipped cream on each slice, and it was a delicious, mid-week dessert that pleased the whole family. The recipe was quite easy too.

I've talked about the Martha Stewart's Cakes book before when I made the Carrot Tea Cake recipe.

I have to say that this book really is a keeper, and one that I can see using for many, many years to come. It has virtually all the cake recipes that a baker would ever need, and many of the recipes are actually very easy.

I know Martha Stewart recipes can be intimidating, but the recipes in this book are not. I love the book for it's simplicity and the down-right delicious cakes that run from every day coffeecakes, to special occasion birthday cakes.


Recipe for Strawberry Cake

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter , room temperature, plus more for pie dish
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch ceramic or tin pie plate. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low, mix in egg, milk, and vanilla.

Reduce speed to low, gradually add flour mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down, and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over berries.

Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees, and continue to bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 60 minutes more. Transfer pie plate to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 6 servings.

Enjoy!!
I posted this last April, and it's so yummy and easy that I wasted to share it with everyone again.

FLASH GIVEAWAY: Discover the Dinosaurs Exhibit Family 4 Pack Tickets Sacramento CA

My son loves Dinosaurs! At 5 years old he finds them fascinating, creepy and cool. I had no idea that a super cool exhibit was on its way to Sacramento until I saw a commercial for it. The Discover the Dinosaurs Exhibit is coming to Sacramento CA on April 25 and 26th at Cal Expo. 

Some info about the traveling exhibit:

Discover the Dinosaurs is for the entire family, and especially kids, to explore the mystery of pre-historic life in an environment of learning, discovery, and fun. Discover the Dinosaurs is a unique hands on exhibit that consists of up to 40 moving and replica museum quality dinosaurs that gives you the opportunity to actually get close and touch the dinosaurs! Beyond the exhibit, additional fun activities are available for kids of all ages, which make spending the day with the dinosaurs a great experience for the entire family.

GIVEAWAY:

2 Winners will receive Family 4-Packs of Exhibit Plus tickets with wristbands for all of the rides/inflatables. Tickets will be delivered via email from sponsor.

Easy Entry for this Giveaway on of two ways:

Tweet the following:



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*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts April 22, 2015 and ends on April 23, 2015 at 9pm PST. Winner will be tweeted or facebook messaged that they won and has until 10am on 4/24/2015 to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.