Before our move to Texas, were we to fall victim to a sudden and overwhelming craving for donuts, satisfaction could be found at the Krispy Kreme or Dunkin’ Donuts locations nestled on either side of the interstate, just a few miles from our home.
Krispy Kreme was always given first consideration – there’s not much in this world that can beat the first bite of a warm original glazed, pulled from the fryer just minutes before.
But our loyalty to Krispy Kreme ended as soon as the “hot doughnuts now” sign ceased to glow – for me, cold glazed donuts just don’t cut the mustard. On those rare occasions, salvation was found in the center of a Dunkin’ Donuts powder sugar-dusted, raspberry jelly-filled donut. Or a blueberry cake donut. Or a coconut sprinkled chocolate cake donut.
When we moved to Texas, choosing a donut establishment got complicated.
They’re everywhere – and that’s no exaggeration. Big business donut chains, such as Dunkin’ Donuts or Shipley Do-Nuts, make up much of the playing field. But for every corporate establishment, there are four or five “Mom and Pop” donut shops just around the corner.
Donut shops are in nearly every shopping center and adjacent to almost every gas station. Enter the term “donut” into a Yelp search query for “Houston, TX” and you’ll find 920 locations. No, you read that correctly: 920!
The names chosen for these hole-in-the-wall establishments are as varied and colorful as you can probably imagine: Southern Maid, Magic Donut, Donut Heaven, Not Jus Donuts, Classic Donut, Downtown Donut and my favorite, Le Donut.
The funny thing is, most of these donut shops carry only 
a one or two varieties of pastry. A typical menu might read as follows:
• Donuts (glazed or sugar)
• Kolaches
• Tacos
• Burritos
• Tamales
• Chalupas
• Enchiladas
• Quesadillas
It’s endlessly entertaining, and probably something only newcomers to the city even notice.
Since our household is transitioning (I should say “struggling”) toward a gluten-free diet, traditional donuts are off limits. But, as I quickly discovered, removing a food item from one’s diet doesn’t remove the cravings. So, this past weekend, we tried our hand at a gluten-free, Paleo-compatible chocolate donut recipe. It was surprisingly tasty!
I found the recipe on the gluten-free baking blog Elena’s Pantry. It’s full of gluten-free and Paleo recipes.
Chocolate Donuts (Gluten Free)
• 1/4 cup coconut flour (Bob’s Red Mills brand makes a variety that can be found at most grocery stores)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (we used Hershey’s dark chocolate)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 3 tablespoons maple syrupChocolate Glaze
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 heavy whipping creamPre-heat oven at 350 degrees.
Combine coconut flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Mix in eggs, coconut oil and maple syrup until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
Fill a plastic sandwich bag with the batter, then snip off one corner of the bag. Pipe the batter into a donut pan. Don’t overfill the donut molds.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until done. Pull from the oven and allow the donuts to cool on a wire rack.
Set up a double boiler on your stove at medium low heat. Add in the chocolate chips and allow them to melt slightly. Whisk in cream until the mixture is completely combined. Frost the cooling donuts with the chocolate glaze. Enjoy!
Oliver & Marr 