Amazing Chocolate Doughnuts

My favorite doughnut recipe! Calling these chocolate doughnuts amazing is an understatement. The dough has a very open, airy texture and is not dry; in fact, it is even slightly moist. The chocolate flavor is enhanced by a hint of cinnamon and nicely complemented by the moderate sweetness of the lemon glaze, which adds moisture to the doughnuts.

First, melt the butter. (You can cut it into cubes and melt it in the microwave for about 20 seconds.) Whisk all the dry ingredients except the sugar in a large bowl until evenly combined.

Beat two eggs and one egg yolk well with a mixer in a separate bowl (also a large one!). Add the sugar and beat again until light and foamy. Then add the yogurt and beat the mixture again; pour in the melted butter last. Mix again, then add the dry ingredients.

Knead the dough with a spatula or by hand (it should be evenly mixed, airy, and a little sticky). Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Place 1/4 of the dough on a floured surface. Roll it out to a thickness of 1 cm. Cut out doughnuts using a cutter or a glass (you can cut the hole in the middle with a bottle cap). The doughnuts should be about 8 cm in diameter.

Once the first batch of doughnuts has been cut out, heat the oil: pour a little oil into a sauté pan (to a depth of about 2 cm) and heat to 180 °C. (If you do not have a thermometer, heat the oil over medium heat and, after 5 minutes, test it with a piece of dough: if the dough is immediately surrounded by bubbles when dropped into the oil, the temperature is right.)

Fry the doughnuts for 1-2 minutes on each side over medium heat until golden (without letting them blacken). Place the cooked doughnuts on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

Once the doughnuts have cooled, prepare the glaze: use a mixer to combine the water or lemon juice with the powdered sugar. You should have a thick mixture.

Dip the doughnuts into the glaze and immediately transfer them to a serving plate.

In an airtight container, your chocolate doughnuts will remain just as tender and moist even after a day.