It’s #NationalDoughnutDay and @thecookandhim have provided us with an indulgent Chocolate & Hazelnut Doughnut recipe to mark the occasion.

Serves 12

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
• 1 cup (150g) plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 cup (120g) coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/4 cup (55g) Meridian Cocoa and Hazelnut Butter
• 1/3 cup (80ml) unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup (150g) coconut yoghurt
• A drizzle of oil (olive, avocado, melted coconut or spray oil)
• 1/2 cup (75g) dark chocolate
• Sprinkles – Quinoa puffs, desiccated coconut and red and white candy sprinkles are used here

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 Fan / 200 C / 400 F / Gas 6
2. In a small bowl or mug put the ground flax seeds along with 2 tbsp cold water, stir together then set aside
3. In a large bowl put the flour, baking powder, bicarb, coconut sugar and cacao powder and stir together
4. In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, yoghurt, oil and nut butter until smooth and no lumps remain
5. Add the bowl of wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir together using a rubber spatula until just mixed. Make sure to scrape up from the bottom of the bowl so no ‘pockets’ of unmixed flour remain
6. Grease your doughnut tins or moulds. I used silicon moulds and brushed with a little oil.
7. Spoon the doughnut mixture into a large piping bag with either no nozzle or just a plain tipped nozzle then pipe the mixture, filling each ring to roughly two thirds full
8. Bake for 25 minutes until soft but spongy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes
9. Gently but firmly tap the donuts out of the tins or moulds onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely
10. While they’re cooling, melt the chocolate chunks in a microwave or over a bain-marie (a heatproof dish set over a saucepan of barely simmering water)
11. When the donuts are cooled dip the rounded side of each doughnut in the melted chocolate, sprinkling with your choice of toppings every few donuts before the chocolate sets
12. Allow to set at room temperature then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days (though they really are best eaten fresh!)

For more tasty recipe ideas, check out their blog here.