Bronuts

You won’t believe this. https://fantabulosity.com/bronuts/

I was at this baby shower last year. Two hundred people. The mum wanted something different, you know? Not cake. Not cupcakes. Something fun.

I had this brownie batter sitting there. Leftover from another order. Not enough for a full pan. Too much to throw away. You know how that is.

My donut pan was just sitting on the shelf. Hadn’t used it in months. I looked at that batter. Looked at that pan. I said why not?

Piped it in. Threw it in the oven. Fifteen minutes later.

Biko. These little rings of chocolate perfection came out. Cracked tops. Fudgy centers. The whole kitchen smelled like heaven.

I put them on the dessert table. Walked away to check on the rice. Came back. Gone. Every single one.

People were standing there looking for more. One woman asked me if I could make a hundred for her daughter’s wedding. A hundred. She hadn’t even tasted them. She just saw how everyone was acting.

That’s when I knew.

Now I’ve made these things at least fifty times. Maybe more. I’ve messed them up every way possible. Sticking to the pan. Dry. Collapsed in the middle. Glaze running off like water.

I’ve wasted so much chocolate it makes me sick. But I figured it out.

So listen.

First thing. You need a donut pan. Obviously. I have both metal and silicone. Silicone is easier because they pop right out when they cool. Metal gives better browning but you have to be careful. Sticking is real with metal.

If you’re using metal, get baking spray with flour. Regular cooking spray won’t work. Trust me. I tried. Everything stuck. I spent twenty minutes scraping bronut pieces out of the pan with a butter knife. It was a disaster.

You also need a piping bag. Or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off. The batter is thick. Too thick to spoon in. You’ll make a mess. I use a piping bag every time. No shortcuts.

Cooling rack. Important. Don’t leave bronuts in the pan to cool. They get soggy on the bottom. Put them on a rack. Air circulation.

Ingredients.

Chocolate. This is the most important thing. Use good chocolate. Not the cheap chocolate chips. Those have stabilizers. They don’t melt smoothly. Get a baking bar. Bittersweet. Eight ounces. Chop it yourself.

I used cheap chocolate once because I was in a hurry. The bronuts had this waxy feel. Nobody said anything. But I could tell. They ate them but they weren’t excited. That’s the difference.

Butter. Unsalted. Three quarters of a cup. Cut into chunks so it melts faster.

Eggs. Four large. Take them out of the fridge thirty minutes before you start. Cold eggs will seize your melted chocolate. Lumps. I’ve thrown away batches because of this.

Sugars. Brown sugar and white sugar. Three quarters of a cup brown. Half a cup white. Pack the brown sugar down. I mean really pack it.

Oil. Just a teaspoon. Vegetable oil. This keeps them moist. Butter gives flavor. Oil gives moisture. You need both.

Vanilla. Real vanilla. Not the fake stuff. I can always taste the difference.

Flour. All purpose. Three quarters of a cup. Sift it.

Cocoa powder. Unsweetened. Half a cup. Sift it with the flour.

Salt. Half a teaspoon. Don’t skip it. Salt makes chocolate taste more chocolatey. It’s science.

Chocolate chips. Half a cup. Fold these in at the end. They melt and make these little pockets of chocolate. Beautiful.

For the glaze. Powdered sugar. Cocoa powder. Vanilla. Milk. That’s it.

Alright. Now let me walk you through it.

Preheat your oven to 350.

Spray your donut pan. If you’re using metal, use the spray with flour. If you’re using silicone, regular cooking spray works but use a lot. I mean a lot. Cover every surface. Don’t miss the middle post. That’s where they stick most.

Put the pan on a baking sheet. Set it aside.

Get your chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Microwave. Thirty seconds at a time. Stir between each one. About two minutes total. Watch it carefully. Chocolate burns fast. Once it burns, you can’t fix it. You have to start over.

If you’re using the stove. Low heat. Constant stirring. Once the butter melts and the chocolate is smooth. Take it off the heat.

Let it cool for five minutes. I know you want to rush. Don’t. If you pour hot chocolate into your eggs, you’ll cook them. Chocolate scrambled eggs. You have to start over.

While the chocolate cools. Beat your eggs and sugars. Hand mixer or stand mixer. Two minutes. The mixture should get thick. Pale yellow. Increase in volume. This adds air. Those air bubbles help them rise without being cakey.

Now pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Fold. With a spatula. Don’t stir. Don’t beat. Fold. Cut through the center. Scrape the bottom. Bring it up. Keep doing this until the color is uniform.

Add the oil and vanilla. Fold again.

Sift your dry ingredients together. Flour, cocoa powder, salt. Sift them right over the wet mixture.

Fold again. Same gentle motion. Stop the moment you can’t see white streaks anymore.

This is where people mess up. They keep stirring because they want it to look perfect. Stop. Overmixing makes gluten. Gluten makes things rubbery. Bronuts should be fudgy. Not chewy.

Add your chocolate chips. Fold them in gently.

Now fill your piping bag. If you’re using a ziplock, cut the corner off. The hole should be about half an inch wide.

Pipe the batter into the molds. Fill each one three quarters full. Don’t overfill. The batter rises.

Put the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for fifteen minutes.

Now here’s the part where most people go wrong. Test one with a toothpick. Insert it into the thickest part. Pull it out. You want wet crumbs. Not raw batter. Not clean. Wet crumbs.

If the toothpick comes out clean, your bronuts are overbaked. They’ll be dry. If it comes out with raw batter, give them two more minutes. Test again.

The bronuts continue to cook as they cool. So take them out when the toothpick has those wet crumbs.

Take the pan out. Put it on a cooling rack. Now don’t touch them. Seriously. Don’t try to remove them. Let them cool completely. About twenty minutes.

Once they’re cool. Flip the pan over. If you’re using silicone, push them out from the bottom. If you’re using metal, tap the pan on the counter. If any stick, run a butter knife around the edges. But if you sprayed well and waited for them to cool, they shouldn’t stick.

While the bronuts cool. Make the glaze.

Put the powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl. Whisk them together. Add the vanilla and six tablespoons of milk. Whisk until smooth. Check the consistency. You want it thick. Like melted chocolate. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add more milk.

The glaze thickens as it sits. So if it looks perfect when you make it, it might be too thick later. Keep some milk nearby.

Dip each bronut into the glaze. Flat side down. Shake it gently to let the excess drip off. Put it back on the rack. If you’re using sprinkles, add them right away. The glaze sets fast. Let the glaze set for about ten minutes.

Now let me tell you about all the ways I’ve messed this up.

Bronuts sticking to the pan. Didn’t spray enough. Or tried to remove them while they were warm. Spray more. Wait longer.

Bronuts coming out dry. Overbaked. Take them out earlier. Remember the toothpick test.

Batter too thick to pipe. Chocolate mixture cooled too much. Work faster.

Glaze too runny. Too much milk. Add more powdered sugar.

Glaze not setting. Too much milk. Not enough sugar. More sugar fixes it.

Bronuts sinking in the middle. Overfilled the molds. Fill them three quarters full.

Too sweet. Used sweet chocolate instead of bittersweet. Bittersweet balances the sugar.

Bronuts are best fresh. Same day. That’s when they’re fudgiest.

If you have leftovers. Airtight container. Room temperature. Three days. Don’t put them in the fridge. The cold dries them out.

You can freeze them. Cool completely. Wrap each one in plastic wrap. Freezer bag. Three months. When you want one. Thaw at room temperature. Don’t microwave it. The microwave makes them rubbery.

Biko. I’ve been making these for years now. People ask for them by name. Bronuts. They don’t say brownies. They don’t say donuts. They say bronuts.

Every time I make them, I think about that baby shower. Leftover batter. A pan I almost threw away. Sometimes the best things come from accidents.

So go make these. Mess them up. Try again. You’ll get it.

And when you do. Let me know. Send me a picture. Tell me what you changed. I’m always curious.

Now get in your kitchen and cook.