Espresso Infused Chocolate Doughnut

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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~

Are you looking for a little dose of happiness? This is a recipe for thick, chocolate, delicious doughnuts that just happen to have a kiss of coffee in every bite. As tasty as they are and certainly more nutritious than store-bought doughnuts, we tend to feel guilty when we partake of sweet treats, and I wanted to give you some food for thought…

Negativity Affects the Body

Negative emotions have a horrible effect on your body. They hinder digestion, create acidity, adversely affect self-confidence and body image. Notice that I left our the words “can cause”… reason being is because they DO. Not only does it affect your digestion but it can even cause weight gain.

If you ever find yourself feeling shame, guilt, or disgust during or after eating… your state of mind is going to affect your metabolism. The science behind this is the role of the hypothalamus. This is the part of your brain that harmonizes mental inputs along with biological processes that take place in your body.

These negative thoughts regarding what we are or did eat cause the hypothalamus to transmit negative signals. This turns into a form of self-punishment in both conscious and unconscious ways. This internal process discourages metabolic activity, slowing digestion and causing your body to store more calories as fat rather than burning them as energy.

 Be Kind to Yourself

When you enjoy your food as you’re eating it and well after, your hypothalamus releases pleasure signals that stimulate your digestive organs, allowing your body to break the food down, absorb the nutrients, and burn the calories.  So, if you ever find yourself feeling poorly after a meal, I recommend that you sit back and search deep within and see if you are harboring any negative emotions that are attached to that meal or food.

There are always other factors that can come into play; allergic reactions, over-eating, eating highly processed foods, and so forth… but if you eat a healthy diet and still feel bad about what you ate… look at your emotions first, then take it from there.   Bottom line… stop being mean to yourself. Befriend Yourself!

Think of it this way… If we spoke to our friends or loved ones the same way we talk to our bodies… we would not have any friends. No one in their right mind would put up with such “crap” (pardon my language). So, chiding yourself with thoughts like “this is going to make me so fat” while eating is somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The reality of it all is that five of us could sit down to a meal and all have the same foods dished up on our plates… what’s really interesting here is that each of us will metabolize this same meal differently in response to our unique thoughts. So stop and ponder upon the fact that how you think and feel about food can be just as important as its nutritional value.

Food should be a source of pleasure and nutrients, not shame and guilt.

Ingredients:

yield 14 (1/4 cup each)

Doughnut batter:

• 4 cups raw walnut halves, soaked & dehydrated
• 2/3 cup raw cacao powder
• 2 tsp espresso powder (to taste)
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1 1/4 cup soft Medjool dates, pitted

Caramel topping:

• 1/2 cup raw almond butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup or dark agave syrup
• 1/2 cup date paste
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Preparation:

Doughnut batter:

1. In the food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, process the walnuts until they break down to a small crumble.
   • Be careful that you don’t over-process your walnuts or they will become too oily.
2. Add the cacao, espresso powder, salt, and pulse just until mixed.
3. While the food processor is running add the dates one at a time until they are completely incorporated.
   • If the dates are really dry, rehydrate them in enough warm water to cover them.  Once soft, drain and discard the soak water, then add to the food processor.  This will make it, so the dates get broken down and well dispersed.
   • The batter should stick together when pinched.
4. To create doughnut shapes I used 1/4 cup of “dough” per doughnut.
   • Rolled into a ball shape.
   • I then used an apple corer to press down into the middle.  This removed the center dough beautifully.
   • I dipped the apple corer in a glass of water in between doughnuts so it would glide in easily.
   • If the donut batter is cracking too much while forming, that means your batter is too dry.  Put back in the food processor with a little water to make the batter moister.
5. Place on the mesh sheet that comes with the dehydrator and dehydrate at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees (F)  for anywhere between 2-6 hours.
   • When making these for the first time, I recommend testing the moistness of the doughnuts throughout the dry time.  Once it hits the sweet spot of your liking, make a note for future times.  I like my doughnuts after about 2-3 hours, still dampish, moist but dry on the outside.
6. Store in a sealed container in the fridge to extend shelf life. In the fridge, they should last 5-7 days, in the freezer for 1 month.
7. Serve with a fresh glass of almond milk, sit back, and enjoy yourself.

Caramel sauce:

1. In a high-powered blender combine; almond butter,  sweetener, date paste, vanilla, and salt and process until smooth.
   • Stop occasionally to scrape the sides down.
2. Pour into a bowl and dip the tops of the donuts into the sauce.
3. Enjoy right away or place in the fridge to firm up the caramel sauce.
4. Store excess sauce in the fridge in a glass container for approx. 2 weeks. To soften, leave out at room temperature for a few hours or place it in a bowl of hot water… just make sure what you stored the caramel sauce in has a tight lid on it, so water doesn’t seep in.

Culinary Explanations:

• Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F)?  Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
• When working with fresh ingredients, it is important to taste test as you build a recipe.  Learn why (here).
• Don’t own a dehydrator? Learn how to use your oven (here). I do however truly believe that it is a worthwhile investment. Click (here) to learn what I use.

 

Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan