Fried, sweet dough dipped in glaze, and then dunked into a cup of steaming hot coffee? Yes, please. Once or twice a year, I’m all in. I load up the car and take the kids to our favorite doughnut spot and we throw caution to the wind.

But for the average Sunday-brunch-type of indulgence, a girl needs a plan. I wanted to create a doughnut that would scratch the itch on a more semi-regular basis, and the baked version is just the ticket.

These doughnuts are my favorite flavor of all time – peanut butter chocolate – that truly feels like a major indulgence, while it’s actually just a minor one, thanks to a few tricks.

First, get yourself a full-sized baked doughnut tin. Stick with the full-sized version the mini-doughnuts puff up, the middle fills in and you end up with something closer to a muffin.

Second little trick: Use a lot less sugar than you would use for a cake recipe. The little bit of sugary glaze will make the doughnut taste sweeter than it is.

Third trick: I use three kinds of chocolate – melted chocolate and cocoa powder (both unsweetened) and then just a couple of tablespoons of mini-chocolate chips, which add a gooey melted chocolate vibe.

Lastly, I use powdered peanut butter (also called peanut flour). It has all the flavor and a fraction of the calories of peanut butter.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BAKED DOUGHNUTS

Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 doughnuts
2 tablespoons unsalted
butter, melted
1 square unsweetened
chocolate, melted
. cup brown sugar (or ½
cup if you want sweeter)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon white or cider
vinegar
½ cup lowfat milk
¾ cup flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons powdered
peanut butter (peanut flour)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons mini
chocolate chips

Glaze

1 tablespoon powdered
peanut butter
1 tablespoon unsweetened
cocoa powder
. cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large glass bowl, whisk together the butter, chocolate and brown sugar until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla, vinegar and milk, and whisk together.

In a small bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, dried peanut butter, baking powder, soda and salt together. Add the chocolate chips and toss to coat. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until mixed.

Spray a doughnut baking tin with nonstick spray. Pipe the batter into the doughnut molds. Bake until doughnuts are dry and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Once the doughnuts are cooked, allow to cool a few minutes before removing from the mold. When they are cool to the touch, dip the doughnuts into the glaze and set on a baking rack for the glaze to cool and harden.

Nutrition information per serving: 283 calories; 87 calories from fat; 10 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 48 mg cholesterol; 279 mg sodium; 45 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 28 g sugar; 6 g protein.

Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget.