I have a bone to pick with adults.
I know I’m an adult, but seeing as I consider buying heels with American flags on them as a crucial investment, I’m not the most adult-y adult in the world. I’m talking about those tried-and-true adults. You have a house, a car, probably a family, a 401K, and are in the over-40 bracket. YOU guys.
So first of all, you guys are great. You’ve long made up for your dorky teenage ways, you’ve successfully navigated through the murky, awkward waters of your 20s, you hopefully lived up your 30s since I have heard rumors that your 30s rock, and are now coasting away from the fast lane toward the comfy middle zone of your 40s. Or maybe you’re in your 50s, or maybe just retired (in which case I am unapologetically jealous). Keep up the good adult-y work.
But like, I’m thinking that when you do reach that over 40-age, you guys get it in your head that playing the Age Game is appropriate again, and I have to wholeheartedly disagree.
You know when you were a kid and you had no filter and said silly things, like that time you went to pick your obviously-overweight aunt up from the airport and she said “come and gimme a hug!” and you shouted in your childish candor, “No! You’re fat!”
Or when you are curious about the ages of those around you and ask everyone how old they are and adults usually make a face and say ‘it isn’t nice to ask people their age’ and then they drop the subject for eternity? EXCEPT NOT, because they’ll end up asking you when they’re over 40 and you’ll be in THEEEE MOST awkward spot ever.
I don’t know if I have a giant sign on my forehead that says “Flattering Age Guesser” or not, but apparently I have been the person to ask about a stranger’s age. I was minding my own damn business getting groceries a few days ago when the chip distributor began chatting me up. He had asked how old I was and I didn’t bat an eye when I said “22.” I didn’t bother asking him how old he was because I figured this age question was a double-edged sword and also because I didn’t really care. But then he said, “How old do you think I am?!” and looked at me like I held the secrets to the universe in my hot pink head.
And it was then that I began crawling in a dark recess of my mind wondering HOW in the world I could appropriately answer this question without being A) an obvious liar by choosing an age too low, or B) a complete jerk for selecting an age too high.
So I chuckled and said, “it doesn’t matter — you look great!” but my flattering comeback did not satisfy the chip distributor and he grilled me again, “No, I wanna know–how old do you think I am?!” I tred to explain I was never very good at math and I grew up under a rock and didn’t know how to count over 22, so unfortunately I couldn’t even fathom a guess to his age, but he kept pestering me until I finally blurted, “35.”
35 seemed to satisfy the chip distributor, because he basically acted like I had given him a million dollars and began smiling like crazy before admitting he was turning 51 in September. Thinking I had escaped the crazy age game, later that day I went to get frozen yogurt when the yogurt shop lady insisted I guess her age, too. I wondered briefly if the universe was playing a cruel joke on me to test my graciousness, and so I blurted, “35.” The yogurt shop lady gave me three extra punches in my frequent-buyer card and replied, “I’m turning 49 this year.”
So the moral of the story is, tell people 40 and older that they look 35. It seems to shut them up just fine. Just make sure you don’t tell people 35 and younger that they look 35, or else you’ll kind of seem like a jerk. And that’s only okay to be a jerk when you’re a kid and calling out your aunt for being fat.
Anyway, adults seem to like adult-y things, namely coffee. And donuts. So for Ben & Jerry’s Week, I wanted to celebrate the 35 and under adult in all of us by making some coffee-flavored donuts based off Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Caramel Buzz ice cream flavor!
Eat up!
Coffee Caramel Buzz Donuts *donut base recipe adapted from Jocelyn’s Vanilla Chai Donuts recipe
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 egg
- ⅔ cup vanilla yogurt (can use plain)
- ⅓ cup strong-brewed coffee
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp malt powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Caramel Glaze
- Toffee bits (approx. 1 cup)
- CARAMEL GLAZE:
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- About 2 cups powdered sugar*
- FOR DONUTS:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Liberally grease a 4-cavity long john donut pan or a 6-cavity regular donut pan; set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together the baking soda, baking powder, malt powder, salt and flour. In a medium bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar and honey; beat together with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the egg, yogurt, coffee, and extract and carefully beat to combine. Gradually add the wet mixture to the flour mixture until a dough forms.
- Pour the batter into a gallon-sized Ziploc baggy; seal out the air. Snip off a corner of the baggy and carefully pipe the batter into the greased donut cavities, about ⅔ full. Bake the donuts for approx. 10 minutes (in the long john pan) and approx. 11-12 minutes (in the regular donut pan). Allow the donuts to cool slightly in the pans, about 5 minutes, before carefully inverting them to a wire rack to cool completely. Bake any additional donut batter, if needed. Once donuts are baked & cooled, prepare your glaze.
- FOR CARAMEL GLAZE:
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar and vanilla together, stirring continuously. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil, constantly stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until darker in color. Remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar, about ½ cup at a time. Add more powdered sugar to thicken the glaze if need be*. The glaze shouldn't be too runny but shouldn't be as thick as icing, either.
- Dip the tops of the donuts into the glaze, allowing excess to drip off. Repeat the dunk process one more time. Return the donuts to the wire rack and sprinkle immediately with toffee bits. Allow the glaze to set, about 10-15 minutes, before serving. These make about 6 long john donuts or about 8-10 regular donuts, and can be kept at room temperature for a couple days, stored airtight.
These donuts have a subtle, warm coffee aroma to their tender, moist crumb. The malt powder adds that unique flavor to the coffee which is strikingly similar to the ice cream! And can I just say I’m obsessed with the caramel glaze? Sinfully delicious! Perfect for any adult of any age 🙂
Stick around! I have some more awesome Ben & Jerry’s Week Recipes still to come!
Happy Eating,
xo, Hayley
Tash @ The Velvet Moon Baker says
These look gorgeous Hayley Mmmm caramel, coffee, donuts. Yup this qualifies as a breakfast in my world 😀
miss messy says
I have never heard of that flavour Ben and Jerrys, but it sounds delicious and so do these!! 🙂 I freaking love this week. Looks like i’ll be needing to buy a donut pan!
Succre says
It seems delicious!! yummy!!!
Lemons For Lulu says
Suddenly my oatmeal looks pretty unappealing. Darn, I need these donuts, seriously coffee, caramel, toffee! This 40 year old admits that 1. I am 40 and 2. I still get really excited by donuts in the morning!
Kelly @ Hidden Fruits and Veggies says
You are perfect, have I told you that? These sound amazingly wonderful. Let me just eat salads the rest of the week so I can make and eat an entire batch on Saturday. Deal? Deal.
BTW. I’m a terrible age guesser. I’m regularly decades off, think high school seniors are in the middle school. You know, pretty much any offensive age guess you can make, I’ve made.
snookiescakes says
You’ve really out done yourself with these!
Elaine says
I love the flavor combo in these donuts! Coffee and caramel are a match made in heaven. And obvs toffee bits go perfectly on top of anything!
And why does anyone ask the age question anymore? Seriously people, it’s either going to cause extreme awkwardness or disappointment. Get.over.it!
noyomoco says
Seriously, what are the chances of having two people ask you to guess their ages!? I don’t get those types of questions, but I must look pretty friendly, because random people talk to me/ask me questions out in public ALL THE TIME. And, I’m not exactly the most social person and accidentely make it super awkward. Then they regret trying to talk to me in the first place 🙂
Jocelyn says
That’s too funny that 2 people asked you the same question about their age. I am so terrible at guessing that too. Good tip to say 35 for anyone clearly over that age! Now I need to make donuts again…even though I’m in that over 35 category 🙂 I love this fun and delicious donut that you created and thanks for the shout out on the recipe!!!
Jessica@AKitchenAddiction says
These donuts are amazing, Hayley! I’d love a couple of these with a caramel macchiato to start out my morning!
steph@stephsbitebybite says
I don’t even know what to say, I’m too busy drooling!
Mimi @ Culinary Couture says
Lol my rule of thumb is make an actually educated guess about how old they are and then tell them a few years younger than that! Works every time!
cookingactress says
OMG PEOPLE DO THAT TO ME TOO AND IT DRIVES ME NUTS! I’m like “I don’t know! You could be anywhere from 20-40 for all I know!” gahhhh
Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry says
What do people think they are going to get out of you guessing there age? Sheesh! On a different note, I am crushing hard on these donuts!
Becca @ Crumbs and Chaos says
These donuts are right up my alley, Hayley! Love the caramel and coffee together, your pics are gorg!!
Back for Seconds says
I hate when people ask me that question. I am the worst guesser in the universe. Seriously, never have the slightest idea of a persons age. Way to go on having the million dollar answer 😉
These donuts look awesome, and your photos are gorgeous!
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says
OMG, I need these in my life! You are amazing, Hayley!
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says
These look incredible, Hayley!
Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl says
Ugh, I’m in that over 35 category, so if you want to fawn over how I only look “about 23” next month in Austin, I’ll pretty much love you for life. Also, bring some of these coffee caramel buzz donuts because my adult self could eat about a dozen of these. And girl, your pics are awesome!
Heather @ French Press says
so I think that Ben and Jerry’s weeks needs to be a national holiday! your recipes are totally insane {and I mean that in the best way possible}
crazyforcrust says
Um, why did I not get one of these donuts? OMG Hayley. These are fantastic!
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says
This is my dream breakfast! hahaha
lizwaterson says
i need/want/necessary/doctorsorder/noselfcontrol/inlove with these donuts. Get in ma belley!!
Dana says
Simply amazing.!
PapaLos @ The Man, The Chef, The Dad says
Hahaha, wth? I pictured you just looking up and asking “why??” when the lady asked you. At least you got extra punches in the card. That made it worth it! And If the guy was pestering you like that I would’ve said a high number on purpose. So you’re the better person here. haha
And the doughnuts… You had me at coffee! I would buy these doughnuts in a heartbeat if I saw them somewhere. So great!