Boozy Glazes Will Fill The Hole In Your Doughnuts' Flavor Profile

Ever feel like your doughnut is missing something, but you can't quite put your finger on what it is? That "something" you're missing could be a sugary alcoholic glaze that will pair perfectly with a warm doughnut. Doughnuts carry a versatile flavor profile and can be topped with pretty much anything, so there's no reason not to make them a little bit boozy while you're at it.

Utilizing a homemade doughnut glaze is pretty easy. All you need is confectioner's sugar, milk, butter, and whatever you want to flavor it with, which can be anything from maple syrup to vanilla extract. After combining the ingredients and heating them on the stovetop, your glaze should be ready for your doughnuts. To take the glaze from basic to boozy, just add some alcohol during the heating process. Keep in mind that the more liquid you add, the more confectioner's sugar it will take to thicken your glaze. For that reason, it's probably best to taste as you go to make sure the balance of sugar and booze is just right. The flavor combinations are endless — maple and bourbon is common or you could incorporate a liqueur like Baileys or Kahlua into a glaze perfect for pouring over a copycat Dunkin' chocolate doughnut.

You might be wondering if adding alcohol to the glaze means that your morning doughnut now has an alcohol-per-bite percentage. The answer to that question could be a little complicated. The idea that cooking alcohol burns it off is actually a myth according to the USDA. In a study, USDA researchers found that 40% of the alcohol content is still retained even after the beverage has been baked or simmered for 15 minutes. Furthermore, 85% is retained after it's poured into a hot liquid. Glaze in the process of cooking could definitely be classified as a hot liquid, so your glaze might be a little boozier than you think.

Glaze can also be boozed up a little using only two ingredients and no heat. To make an alcoholic glaze, add powdered sugar straight to your choice of alcohol until it is the correct consistency. Because this method takes out the heating component entirely, you might want to go lighter on the bourbon or Baileys just to be on the safe side.