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- Transfer the dough to a clean bowl and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap/cling film, for 45 minutes (or up to 24 hours).

- Meanwhile, make the icing: Place the confectioners’/icing sugar, cocoa powder, corn/golden syrup, salt, chili powder, and cinnamon in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the machine on medium speed, add the water in a slow, steady stream, and blend until all of the sugar has been incorporated, scraping the bowl a few times if necessary. Taste the icing. If you’d like more spice, add chili powder, 1/2 tsp at a time, mixing between additions, until you’ve reached the desired spice level. Set aside.

- Using a candy thermometer to measure the temperature, heat oil (at least 2 in/5 cm deep) in a deep fryer, large pot, or high-sided frying pan over medium heat to 370°F/185°C. (For frying tips.) Roll out the chilled dough on a counter or cutting board sprinkled with 2 to 3 tbsp flour to 1/2 in/12 mm thick, or about 8 in/20 cm in diameter, flouring the top of the dough and the rolling pin as necessary to prevent sticking. Cut into as many doughnuts and holes as possible, dipping the cutter into flour before each cut. Fold and gently reroll the dough to make extra holes (working with floured hands makes the dough less sticky), and cut again.

- Shake any excess flour off the doughnuts before carefully adding them to the hot oil a few at a time, taking care not to crowd them. Once the doughnuts float, fry for about 60 seconds per side—you won’t be able to see when the doughnuts brown because of the chocolate, but you’ll see a change in texture. Drain on paper towels/absorbent paper.

- When the doughnuts have cooled completely, dip one side of each into the warm icing. (for icing tips.) Sprinkle the peanuts on immediately after glazing each doughnut. Let dry on cooling racks, peanut side up, for 10 to 15 minutes.

DULCE DE LECHE CAKE DOUGHNUTS

MAKES ONE DOZEN doughnuts and holes

OUR VERSION OF DULCE DE LECHE INCLUDES CHOCOLATE—SPECIFICALLY, a chocolate cake doughnut spotted with caramel bits (or butterscotch chips) that stay gooey for a few hours, topped with a rich chocolate caramel icing. For this recipe, a real doughnut cutter is a plus, because the edges are sharp enough to get through the caramel bits.

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DULCE DE LECHE DOUGHNUTS

2 cups/225 g cake/soft-wheat flour, plus more for rolling and cutting

1/2 cup/50 g unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp iodized salt

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup/100 g sugar

2 tbsp shortening/vegetable lard, trans-fat-free preferred

2 large egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup/165 ml whole milk

3/4 cup/180 g caramel bits or butterscotch chips

Canola oil, for frying

DULCE DE LECHE ICING BASE

41/2 cups/1 lb/450 g confectioners’/icing sugar, sifted

2 tbsp unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted

11/2 tsp light corn/golden syrup

1/4 tsp iodized salt

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup/75 ml plus 1 tbsp hot water, plus more if needed

CARAMEL

1/2 cup/100 g sugar

1/4 cup/60 ml water

1/4 cup/60 ml heavy (whipping)/double cream

TIME

1 hour 20 minutes active time, plus icing

EQUIPMENT

Doughnut cutter (or 23/4 in/7 cm and 11/4 in/3 cm round cutters)

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- First, make the doughnut dough: Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together into a medium bowl, and set aside.

- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the sugar and shortening/vegetable lard for 1 minute on low speed, until sandy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, then mix for 1 more minute on medium speed, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary, until the mixture is light colored and thick. Mix in the vanilla.

- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three separate additions, alternating with the milk, mixing until just combined on low speed each time and adding the caramel bits with the last of the flour. The dough