Sinfully good: Karla Marie LaJeunesse wants to bring a smile to people's faces with her donuts

Editor’s note: Cocina Connection is a once-a-month feature that takes a behind-the-scenes look at a New Mexico-based chef, who, in turn, shares some recipes.

It’s 6 a.m. — and it’s time to make the donuts.

This is the life Karla Marie LaJeunesse has chosen as she is the proprietor of Simply Sinful Donuts in Downtown Albuquerque.

Sinfully good: Karla Marie LaJeunesse wants to bring a smile to people's faces with her donuts

Before the sun rises, LaJeunesse is busy planning for the day, creating her sweet confections.

“I make 16 flavors every day,” she says. “I sell them by the box.”

Those boxes are sold in four, eight and 16 donuts.

“Instead of a baker’s dozen, it’s 16 mini donuts,” she says. “During an average day, I make anywhere from 200-300 donuts.”

LaJeunesse’s journey into the culinary world began when she was about five years old.

Growing up in the South Valley, LaJeunesse remembers her grandparents always in the kitchen.

Her family had to make meals in big quantities, as her grandparents have 13 children.

“My grandpa would wake me up and he would teach me how to make French toast,” she says. “Then as I got older, I would sit in front of the TV on Saturday mornings and watch Julia Child.”

By the time LaJeunesse was moving from fifth to sixth grade, her love for being in the kitchen began to get stronger.

At the time, she was in the band and played clarinet.

“Then I found out that I could take nine weeks of home (economics),” she says. “I put the clarinet down and began to fall more in love with creating through food.”

After graduating from Rio Grande High School, she wanted to go to TVI, now Central New Mexico Community College, to study in the culinary and baking program.

“I learned that the classes started at 5 a.m.,” she says with a laugh. “My 18-year-old self was against it. Now, I’m like, ‘Why didn’t I do it?’ I did it the hard way.”

LaJeunesse’s love for donuts began in 2014.

It was at a time when she was writing reviews for Yelp as Donut Kween.

“I started reviewing donuts all around the country,” she says. “I began to learn how to make donuts at home. I’d make them and give them away to anyone Downtown.”

In 2021, Simply Sinful Donuts was born after LaJeunesse went through the program at Street Food Institute.

The Albuquerque-based nonprofit organization helps people interested in starting businesses in the culinary world.

“I took their course and it kind of went from there,” she says. “The reason I chose donuts is because my dad’s mom only spoke Spanish and we’d visit her in Santa Fe and pick her up donuts. Anytime she saw the box, a smile would appear. Donuts really do put a smile on your face.”

Simply Sinful Donuts is located at 400 Gold Ave. SW and is open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday-Friday through April 30. Summer hours to be determined.

LaJeunesse often sells out well before her closing time.

Depending on the day, she will get back into the kitchen during the slow times and make more donuts.

LaJeunesse is grateful to be back making donuts as her shop was closed for nearly 14 months and she recently reopened.

Her daughter works mornings with her in creating and then heads to work at Hotel Andaluz after the donut shop is closed.

“It’s been really great to work with her,” she says. “We both share a love and she’s teaching me a lot.”

Her menu changes often but there are seven daily classics, aka deadly sins.

Envy: Each mini donut is hand dipped in melted butter, then dredged in Sin-namon Suga’.

Gluttony: Vanilla glaze with coconut.

Greed: Chocolate ganache with chocolate sprinkles.

Lust: Chocolate ganache.

Pride: The perfect three-layer triple chocolate with chocolate ganache, sprinkles, chocolate chips and chocolate sauce.

Sloth: Raspberry or watermelon glaze with rainbow sprinkles.

Wrath: Powdered Sugar.

“I like donuts that are creative and colorful,” she says. “I change my menu about every two or three weeks. Those additional nine flavors can be anything I want.”

LaJeunesse says she wanted to have her shop in Downtown because she grew up in the South Valley.

“I love supporting Downtown businesses,” she says. “It’s my thing to support local businesses because we’re all living a dream.”

LaJeunesse shares a recipe for cookie bars which inspired one of the seven deadly sins mini donuts.

COOKIE BARS

14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup Heath Bar bits (English toffee bits)

Heat oven to 350. Coat a 13x9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Press mixture into the bottom of a prepared pan. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, Heath Bar bits, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with fork.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from sides of pan while still warm and cool on wire rack. Cut into desired shape.

(Adapted from Eagle Brand)