Donuts are da-bomb! (Yes, I just dated myself with that phrasing.) Like most dirrty desserts, donuts are an indulgence that would be lovely for everyday but one must restrain herself. So, when making donuts, keep them for special occasions and make them a little better with baking instead of frying.

I’m sure there are donut purists who would scoff at the idea of not frying them. Well, pffpht to you. Yes, it has a different flavor and texture when you fry but the mess of oil and getting the temp just right so that you don’t burn your masterpieces is tricky. I just don’t want to deal with possibly losing too many donuts to bad batches so I stick with baking.

Luckily I have a few different donut pans to use. Some are regular sized, some are minis and one pan makes heart shaped donuts. I used this pan for a batch recently when a friend requested some donuts. Specifically, pumpkin donuts. I had made some for her and her family back in November when it was officially pumpkin season. When she asked for another batch, it was February so naturally the heart shaped pan was the best choice for baking. And who said pumpkin is only for the fall?

Look at that, that pumpkin will transform into an even yummier state! The nice thing about this recipe is that it comes together quickly. Measuring out the dry and the wet ingredients separately is the first step. To kick up the spice a bit, I add ground cloves in with the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. This makes me think of pumpkin pie with the extra aromatics of the clove.

The mixture comes together quickly. Once you combine the dry in with the wet, be sure to not over mix it. The flour needs to just be mixed in otherwise it can overwork the gluten. NOTE: if you want these to be gluten free, it’s a simple swap of the all purpose flour with a GF flour mix. They taste just as yummy as gluten free donuts.

Once you have the mix ready, pipe it into the pans. If you overfill, then the heart might not have the hole in the middle when they are done baking. But who wants a hole in their heart anyway.

Adding the cinnamon and sugar coating to the donuts while they are slightly warm will finish off this little treat perfectly!

Pumpkin Donuts

Adapted from Cooking Classy and King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (measure 2 cups remove 2 Tbsp)
• 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup oil (I prefer corn)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. spray donut wells with non-stick spray.
• In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and ginger, set aside. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined (break up clumps of brown sugar with fingertips as necessary. You don’t want any clumps). Add oil, eggs, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and using an electric hand or stand mixer, blend until mixture is well blended. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix until well combined. Spoon or pipe batter into doughnut wells, filling each about 3/4 full (a scant 1/4 cup in each).
• Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 13 – 16 minutes. Cool doughnuts slightly. Meanwhile in a large resealable bag shake together 1/3 cup sugar and 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon until well combined. Add one warm doughnut to bag at a time, seal and shake with sugar mixture to coat. Place on wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.