With the bathroom remodeling project now behind me, the desire for rearranging rooms, shifting furniture, and reorganizing collections has reared its' ugly head. Not at all ugly for me mind you, just for a certain someone who doesn't always view these 'projects' of mine as fun and as exciting as I do. Mostly because one change leads to another to another, and more often than not they end up being far from just simple changes. To further add to someone's angst, I often make adjustments and changes to my 'preliminary' plan as what it looks like doesn't always match with what I thought it would. The process of doing and undoing may be energizing for me, however, it's a process of coming slightly, temporarily unglued for someone else. Since it is highly unlikely I will ever stop coming up with rearranging, shifting, and reorganizing ideas, I have learned the value of timing. Bribes are good things too.
As I was looking for and comparing baked pumpkin doughnut recipes, all I kept hearing in my head were the words from a childhood game, 'One potato, two potato, three potato..' Most of the ingredients listed in the recipes for pumpkin doughnuts were the same with the only significant difference being in their amounts. I wanted to make a doughnut that was both moist and dense. So I focused on the ratio of liquid to dry ingredients in each of the recipes. Some had one egg, some had two eggs, and some had three eggs (hence why the childhood song was resurrected from my memory). After a process of elimination, I settled on the recipe calling for two eggs. Having no basis of comparison, the Maple Glazed Pumpkin Doughnutss (a two egg version) were everything I wanted them to be and then some.
After I finished making the Maple Glazed Mini-Pumpkin Doughnuts, my first thought was they were almost too pretty to eat. My second though was, no, these doughnuts are the kind of 'too hard to resist' pretty. It is almost impossible to eat only just one of them (even for those who pride themselves on self-control). Not because of their size, but because of their flavor and texture. If you are someone who loves the flavor of pumpkin and spices as well as prefers a doughnut with a cake-like texture, you will be delirious after tasting this doughnut (almost the kind of delirious that if someone asked you rearrange, shift or reorganize somethings, you might not even be phased by the requests). Is there anyone who does not like cake? I prefer to live in the fantasy world of 'everyone loves cake', so please don't burst this bubble for me. I don't think I could comprehend someone not liking cake.
If there was another reason to hoard canned pumpkin (besides for making pumpkin pies, pumpkin squares and pumpkin bread), this doughnut would be that reason. But these doughnuts shouldn't have 'another' hoarding reason status, they are so insanely delicious they could be the 'only' reason. Eggs, dark brown sugar, buttermilk, granulated sugar, melted butter, spices, salt, baking powder, salt and canned pumpkin mixed together create a beautiful thick, delicious batter (I am all about predicting the outcome of a baked good based on the taste of the batter). Note: The inspiration recipe called for using both pumpkin spice and cinnamon. Rather than buy pumpkin spice, you can make your own. The recipe for making pumpkin spice is provided in the ingredients list below.)
Whether you use a stand mixer or hand mixer, the batter comes together quickly and easily. These are kind of doughnuts you could make on a Saturday or Sunday morning and not feel you have just lost several hours of your life to baking in the kitchen when you have a full day of errands, activities, and events planned.
Once baked the doughnuts remain in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes before unmolded and placed on a cooling rack. They need to be cooled completely if icing them with confectionary sugar. Note: You can choose a cinnamon-sugar finishing option for these doughnuts.
Confectionary sugar, whole milk, maple syrup and cinnamon create a scrumptious glaze. The marzipan leaves are optional, but the sprinkles create the visual 'wow' factor to these doughnuts. India Tree is just one of the companies offering a wide variety of sprinkle shapes and colors (or if you are really ambitious you can make your own) which can make it hard to choose (which is why you will be making these doughnuts more than once).
The cooled doughnuts are dipped in the glaze and placed on rack to set. The glaze sets up quickly so be ready to add your sprinkles as you go (a lesson learned making them).
These are the kind of doughnuts everyone will think you bought at a bakery or the farmer's market or that you slaved hours over making them. They are the perfect start to a fall or winter morning (as well as a great mid-afternoon or late night snack). Not only are these doughnuts 'mini' size, they are also baked. Both factors which might lesson any guilt you feel over consuming them. Besides, there are more important things to feel guilty about. Have I told you how addictive these doughnuts are yet?
I had baked these doughnuts the morning the marble guy and plumber were here to do the installations of the counter, sink, faucet and toilet in my bathroom remodeling project. Installing the toilet wasn't part of their original plan (it was part of my plan), so it may have helped to have the fragrance of cinnamon on a cool autumn day hit them as they walked in the door (I waited for them to be in the house for a few minutes before asking if they could do me the favor of installing one more thing). The platter of doughnuts was waiting for them when they finished. If they were experiencing any angst over the change in plans for their morning, you wouldn't have been able to tell once they tasted the Maple Glazed Mini-Pumpkin Doughnuts. I am beginning to develop a theory about these doughnuts. Will have to test it again next weekend when I need some help moving furniture.
Maple Glazed Mini-Pumpkin Doughnuts (slight adaptation to a recipe found on All Recipes)
Makes 18 mini-donuts
Ingredients
Doughnuts
2 cups all-purpose flour (recommend King Arthur)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice (you can make your own: 1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (recommend Maldon)
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
Maple Glaze
1 1/2 cups confectionary sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon of pure maple syrup (Grade A or Grade B)
At least 2 Tablespoons of whole milk (if too thick add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time) - I used 2 additional teaspoons
Directions
Doughnuts
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray mini-doughnut pan with oil.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
3. Whisk buttermilk and melted butter in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Using either a stand mixer or hand mixer, combine brown sugar, sugar, pumpkin, and egg. Mix on low speed until combined.
5. Alternating between the flour and buttermilk mixture, add each to pumpkin batter in 5 additions (beginning and ending with dry ingredients) until well combined.
6. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a round tube or a ziplock bag with a corner cut, pipe batter into the prepared doughnut pan (each mold will be slightly more than half-full).
7. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until they spring back to the touch (my baking time was 14 minutes).
8. Allow doughnuts to rest in pan 2-3 minutes before unmolding and cooling on a cooling rack.
Glaze
1. Whisk together the confectionary sugar, maple syrup, milk and cinnamon until mixture is smooth, creamy, good dipping consistency. If glaze is to thin, add more confectionary sugar. If too thick, add additional milk one teaspoon at a time.
2. Dip each doughnut into the glaze, returning to the wire cooling rack. Add sprinkles to glazed doughnuts before the glaze sets (dip 2 or 3, then sprinkle).
3. Allow glaze to fully set up (approximately 10-15 minutes). Transfer doughnuts to a platter and serve.
