Baked Pumpkin Donuts

Hi friends!  I survived the totally non-dramatic drama of last week, and I’m happy to say that things are looking up! Computer is fixed, brand-spanking-new camera is in my possession, and Peanut Butter Cheerios are on sale at CVS.  Oh, and we’re leaving for Paris in 2 days.

Count it: t-w-o.  I might actually die.  But not actually because obv I’m already panicked about my flight and getting hit by a scooter and getting mugged by gypsies and any other bad things that happen to tourists abroad.  I take it back, okay???

So, um, these donuts?

These donuts make me do a happy dance.  They make me say “hoohoo!” like the Pillsbury Doughboy.  They make me do two Jillian Michaels workouts in a row so that I can eat five of them.  They make it okay that in order to fix my computer, my good friends at Apple had to wipe my hard drive.  It’s fine, life is good!  We have donuts.

Tell me you don’t want to nuzzle your face in that cinnamon sugar.  TELL ME.  You can’t.

I know, I know…it’s totally not pumpkin season.  But if you happened to buy 85 cans of pumpkin in October and happen to have 72 of those cans still kicking around in the back of your cabinet…this is the recipe for you.  Because you can really NEVER go wrong with pumpkin and cinnamon sugar and butter, no matter what the time of year.

Baked Pumpkin Donuts (adapted very slightly from Martha Stewart’s Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins)

yield: 18 donuts

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs

Cinnamon-sugar coating

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a donut pan with cooking spray (you could also make these in muffin form, in which case you should coat a muffin tin with cooking spray).  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.  In a small bowl, stir to combine buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla.
2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium high until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.  With the mixer on low, add flour in three batches, alternating with the pumpkin mixture.  Beat for 30 seconds to fully combine.
3. Spoon the batter into the donut pan, filling each well about 2/3 full (~1/4 cup batter).  For a six-donut pan, you will need to bake in three batches.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until the donut springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 7-10 minutes, then remove one donut at a time to brush with melted butter and toss in the cinnamon sugar coating.  Allow to cool fully on a wire rack. Repeat until all donuts are coated.