I got an exciting gift for Christmas…
A mini donut maker! I know it is the new year and I am supposed to be working on eating healthier. Well, January 1st fell on a Thursday so there was really no sense in going crazy until Monday…right?
Anyway, I decided to take it for a spin this afternoon. After looking at numerous recipes for mini donuts, I decided to try this pumpkin version from ‘garnish with lemon’ ( http://www.garnishwithlemon.com/pumpkin-spice-mini-donuts).
It will be quite a while until the next pumpkin season (after all) and I did have one lonely can of pumpkin left….
Anyway,
I got my ingredients together
Donuts:
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
(see my modifications below)
Coating:
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1-2 tablespoons cinnamon
Preheat oven 350 F. Grease mini donut pan.
In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Don’t over mix. I didn’t have all the spices so used about a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice along with the cinnamon. I also used butter instead of vegetable oil. (Just my thing, I guess)
Use a pastry bag or snip the end off a plastic zip style bag and fill pan-well-don’t over fill.
I tried using a spoon and it was really messy. I also tried the plastic bag and that was pretty messy too. (sigh)
Anyway…
Bake for about 7-9 minutes, until donuts spring back when gently pressed.
Turn donuts out onto a wire rack or plate (since I don’t have a wire rack) and allow to cool for a few minutes.
While the donuts are cooling, melt butter in one bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon in another. When donuts are still nice and warm, quickly dip each donut in melted butter, then coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Serve immediately. Do not complete this step until just before serving if they will not be eaten right away.
I decided not to dip them in butter nor drop them in the cinnamon/sugar either. They were light, fluffy, and delicious just the way they were…
and remember…
I am trying to cut back!
mommermom 
Now that is the power of positive thinking!😊
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Pumpkins are scrumptious in savoury applications. They make lovely risotto’s, soups, quiches, all kinds of things. We Aussies eat them savoury, you guys in the U.S. eat them sweet, we have all of the bases covered 😉
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That makes me so curious.. do you eat pumpkin as a squash then? I don’t think I have ever had pumpkin in anything other than cake, pies, desserts, smoothies, and pancakes.
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Looks interesting. I also have the goal of cutting back, and sugar is my weakness. I may just give this recipe a try. Thanks for sharing!
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I love your stoic resilience there mommermom and how you found a way to triumph AND indulge. We Aussies don’t have canned pumpkin pie and most of our pumpkin gets turned into savoury things so I am still wrapping my head around eating it sweet in anything but these little babies certainly make the premise look a bit less intimidating 😉
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I’m quite sure that you saved a lot of calories just by making them yourself. Plus, think of all the calories you burned making them! Happy New Year!
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One of the things I love about blogging is all of the new ideas I have learned-and meeting so many wonderful people. This is so much fun!
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Well that was interesting. I had never heard of a donut maker, or making them at home – but it looks quite achievable. You did put me in mind of the wife of one of our prominent old-time politicians – she was famous across the country for her pumpkin scones!
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🙂 You are welcome.
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We do what we can!!😊
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I have tried apple sauce in other recipes and it does work well. Don’t know why I did not think of it this time. Thanks for the reminder!
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I like the idea of mini donuts. I failed to get my pumpkin bread made this year but do not have a donut pan. Might get one after reading this. I use applesauce instead of oil or butter and it works so well and comes out moist. Thanks for the idea.
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Well at least they weren’t deep fried like they usually are…and you skipped the butter dip – so good job on cutting back!
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