Pumpkin Doughnuts

Let me just profess how incredibly happy I am that it is October!  Not only for the amazing weather, the change of leaves, and a special someone’s birthday, but also because my work schedule is much more manageable, and  I actually have a few minutes to breathe.  Of course at the top of my weekend to do list was celebrating the season by making baked goods!  My friend Val also happens to be very found of October, seasonal festiveness and baking,  so I knew pumpkin spice doughnuts would be right up her alley.  I actually felt like a normal person, chit chatting on a Saturday afternoon, experimenting in the kitchen, and enjoying fall.  It was so much fun!

Truth be told, I had bought a doughnut cutter specifically for these doughnuts more than a year ago, and had yet to use it.  Fall passed me by, and making pumpkin doughnuts in December just seemed wrong.  We found that the doughnuts “holes” made with the cutter were much larger than expected, so we ended up cutting them into fourths and making more snack size bites.

Now, I know people “bake” doughnuts, and that is much healthier, but let’s be honest, by definition doughnuts are fried.   I’m not about to go redefining the very essentials of a doughnut by baking them, so yes, I fried these.  Healthy? No.  Guilty pleasure? Yes.  I have only fried things one other time in my life, and it was pretty much the worst disaster I’ve had yet in the kitchen.  (Picture an apartment so smoke filled you couldn’t reenter it for hours….).  Happy to say this time went much more smoothly.  The only difficult part is getting the oil to stay at the right temperature. Don’t be tempted to turn the heat to high – stick with medium – and use a heavy duty pan, like cast iron, that will keep consistent heat.  Overall, these were considerably easier than I was expecting, but just as fun and festive as I was hoping.

Pumpkin Doughnuts

Makes 14-16 doughnuts and doughnut holes

Ingredients:
For the doughnuts:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin
• Canola or Peanut Oil (for deep-frying)

For the cinnamon-sugar:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the spiced glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Dash of ground nutmeg
• Dash of ground ginger
• Dash of ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar and butter until well blended. Add egg, then yolks and vanilla. Add the pumpkin mixture and stir.  Alternating buttermilk and flour mixture, continue to mix until all ingredients added and well blended.  Cover the mixture and freeze for 1 hour, or refrigerate for 3.

Line two baking sheets with parchment or wax paper and lightly flour your work surface. Gently roll dough to about 1 – 1.5 cm thickness. Using a floured  doughnut cutter or 3-inch round cutter, cut out dough rounds. If needed, use a floured 1-inch cutter to remove the centers (or the bottom of a 1 m piping tip). Arrange the doughnuts and holes on the prepared baking sheets, and if possible chill until ready to fry.  Gather dough scraps and continue cutting until all the dough is used.

Line a cooling rack with several paper towels. Add enough oil to a skillet or Dutch oven to reach a depth of 1 – 1½  inches. Heat oil until the temperature reaches 365º to 370º. Fry doughnuts a few at a time, adjusting heat as needed to maintain temperature, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Fry doughnut holes in a couple batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Use a strainer to transfer doughnuts to paper towels.

To make the cinnamon-sugar, whisk together the cinnamon and sugar in a small, shallow bowl until combined. When doughnuts are cool enough to touch, dip in cinnamon-sugar mixture and turn to coat completely.

Make the spiced glaze by combining powdered sugar and spices in a small bowl. Add the milk and whisk to combine, until a thick glaze is formed. Add more milk as needed to achieve desired consistency. Dip the remaining doughnuts in the glaze and allow to set before serving.

Source: Cook like a Champion