Pumpkin Spice Donuts

I got this recipe from a blog called "When in Doubt, Leave it at 350," who originally got the recipe from the magazine Cuisine at Home. They're cake donuts that are perfect with hot chocolate on a cold morning. Wow, they are delicious!

A few tips: I heat the oil in my electric skillet, because you can set the heat to exactly 370 or 375 degrees.  You also need to make sure you have a slotted metal spoon or skimmer to get the donuts in and out of the hot grease (don't use plastic!).  And you can cut them with any round cutters, but I love the Ateco brand donut cutter (2 1/2 inch) that I got for $4 from Amazon.

Pumpkin-Spice Doughnuts

Source: Cuisine at Home, October 2008 Issue, page 31

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter milk

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil, enough to fry in

Whisk egg and yolk together in a large bowl until frothy. add pumpkin, sugar, buttermilk, brown sugar, and butter; whisk until combined. Stir in baking powder, pie spice, salt, and soda. Fold flour in gradually until a stick dough forms; cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 2″ oil to 370°F in an electric skillet, deep fryer, or straight-sided pan over medium heat.

Pat out dough on a well floured surface to 1/2 inch thick, then cut with a 3″ and 1″ biscuit cutters dipped in flour. Transfer doughnuts and holes to a floured baking sheet using a spatula that has been dusted in flour. Fry doughnuts and holes in batches in the oil until browned, about 2 minutes, turning once (holes cook faster). Drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Finish with sugar or glaze.

Apple Cider Glaze

1/2 cup apple cider

2 Pinches of salt

6 cups powdered sugar

heat cider and salt in small saucepan over low until hot. Off heat, whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Dip cooled doughnuts in glaze and let stand about 5 minutes.

Cinnamon Sugar

1 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon (I used 2 tsp)

Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small paper bag. Toss doughnuts and holes in sugar mixture while hot.

Spudnuts

(sorry, not the best picture ever)

I love this donut recipe from Helen Black. It makes wonderfully soft, moist raised donuts. The secret ingredient? Mashed potatoes! Yum!

2 packages yeast
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
6-7 cups flour

Soften yeast in warm water. Scald milk, add shortening, sugar, salt,
mashed potatoes, eggs, vanilla and beat. Add yeast and enough flour to
make a dough too sticky to knead [Helen said she uses as little flour as
she can because you add more flour when you flour the table to roll out
the donuts]. Let raise until double in size. Roll dough out and cut.
Let raise [she let them raise for 15-20 minutes] and cook in hot oil
[375-400]. Drain on paper towels and glaze.

Glaze
1 pound powdered sugar
2 T margarine
1 t vanilla
Hot water

Add enough hot water to make the glaze thin enough to dip spudnuts in.
Dip both sides of donuts and let excess drain off.

After glazing, them, I like to frost them with a thicker icing. I start with 2-3 cups powdered sugar, then add just enough water to make a thick, white icing. I add a few drops of almond extract and food coloring. Icing is the right consistency if you can easily ice the tops of the donuts with a spoon, but the icing doesn't drip off too fast. Be sure to put sprinkles on immediately, before the icing dries.