Baked Pumpkin Donuts

Confession: I think I’m over pumpkin. I realize that may not be the best way to introduce you to these Baked Pumpkin Donuts, but it’s the truth.

As usual, I got really excited about pumpkin at the beginning of fall. Our culture builds so much hype for the big orange squash and all of the flavor it brings to everything from baked goods to savory sides to espresso drinks. I get sucked in and dream about all of the pumpkin things I will consume. Then I take a bite or a sip of the pumpkin _______ (fill in the blank) and it hits me. Pumpkin isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Don’t hate me

And don’t get me wrong. Pumpkin is not bad, but I couldn’t eat it every day. I’ve always been a vanilla girl, but that doesn’t mean I don’t go coo-coo for cocoa puffs chocolate too. Those are flavors I go crazy about, as boring as that may be. 

I also recognize the value pumpkin brings to baked goods in order to make them super moist. I will be posting a cupcake recipe soon which uses pumpkin, but contributes more to the texture than the flavor. In that sense, I probably could eat it every day in some form or another.

Now that I’ve vented a little about pumpkin, I have another bone to pick with you. (I don’t think I like that phrase, but what’s done is done…what’s said is said….what’s written is written). 

Issue #2 for the day: Baked donuts. Not the item itself, but the name. 

This isn’t the first baked donut recipe I’ve made, but I’m growing more and more dissatisfied with them. Again, I realize I’m not giving much credit to how tasty these really are. But calling them donuts is so misconceiving. 

Greg says they should be called “Baked Bread Circles.” He’s right. These are essentially a quick bread or muffin in a donut shape. 

Sure, they have the shape of a donut, but they should not be mistaken for a real, true DOUGHNUT. I’m talking light, airy, yeasty, fried dough heaven. Even cake doughnuts (vs. yeast doughnuts) are on a different level than baked donuts. 

(Notice my intentional inconsistent spelling of the word. I’m using doughnut to refer to the real thing, while donut is the wanna be.) 

Despite everything I’ve just said, I hope I’m not contradicting myself too much when I say these baked donuts are a perfect match to your hot cup of coffee on a crisp fall morning. They are slightly sweet, perfectly soft, and have the pumpkin flavor we all get worked up about. 

Just don’t expect a bakery style doughnut by any means. If you want one of those doughnuts, come with me to Krispy Kreme. 

Baked Cinnamon Pumpkin Donuts

(Adapted from Taste and Tell)

Makes 6 donuts

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch of baking soda

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cinnamon for coating

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray donut pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, pumpkin and butter. Cream together then add the egg. Mix well to combine. Add milk and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
4. Pour batter into a ziplock bag. Cut off one tip of the bag and squeeze into donut pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes before removing from pan. Let cool completely. Pour 1/4 cup cinnamon into a ziplock bag. Add one donut at a time to the bad and gently shake to coat in the cinnamon.

*Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. 

Doughnuts, Pancakes and PB&J

I know I’m not the only one who can’t live without doughnuts. I don’t eat them often, but they are an extremely welcomed indulgence whenever I feel like really treating myself. For all of you doughnut lovers out there, have you ever heard of Spudnuts, or any other doughnuts made with potato flour for that matter? Spudnuts is a doughnut shop in Panama City Beach (along with many other cities across the country) that I discovered thanks to Greg and his family on one of my first trips to the city a few years ago. Oh my word, they are heavenly. 

This past weekend, we were in PCB and I couldn’t wait to get my Spudnuts fix. The cream-filled (NOT CUSTARD!!) long johns are my absolute favorite. I also split a cinnamon sugar twist with Greg. 

Love, love, love.

Pancakes are another welcomed treat for me. I have pancakes much more often than doughnuts, but I still have to have an excuse to opt for pancakes rather than a more nutritious meal. Last week, I met with my good friend Hannah at The Village Bakery for breakfast and some good spiritual talk. As my first time at the restaurant for a sit-down meal, I knew I had to do it right. Pancakes it was! 

It was so worth it. The fruit on the side cancelled out any negatives, right? These pancakes, and my time with Hannah of course 😉 , were the highlight of my day. 

Doughnuts and pancakes are great, but you know what never gets old? Good old fashioned PB&J.

Eating a PB&J sandwich while driving is optional. Driving or not, it only takes one bite to realize it’s a classic for a reason. If you use whole wheat bread, all-natural peanut butter and all-natural jelly or preserves, there’s no reason to feel guilty either. Paired with an apple or some baby carrots and you’ve got a perfectly simple and satisfying lunch. 

You + PB&J…make it happen. You know you want to. 

Sunday Blessings – Bachelorette Weekend with My Best Friends

This weekend my best friends and I gathered in Charleston for my bachelorette party. I put together a little welcome gift for the girls including a bottle of wine with a custom label (from Etsy and I’m totally in love) and a praline. 

Everyone got into town super late on Friday night, so we just chatted for a bit then went to bed in order to get a good night’s sleep in preparation for a long day on Saturday. 

I knew I wanted to show off all of Charleston’s amazing food. We started off on the sweet side with donuts from Glazed.

We got a Cinnamon Twist, Chocolate with Sprinkles, Maple Bacon, and the star of the show: Berry Mascarpone. 

We ended up having to go back and get a second Berry Mascarpone donut. It was unreal. 

After strolling through the Farmers’ Market (it was the first weekend they were back up and running for the year and it was packed!), we continued to stroll down King Street for some shopping. We worked up an appetite and grabbed lunch from Verde before calling it a day downtown. 

Time for the beach!

We got a little bit of sun, but since it was already late in the afternoon, it was cooling down outside and we didn’t last too long. We headed home to get dressed up for dinner at Crave. 

I’m do a full review of the meal tomorrow, so I’ll spare you more pictures now. I will tell you this – it was one of the best meals I’ve had in awhile. We were all raving over our different dishes. Love this place! Love it so much in fact that I’m going back this week with Christina and Erica! (I hope our plans are still on girls!)

We went out for some drinks on Market Street downtown, but we didn’t get too crazy…not really my style 😉 But we had a great time talking about life. I could tell you that we went around the table and shared our five-year plans, but then you’d think I’m a loser. Whoops. Too late now! But that’s exactly what we did. 

I loved talking with my best girlfriends about our lives…where we are and where we’re headed. For some of them, it was their first time meeting. So I thought it’d be nice to get to know each other better. Plus, since I don’t get to see or talk to my out of town friends as much anymore, even I felt like I didn’t really know their current wants and desires in life. 

After all the girl talk, we went back to my place where my friends had surprise gifts for me to open. They really are the best friends in the world. 

One by one, the girls started to make their way out of town, back to their homes. By late morning, it was down to my sister, mom, and cousin. We went to church, then brunch at Charleston’s Cafe, where I had the most amazing whole wheat blueberry pancakes EVER. 

Going, going, gone!

Finally it was time to say goodbye to the last of them. As expected, this weekend went way too quickly, but we really did squeeze in just about as much fun as we could have asked for. I am so grateful for all of them making the trip to celebrate this weekend – coming from Indiana, Ohio and Florida, I know it wasn’t easy. 

God has blessed me with the best group of girls in my life and I can’t wait until we’re together again for the big day in just over a month!

Chocolate Peppermint Donuts

How festive am I today?

Very. Very festive, would be the answer to my question. 

I may or may not even be wearing a tacky Christmas sweater t-shirt all day. Maybe it’s because I live in the South, but I was very surprised to find Walmart didn’t have any Christmas sweaters. Only t-shirts…in case your were curious.

I have never been to a Tacky Christmas Sweater party and honestly was never one to be too amused by the whole thing anyway. 

But you know what? Things change. People change. And when your office is throwing a potluck holiday breakfast and asks people to show their spirit by wearing a holiday sweater (or t-shirt), you do it for goodness sakes. 

Ha! Now I’m just being weird. I think I might be a little slap-happy right now. Or maybe you call it ate-too-much-peppermint-frosting-happy. 

These are hands down the best baked donuts I have made so far. The cake is moist, but not too moist. The frosting is the star of the show though. The thickness of the frosting helps it not to absorb right into the donut overnight, as I have experienced with other donuts in my day. Then, they are topped with crushed White Chocolate Peppermint M&Ms.

Yup. I need to go for a walk now.

 

Chocolate Peppermint Donuts
(Donut recipe adapted from Sutterbean)

Makes 6 donuts

Ingredients:
For the donuts-
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting-
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

For topping-
1/3 cup Peppermint M&Ms, crushed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray donut pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, combine milk and lemon juice. Stir and let sit about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar, egg and butter and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine. Add wet mixture to dry mixture. Stir until there are no more lumps.
4. Pour into a large ziplock bag. Cut off one corner at the bottom of the bag and squeeze batter into donut pan.
5. Bake 9-11 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the donuts comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

To prepare the frosting and assemble the donuts-
1. Add powdered sugar and butter to the bowl of a stand alone mixer. Beat about 1 minute until combined. Add cream, vanilla and peppermint extracts. Continue to beat until smooth.
2. Use a butter knife to spread frosting onto donuts. Immediately, sprinkle M&M crumbs over the top of the donuts.

Baked Double Mocha Donuts

Did you know this past Saturday was National Coffee Day?? ….Oh yeah, I did too. Duh. 

No, not really. Complete coincidence that I made a batch of Baked Double Mocha Donuts on Saturday. Or maybe it was fate. 

Having never baked anything with coffee, I didn’t know what to expect. I love a cup or two of morning joe as much as the next person, but I have never been inclined to go for coffee flavored treats. Regardless, something about this recipe spoke to me. Plus, I’m always up for using my donut pan! (This is the one I have in case you’re curious: Wilton Six Standard Doughnut Pan)

I ended up with plenty of leftover batter after filling the donut pan wells, so I filled a mini muffin tin for “donut holes”. 

Yes. Yes. And yes. Everything about this. Just, YES. 

Out of all of the donuts I have made, these have won my heart and I’m sure they will win yours too.

Double Mocha Donuts

(Adapted from Crazy for Crust)

Makes about 8 regular donuts (or 6 regular and 8 “donut holes”)

Ingredients:
For the donuts-
1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons cake flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons brewed coffee
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the frosting-
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brewed coffee

Chocolate sprinkles, as desired

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray donut pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, coffee, egg, vanilla and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir until combined, but do not overmix.
4. Use a spoon to scoop batter into donut wells. Fill about 3/4 the way. Bake 8-10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in donut comes out clean. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before removing from pan. Place on cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.
5. While donuts are cooling, prepare frosting by combining all ingredients in a medium bowl. Blend with a hand mixer until smooth. Frost and sprinkle donuts as desired.

http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6534887.1942;sz=320×320;ord=timestamp?;lid=41000000000342669;pid=880726;usg=AFHzDLv7Kn85nCK87tp9DHpf9MOSs52DIA;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.kohls.com%252Fupgrade%252Fwebstore%252Fproduct_page.jsp%253FPRODUCT%25253C%25253Eprd_id%253D845524892802330%2526mr%253AtrackingCode%253D18256BBD-739E-E011-8D66-001517B188A2%2526mr%253AreferralID%253DNA;pubid=541063;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.kohls.com.edgesuite.net%2Fis%2Fimage%2Fkohls%2F880726%3Fwid%3D500%26hei%3D500%26op_sharpen%3D1;width=320;height=320

Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts

Pumpkin, pumpkin everywhere! In our coffee, in our muffins, in our cakes, even in our enchiladas! It is officially fall and I’m loving every second of it.

I haven’t actually bought any canned pumpkin yet, but I have bought some of this:

Whipped cream sold separately 😉 But after the first bite of this, my taste buds were convinced I was eating pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie requires plenty of whipped cream if you ask me. 

Then some serious thoughts entered my mind. I have baked with pumpkin before.  I have baked with Greek yogurt before. Why not bake with pumpkin Greek yogurt?! Genius. Or just logical. Either way, I’ll take the compliment. Thank you very much. 

The result of my super creative idea? Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts.

Ummmmm…..Do I even need to ask if you want one?

Me likey the pumpkin spice. 

I don’t even want to think about how good these would be paired with a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Ugh. I could die. And at only about 175 calories each, one of these doughnuts alongside a non-fat PSL still wouldn’t bee too much of a splurge. Not very healthy, but still relatively low-cal nonetheless. 

Did I mention how much I love fall??

Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts
(Adapted from Dessert for Two)

Makes 6 donuts

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Greek Yogurt
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and cooled
1/4 cup powdered sugar for topping, if desired

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat donut pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Whisk thoroughly.
3. In a small bowl, whisk yogurt, egg and butter/margarine. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Fold ingredients into each other with a rubber spatula until completely combined (batter will be thick).
4. Spoon batter into the wells of the donut pan. Gently press dough into the pan with your fingers.  Bake 7-8 minutes or until edges become slightly brown. Let cool about 5 minutes before removing from pan. Set on cooling rack for about 10 minutes before dipping topside down into a bowl of powdered sugar.

Check out some of these other pumpkin treats for a festive fall! Deeeelicious mixes for quick and easy baking!

http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6693958.900;sz=200×200;ord=timestamp?;lid=41000000000373657;pid=828095;usg=AFHzDLsseCOK5qX3fNZLT7QsaR8HQ8UmmA;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.surlatable.com%252Fproduct%252FPRO-190010%252F;pubid=541063;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.surlatable.com%2Fimages%2Fcustomers%2Fc1079%2FPRO-190010%2Fgenerated%2FPRO-190010_Default_1_430x430.jpg;width=200;height=200http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6693958.902;sz=200×200;ord=timestamp?;lid=41000000000373657;pid=604314;usg=AFHzDLtpm5Cw3VqA6FAtZRqK3J7HJ8Injw;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.surlatable.com%252Fproduct%252FPRO-604314%252F;pubid=541063;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.surlatable.com%2Fimages%2Fcustomers%2Fc1079%2FPRO-604314%2Fgenerated%2FPRO-604314_Default_1_430x430.jpg;width=200;height=200

Just a Glimpse of Yesterday

Vegetable wrap.

From the Whole Foods Cafe, this wrap is stuffed with lettuce, tomato, spring mix, spinach, onion, roasted red peppers, black olives, carrots, hummus, avocado and cucumber. It’s named: The Johnny Mack. You can always create your own sandwich/wrap, but why mess with this one? 

Frozen yogurt.

I am officially obsessed with Publix brand frozen yogurt. I know I’ve said it before, but I really just can’t get enough. I am always pleasantly surprised by not only their flavor choices, but also by the creaminess of their yogurt. They make a wide variety of ice cream flavors too. I haven’t tried any of those yet, mostly because I love that their frozen yogurt only has 100-130 calories per serving.

This week I tried a new-for-me flavor, Peanut Butter Cup. I topped my bowl off with caramel sauce and chocolate sprinkles. I died at first bite. But don’t worry. I came back to life and finished off the bowl. Cereals? Delicious. 

Today I am continuing my streak of deliciousness and going downtown to grab a doughnut to eat while I stroll through the Farmers Market. It’s supposed to be crazy hot here today so I’m hoping an early start will help. I’m sure I’ll be ready to hit the pool by 10:30!

Have a good one everyone. And, before I go, I have to give a special shout out to Christina. Happy birthday!!!!!

Blueberry Yogurt Cake Doughnuts

You may recall a few weeks ago when I went to a blogger breakfast with a rep from Chobani. Lindsay was so kind to send me some of my favorite flavor afterwards- 0% Blueberry!

Although the Greek yogurt is wonderful enough on its own for breakfast, as a side with lunch, or a mid-morning snack, I have seen countless recipes using the yogurt and wanted to put one to the test. 

It had been awhile since I used my doughnut pan. Shameful of me, I know. I dusted it off and in no time it was filled with batter and stuck in the oven. 

The doughnuts’ color wasn’t the most appealing, I will admit. But with only about 115 calories each for a doughnut, I’ll take it! The oatmeal gives them texture, while the yogurt brings moistness and, of course, the blueberry flavor. Rather than eating them for breakfast, I have found to enjoy them even more as a snack throughout the day. 

I have already Pinned several other recipes using the yogurt and am looking forward to the next one. Pancakes? Muffins? Fruit dips? So many options! But first I have to get through these doughnuts…

Wait…where’d they go?

Blueberry Yogurt Cake Doughnuts
(Adapted from Everyday’s a Hollyday)

Makes about 12 doughnuts

Ingredients:
For the doughnuts-
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons applesauce
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1-6 ounce container blueberry greek yogurt

For the glaze-
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1-1 1/2 tablespoons almond milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat doughnut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients.
3. In a separate smaller bowl, add wet ingredients (milk, applesauce, ricotta and yogurt). Whisk to combine.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Whisk until just combined.
5. Pour batter evenly into doughnut pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare glaze by stirring together powdered sugar and milk.
7. When doughnuts are finished baking, remove from heat and transfer from pan to cooling rack to cool. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before dipping top-side down into glaze.
8. Enjoy!

Doughnuts, Omelets and Pizza!

Wow. What a weekend. It started off with a quiet Friday night in with a Subway grilled chicken salad for dinner. The excitement really picked up on Saturday morning with these beauties…

After a long morning run, I headed downtown with Greg for the Southeastern Wildlife Expo. His company exhibits at the event and he had to work, so I figured I would tag along to explore my “wild” side, but more importantly do some shopping while I was down there (of course). 

I wasn’t about to miss out on breakfast from Glazed while I was in the area. You may remember my sister and I made our inaugural visit a few months ago and I have been looking forward to going back to try some different flavors. 

I was more than pleasantly surprised by the Strawberry Champagne. I figured it would be good, but didn’t expect it to be GREAT.

Don’t mind me. I’ll just be here expressing my love to the doughnut. Very normal.

Just look at that strawberry filling. It tasted so real and authentic. Glazed only uses natural ingredients and this doughnut is testimony to that. 

I also tried the Sweet Potato doughnut, which was delicious in its own right. I made sure to get some simple doughnut holes for Greg since he doesn’t get into any of the more exciting flavors. (Shhh don’t tell him they are actually called “Chinese 5 Spice” holes. The name might scare him off).

As if a breakfast like this wasn’t good enough for the weekend, Sunday started off just as great. 

After church Greg and I stopped by Triangle Char & Bar for their famous brunch. Locals talk about this place all the time, but we had never been. I knew it was popular, but I was shocked to see the restaurant already more than half-full by the time we arrived at 10:55am, five minutes before they are even scheduled to open!

You really can’t beat $1 mimosas. 

You all know how much I love pancakes, and it was definitely difficult to pass up the Toasted Pecan or Blueberry Pancakes. But I managed to convince myself a more healthful option would be just as good and opted for a vegetable omelet on the specials menu made with asparagus, red pepper, artichoke hearts and goat cheese. I loved that it came with fruit on the side by default; usually fruit is something extra you have to ask for. Greg ate most of the hash browns along with his main dish of Biscuits and Gravy.

The main reason we went to Triangle was because I had a gift card to use, but we will be back to spend money of our own too. The food was good, the mimosas were great and the atmosphere was fun. 

I’m glad I made a healthy choice for brunch, because dinner was a different story.

The boy and I shared a large pepperoni, pineapple and onion pizza from Mellow Mushroom to make a great end to the weekend. 

Now it’s time to get on with the workweek…

Surviving the Week with Chocolate Doughnuts

We made it to the middle of the week.

Barely.

Do you need a doughnut? ‘Cause I need a doughnut. Or maybe you need some cake? Well I have good news for you! Because these doughnuts are really more like cake in the form of a doughnut. 

Extra moist and extra chocolatey, you will love these doughnuts…for breakfast or dessert! Or, a mid-day snack of course.

Now there is only one question: Sprinkles or no sprinkles?

Double (or triple or quadruple) Chocolate Cake Doughnuts

Makes about 20 doughnuts

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate cake mix

1.5 cans pumpkin

2 eggs

1 cup chocolate chips

Chocolate frosting (optional)

Chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In the bowl of a stand-alone mixer or another large bowl, combine first three ingredients. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Carefully pour batter evenly in doughnut pan.

4. Bake 10-12 minutes or until doughnuts have puffed up and toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

5. If desired, frost and top with sprinkles. Or for another serving suggestion, place warm doughnuts in bag with cinnamon and gently shake to evenly coat.