Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts

Well, I couldn't hold out any longer...I had to write about these pumpkin doughnuts. There are so many wonderful recipes that I want to try so it isn't often that I make a dish multiple times, especially in a short period. (This blog, however, is my collection of recipes that were good enough to want to make again.)  Since I've made these pumpkin doughnuts twice in the last two weeks, I'd say that fact alone deems them more than worthy to be blogged about!

These doughnuts are so airy, fall-ish and best fresh from the oven. I brushed the tops with melted butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.  I only cooked half the doughnuts on Saturday morning; the rest of the dough was stored in the fridge and we enjoyed fresh-baked doughnuts all over again on Sunday.  (Of course, this also might have saved me from eating all the doughnuts in one sitting, too.)

Not only do these pumpkin doughnuts have great flavor but I love that the dough is easy to work with.  You don't have to have a doughnut pan since the dough is sturdy enough to be piped onto a baking sheet and still hold a doughnut shape (you can also use a ziploc freezer bag to do all the piping -- just snip off a corner).

In a few words, these were seriously delicious. I'm halfway thinking that we should have batch #3 sometime soon!

PS - Is it odd that it bothers me when doughnuts are spelled "donuts"?  What a random thing to get worked up about.

Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts
Taken from: Buns in My Oven
Makes about 10-12 regular sized doughnuts

• 2 cups all-purpose or white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• Cinnamon and sugar mixture (try 1/3 cup of white sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon mixed together)
• 2-3 tablespoons melted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a doughnut pan or regular cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the dry ingredients.
3. Beat in the pumpkin, eggs, milk, and butter until well combined (if you don't have a stand mixer - or don't want to get it out - just mix by hand until well combined).
4. Fit a pastry bag with a large tip and fill with the doughnut batter. Alternately, fill a large ziploc bag and snip off the end.
5. Pipe into the doughnut maker, doughnut pan, or just pipe in circles on a greased cookie sheet. The dough is thick enough that it should stay in the general shape you pipe it in while in the oven.
6. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through (decrease the cook time if you make mini-size doughnuts).
7. Melt the 2-3 tablespoons of butter in a small dish and mix together cinnamon and sugar in a second dish.
8. Brush butter over the top of the doughnuts and then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.  (Alternatively, you can also dip the doughnuts in the butter and then dip in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.)
9. Serve. Store leftovers in an air-tight container.