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Pumpkin Doughnuts

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These doughnuts are to die for! Everything you love about the season all rolled up into one sweet dough.  The warmth of the pumpkin pie spice, and the cake like texture of the doughnuts are an amazing pair.  I have made this very recipe a few times, once with dairy, and the other with dairy substitutes (almond milk..etc) both have turned out great.  My favorite piece of this recipe was the time I spent making them.  Brody is always by my side when baking and cooking.  He has a specific chair he pulls up to the countertop in excitement, and always says either “Mom, what you making?” Or my favorite, “Okay now we need…” As I list off what ingredient comes next.  He melts my heart, and I encourage every parent to cook with their children.  Yes, I had a two year old AND a kitchen floor covered in flour, but it is so worth it when he gets to see the end result of what HE made.  We will definitely be coming up with seasonal inspired doughnuts in our house from now on!

INGREDIENTS: 

For the Doughnuts…

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 Tbsp butter at room temperature/or dairy free butter.
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk/or vanilla almond milk
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • canola oil for frying.
For The Icing…
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp milk/or vanilla almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
For The Sugared Doughnuts…
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
DIRECTIONS:
First you make the dough.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices into a bowl.  In another bowl, with an electric mixer, mix the sugar and butter until it is combined.  Mix in the egg, and two egg yolks until incorporated.  In a measuring cup, put the pumpkin puree and milk, whisk together until smooth.  With your mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the pumpkin mixture, and ending with the dry.  Once mixed, cover with clear wrap and let sit in the fridge for 3 hours, or overnight.  You want the dough to be firm.
On a floured surface, roll the dough into a circle approximately 1/2 inch thick.  Use a circle cutter, 3 inches, or a plastic cup similar size, with the edge dipped in flour to cut your doughnuts circles.  Use a smaller circle cutter to cut a hole in the center, these will be the doughnut holes.  I put all the doughnuts onto a baking sheet, so I could keep them on the stove top for an easier reach while frying.
Add canola oil to a large saucepan, or a dutch oven, you want the oil 2-3 inches deep. Heat the oil over Medium heat, if you have a thermometer you want it to reach 365-370*.  I did not have one handy, so I simply waited about 10 minutes and dropped a doughnut hole to test if the oil was ready.  The oil should be hot enough to create bubbles almost instantly around the dough, causing it to float.  Do the doughnuts in small batches, they will take 3-4 minutes total to cook, turn over once until golden brown.  Give the oil a minute to come back to temperature between batches.  Remove doughnuts with a skimmer, or slotted spoon, and put on a wired rack covered with paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
The doughnuts you chose to cover in the spiced sugar, do while doughnuts are still slightly warm.  The glaze, you can do once they have cooled more.
Slightly Adapted from:
Pumpkin Doughnuts » Annie’s Eats  Originally from: Bon Appétit  | October 2004