Donut Muffins

Donut Muffins

For the muffins:

12 oz. (24 Tbs.) unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature
1-3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 lb. 11 oz. (6 cups) all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1-2/3 cups milk
1/4 cup buttermilk
For dipping:

8 oz. (16 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more as needed
2 cups sugar
2 Tbs. ground cinnamon

To make the muffins

Put a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. In a stand mixer or a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Combine the milk and buttermilk. With a wooden spoon, mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don't over mix. Grease and flour a standard-size muffin tin. Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup, about 1/2 cup. (A #16 ice-cream scoop gives you the perfect amount.) Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, 30 to 35 min.

To finish

Melt the butter for the dipping mixture. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin, dip them into or brush them all over with the melted butter, and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar

Basic Cake Donuts

Basic Cake Donuts

• 3 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 and 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tablespoons shortening
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• vegetable oil - for frying
• powdered sugar - for dusting

In a deep fryer, add vegetable oil so the oil is about 3 inches deep; heat oil to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, take 1 and 1/2 cups of the flour and add the sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add milk and stir.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Add shortening. Mix with an electric beater set to low speed for about 30 seconds - making sure to occasionally scrape batter down that sticks to the side of the bowl.

Increase beater speed to medium and beat for an additional 2 minutes - adding a bit of remaining flour every 10 or 15 seconds until all flour is used.

Turn dough out onto a well-flour surface. Sprinkle a little flour over the top of the dough. Roll out dough until it’s about a 1/2 inch thick.

Cut out individual donuts with a donut cutter. Dust the cutter with a little flour to avoid sticking.

Carefully, drop donuts into hot oil: wear a cooking glove or oven mitt and transfer donuts to oil using a spatula. As the donuts cook, they will rise to the surface of the oil. When they do, flip them with the spatula.

Fry them for about 1 minute per side - until golden brown.

Transfer completed donuts to stacked paper towels to drain off excess oil & allow donuts to cool to room temperature then dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Yummy Apple Pie Spice Donut Holes

This recipe was based on “The Perfect Donut” recipe I poached off lipstick blogger. I decided to add a teaspoon of Penzy’s Apple Pie Spice blend to the dough, then glaze in a powdered sugar & apple juice drizzle and dust with more powdered sugar. I also made only holes since there aren’t any calories in those.


Yummy Apple Pie Spice Donut Holes
(makes 4 dozen holes)

Ingredients
1 c. milk
5 t. yeast (or two packets)
1 pinch sugar

2 c. all-purpose flour
½ c. warm mashed potatoes
½ t. salt
1 t. apple pie spice blend
¼ c. sugar
2 T. oil

1 bread machine

Directions
Microwave the milk for about 1 minute in the microwave. Make sure it is warm (not hot) and add the 5 teaspoons of yeast (2 packets) and a pinch of sugar and stir. Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes until the yeast blooms.

Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the remaining ingredients into your bread machine basket. Add the yeast mixture and start the machine on the basic setting. When machine gets to the "rest" setting remove dough from basket on your floured surface.

Prepare your kneading surface by spreading a few tablespoons of flour on a smooth surface. Put the dough in the middle of the flour and sprinkle a little flour on top and on your hands. Knead the dough a few times. Once the dough has been kneaded, spread it out to be a half inch thick with your hands or with a rolling pin.

Now it is time to cut out the donuts, you can use a donut cutter or just use something about the same size and then find something smaller to make a hole with. I use the small hole only cutter.

Place the donuts on a floured pan to let rise as you get the oil ready. Let them rise for a total of ten minutes (it takes about five to ten minutes for the oil to heat up). I used my deep fryer.

The oil needs to be about 360 degrees. If the oil starts to smoke it is way too hot. Test the oil with some of the scraps of dough and when it is ready, cook the donuts until golden brown on each side.

Allow the donuts to cool on a rack or on some paper so that the oil soaks off.

Apple Pie Spice Donut Glaze
1 t. apple pie spice blend
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 – 4 T. apple juice or cider

Directions:

Put the powdered sugar into a bowl with the pie spiced. Gradually stir in the water until the mixture reaches the desired consistency. Dip the tops of the doughnuts in the glaze.
Dry on a rack.