Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze

'Tis the season for all things pumpkin spice.  And if you are getting  married, like my forever friend Rachelle is, it only makes sense to have pumpkin spice donuts at your bachelorette  party.  And that's why I'm here: To bake you your wildest dreams.

Please excuse the boy parts in this picture, it is a bachelorette party after all!  ;)

Etsy helped me find the perfect accessory:  Diamond ring picks to make the donuts look like engagement rings.  =D  Super fast shipping too, this Etsy seller saved my butt.

The diamond picks were the perfect touch and passed all required taste tests.

Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts
Makes approx 16 donuts.Bake for 10-11 minutes at 325*

Ingredients:
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of ground cloves
1/4 c. butter, room temp
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, room temp
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. pumpkin pie

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients and set aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on high.
3. Add both sugars to butter and continue mixing on high until smooth. Add eggs one a time.
4. Reduce speed to medium and add pumpkin, vanilla and milk. Continue beating until mixture is smooth.  It will be slightly grainy.
5. Slowly add in dry ingredients mixture, beat until combined.
5. Transfer batter into a pastry bag or zip lock bag with a corner snipped off and pipe batter into the wells of a buttered donut pan.  Fill no more than 2/3 of the way.
6. Bake in oven for aprox. 10- 12 minutes or until the donuts rise and are springy to touch.
7. Let donuts cool a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.

Cinnamon Maple Glaze

Ingredients:
1 c. powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. good maple syrup
1 tbsp. milk (more or less as needed)

Directions:
1. Sift powdered sugar in a large bowl.
2. Add cinnamon.
3. Make a well in the center  of the sugar with your finger.
4. Pour the maple syrup and milk into the well.
5. Stir together with a whisk.
6. Add more milk, 1/2 a tablespoon at a time, if needed.  The glaze should come together, shiny and smooth with no clumps.
7. Dip the tops of your donuts into the glaze, making sure to coat the top completely.
8.  Set donuts on a rack to set the icing, about 30 minutes.
9. Insert picks into ends of donuts.

The glaze was perfect, you only need one coat.   The great flavor was largely aided by quality maple from Canada and a healthy dash of cinnamon.  Oh and all the good vibes I was sending its way.

Congrats Rach, I'm so excited for you.  I can't wait for the big day!

xoxo,
Anna

St. Patrick's Day Chocolate Mini Donuts

My friends' annual St. Patrick's Day Dinner was held last Saturday, March 14th, which was also Pie Day.  So while most of the baking bloggers out there were furiously making, eating and Instagramming pie,  I was in my kitchen making donuts.  I was just not ready to have Pie Day trump St. Patty's Day.  Or have pies trump donuts.  Or maybe i'm just a donut loving rebel like that.

Correction; a bright green, sprinkle topped, baked - not fried - chocolate mini donut loving rebel.

They're super easy to make.  Super delicious to eat.  And the only special equipment you need for these bad boys is a mini donut pan.  So it really is worth the cost, trust me.

And making mini (as opposed to normal-sized) donuts means you can guiltlessly eat half a dozen of them because they're just so itty bitty!  You better eat them fast, too.  Because they will disappear.

Mini Chocolate Donuts
Makes aprox 30 donuts.   Bake for 7 minutes at 325*
Adapted from Joy the Baker.

Ingredients:

1 c. flour 

1/4 c.  unsweetened cocoa powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1/4 tsp table salt 

1 pinch of nutmeg

1/2 c.  light brown sugar, packed 

1/2 c. buttermilk 

1 large egg 

4 tblsp unsalted butter, melted until just browned 

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and brown sugar and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl , folding all ingredients together with a spatula until well combined.   
5. Transfer batter into a pastry bag or zip lock bag with a corner snipped off and pipe batter into the wells of a buttered mini donut pan.  Fill no more than 2/3 of the way.  (Trust, if you over batter you will have mini Bundt cakes instead of mini donuts!)
6. Bake in oven for aprox. 7minutes or until the donuts rise and are springy to touch. 
7. Let donuts cool a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.

Tip:  In case you didn’t listen to me, and you over filled your donut pan too much and your mini donut/bundt cakes have no hole, use a toothpick or end of a small spoon to hollow one out.

Glaze
Adapted from SprinkleBakes.

Ingredients

2 c. powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp.  vanilla
3-5 tablespoons whole milk
3-4 drops green food coloring 

Directions

1. Sift powdered sugar in a large bowl.

2. Make a well in the center  of the sugar with your finger.

3. Pour the vanilla extract, food coloring  and 1 tablespoon of milk into the well. 

4. Stir together with a whisk.

5. Add more milk, 1/2 a tablespoon at a time, as needed.  The glaze should come together, shiny and smooth with no clumps.  Don't add too much milk.  I used about 3.5 table spoons total, but this will vary for you.   

6.  Add additional food coloring if needed.  (Use gel food coloring if possible, I used Winton's "Leaf Green".)

7. Dip the tops of your donuts into the glaze, making sure to coat the top completely.  If the donut hole is covered or clogged, poke through with a spoon.

8.  Set donut on a rack to set the icing.  

9. When you are done dipping all your donuts, repeat the process one more time.  Two coats makes the icing more opaque and the color will look much better.  

10.  Add any sprinkles to the donuts while the donut glaze is still wet. 

11. Let donuts set completely, about 30 minutes. 

I have never used sprinkles so sparingly before!  I added a few very strategically placed white sprinkles and just one little shamrock.

Donut worry though,  I will be back to covering everything in sprinkles again next week.

Have a great St. Patrick's Day friends!  Eat plenty of carbs, drink responsibly, wear green and always, always double dip your mini donuts.

But make sure you get your fill of green things, shamrocks and Irish kisses.  'Cuz I am ready for some pastel bunnies up in here!

xoxo,
Anna


P.S. For more St. Patrick's Day inspired treats, check out my Lucky White Chocolate Chip Cookies or my  Wet Chocolate Irish Coffee Cupcakes .

Rudolph the Reindeer Cookies

I have not decided if I love the holidays because of the family, friends and food that joyously fill the season  OR if I just really like reindeer antlers. =D  On my baked goods.  On my socks.  On my head.

Last year I made gingerbread latte cupcakes in a jar to match the antlers on my head for my good friend's Holiday party.  Naturally, since I re-wore the same antlers to this year's party, I had to find another treat that would look great with antlers.  And big red noses.

These Rudolph cookies take a little time to put together, but they aren't difficult to make.  With some free time and a helper Christmas elf or two you may want to try them this year for yourself to liven up your own holiday parties.

Reindeer Gingerbread Cookies
Makes 30 2-inch cookies.  

Ingredients/Supplies
Your favorite gingerbread roll out cookie dough recipe*
2-inch round cookie cutter
1 bag white Candy Melts
1 bag light brown Candy Melts
Various sprinkles;  I used silver sprinkles, pearls, white snowflakes and pink hearts
Wilton eye candies
Red candy (M&M's, jelly beans, etc)

*I used this one from The Decorated Cookie. The only difference is that I needed to add a lot more flour once I started rolling out the dough.

Directions/Assembly:
1.  Prepare dough as directed.  Cut out faces using a 2-inch round cookie cutter.  Bake and set out to cool.
2.  Melt white Candy Melts in microwave and pipe antlers onto wax paper.  I did this freehand, but you can find a stencil on the internet as well.
3.  Place various sprinkles onto antlers while they are still wet. Silver sprinkles look like snow!
4. Let dry. You can speed up this process in a freezer.
5.  Once cookies are completely cool, melt brown Candy Melts and using a small spatula or butter knife to spread a thick coat over cookies.
6. While the candy melt is still wet, press antlers to top of cookies. Hold in place a few seconds.
7. Press Wilton eye candies below antlers.
8. Press red candy under the eyes. (or brown/black candy if you want regular reindeer instead of Rudolphs)
9.  Let cookies dry for 15 minutes before moving.

You can use all kinds of sprinkles for these cookies. And if you use an edible pen you can change the look of the eyes as well.  Add the slighlty different shaped noses and antlers and they can take on so many different personalities!

I added little hearts to some of the antlers because who said that Rudolph couldn't have secretly been a girl???

I also tried making some "regular reindeer".  Instead of a red candy nose, I used a large upside down chocolate chip.

They were still cute, but c'mon.  We know what we want during the holidays.  THAT RED NOSE.

I also used these cookies the following day for Rachelle's annual holiday cookie exchange.  I couldn't bake two separate  yummies in one weekend... there are not enough hours in the day, I am not Beyonce.

I hope everyone's holidays have started off as wonderful as mine.  I am knee deep in gingerbread lattes and cookies, burlap tree skirts and woodland creatures and we are only half way into December.  Can't wait for the rest of it!  There's still deep fried turduckens to eat, tamales to make, and Christmas Cheer to spread.

xoxo,

Anna

P.S. Oh, and just so you guys know.  I think it's time to retire the antlers.  I have gotten much good use from them the last two years.  What's next?  Elf ears?  How can I dress up like a penguin?  Anyone know?

Gizdich Farms Raspberry Green Apple Crisp

I have something for you guys!  A super delicious yet relatively easy recipe for your upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.  Or dinners if you're lucky like me.  I have FOUR to attend this year.    Two down, two more to go!  For number two (a Friendsgiving) this crisp.  I can't ALWAYS bring cookies. (Yes, I can.) 

The recipe was sourced and inspired by last month's visit to Watsonville (California) to visit  the boyfriend's old stomping grounds.  Watsonville is known for their agriculture -- STRAWBERRIES! -- they are home to both Driscoll's and Martinellis.  November is well past berry season, but we made it in time for the tail end of apple season.   

Along with touring apiaries and old highschools, we took a quick trip to Gizdich Farms.  It's an orchard where you can pick apples and berries, eat at their in-house bakery thats uses their own fresh fruit, have a picnic, shop at their market, or buy their fresh apple juice.  We didn't have time to pick apples, but we did have enough time to go to the pie shop.  Who doesn't have time for pie?  It was delicious.  We also went by their market where I picked up some of their free recipes.  Glad I did because I picked up this little gem.  

Crips are basically one step short of a pie and I can get behind that.  Less work and still delicious!  Until pies stop intimidating me so much I think I shall stick with crisps.  I was drawn to this recipe because they used both apples AND raspberries.  

The combination of the tart fruits and the cinnamon sugar is great and they even use walnuts!  It's a great spin on a traditional Thanksgiving apple pie for sure.

Raspberry Green Apple Crisp

Use a 12 cup baking dish, bake at 375* for 20 minutes, and then for an additional 40.  Serve warm, preferably with ice cream.

For the topping:

1 c. rolled oats

3/4 c. flour

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 c. unsalted cold butter

3/4 c. walnuts

For the filling:

10 large green apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 1/3 c. raspberries 

1/3 c. sugar (or less, to taste)

2 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions:

1. Mix oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a bowl.

2. Add butter and and cut in (with a pastry cutter) until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

3. Fold in walnuts.

4. Set aside in a refrigerator while you prepare the apples.

5. Combine apples, berries, sugar and lemon juice is a  separate bowl.  (Amount of sugar is optional. Use less if you prefer a more tangy dessert.)

6. Butter your baking dish, and spread apple-raspberry filling evenly.

7. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

8. Uncover dish and bake for an additional 40 minutes, or until apples are soft and topping is brown and toasted.  

9. Serve warm.  Add vanilla ice cream if you want to be someone's bff.

I loved how the raspberries melted into the apples.  

And I loved the added walnuts.  Did you guys know that I am slightly allergic to walnuts, but I eat them anyways?   Such risky behavior.  

I shall try to be more active on here, I seem to have fallen off again.  I blame the two weddings I was in.  They stole my free time.  Oops.  But I wouldnt have had it any other way.  BFF Pammy and my favorite Hugo are happily married and my heart is still full for two of the friends I am most grateful for in this world.  

I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Friendsgiving, Happy Turducken or whatever you call your day.  Just make sure there's a lot of  Gluttony and Gratitude in it.  

xoxo,

Anna 

Disclaimer:  I did not use Watsonville apples for this.  I did not have any left by the time I baked.