Baked Doughnuts

There were mini-cupcakes, then whoopee pies and now there is baked doughnuts!! 

I stopped by Sur La Table to check out their adorable Easter decor and found heart shaped doughnut pans on clearance. The pans were originally $10.95 and were on clearance for $5.75, what a steal! I just couldn't let that deal pass me by. 

Tools Needed:

• Doughnut pan
• Mixer
• Large Bowl
• 2 Cooling Racks
• 1-3 Shallow bowls for toppings 
• 1 Gallon ziplock bag
• Small sauce pan

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1/4 tsps ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 2 Tbls melted butter or margarine
• Nonstick spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray pan with nonstick spray. 

Tip: When you are using a odd shaped pan, spray with nonstick spray and invert pan on paper towels so the spray will run and hit the entire surface of the pan. I always use this technique when baking with those cool Nordicware pans.  

In large mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Add milk, eggs and butter. Beat until just combined. Fill each doughnut cup with about 2 tbls of batter. 

Tip: For ease, I rolled down the sides of a gallon ziplock bag and placed it in a bowl. I filled the bag with the batter and snipped a corner of the bag. Then, I piped the batter into the pan going around the heart twice. 

Pan filled about 1/2 full

Bake 4-5 minutes or until the doughnuts spring back when touched. Let cool in pan for 3 minutes before removing. Repeat with the remaining batter. Finish doughnuts with desired topping. 

This is what the bottom of the doughnuts looked like before adding toppings

Topping Options:

-Glazed Doughnuts - 1 cup confectioners sugar, 2-4 Tbls milk & 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract. Combine in dish and dip each doughnut.

-Cinnamon Glaze - Add 1 tsp cinnamon to above mixture

-Cinnamon Sugar - Use 2 shallow dishes, fill one with 4 Tbls melted butter. Fill the other with 1/2 cup coarse sugar, 1 Tbls brown sugar & 1 Tbls cinnamon, mixed well. Dip all sides of doughnut in butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar mix.

-Raspberry Glaze - 1 cup confectioners sugar, 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, 1 Tbls milk and pink food color. (I didn't try this one).

I set up a dipping station and also set cooling racks over paper towels. 

Glazed Doughnuts with & without sprinkles

Cinnamon & Sugar Doughnuts

Here is my finished product!! A glazed doughnut, a cinnamon & sugar doughnut and a cinnamon glazed doughnut. 

All of the doughnuts were tasty but my favorite was the cinnamon & sugar. I'm sure being dipped in butter made them extra good, plus I enjoyed the texture of the sugar.