Monday, January 21, 2008

Pumpkin: It's a Vegetable

Oh so you know that I've been focusing on vegetables all month. How I promised to spotlight them and show you hot great all these different vegetables are. Well Peabody and Helen threw yet another blog event into the mix that I simply wanted to participate in... Time to Make the Donuts! Only problem is that it is a donut event. Yes those delicious fried rings of dough that are ridiculously fattening. In a month that I'm focusing on vegetables. Who ever heard of a cabbage donut?

But, have no fear. I found a pumpkin donut recipe. Pumpkin is a vegetable. Pumpkin is very good for you too. It's loaded with phytonutrients which helps keep our skin young and protected from sunlight. Even when it's mixed with sugar and flour and deep fried.

So I was up in Michigan to celebrate my birthday on Sunday. Yay! I love birthdays! Really, I just love birthday cake and cards. I don't even care if I get presents as long as there's cake and cards. SO my sister M, my mom, my stepdad, Brain, and I were all up there and I figured this would be perfect because then the Brain and I aren't left trying to eat all the donuts in one morning before they get gross. Fried food doesn't stay good long usually.
I mixed the dough the night before, and Mom and I did a late night run to Meijers for buttermilk, baking soda, and what we could find for a donut cutter. The next morning, my sister M, helped bring sheet pans of raw donuts over while I was putting them in the oil. She also brought over empty pans for me to put the cooked donuts on. M also helped roll the donut holes in the spiced sugar. The Brain taste tested several of the donut holes as soon as M could roll them in sugar. My mom supervised to make sure I didn't catch the kitchen on fire while deep frying. And my stepdad helped by testing the experience of waking up to warm frosted donuts.They were delicious. I'm so glad we weren't left with all of them. I would have happily eaten them. And, because they were cake donuts, they stayed good until around 1pm when we fled from their delicious subliminal call to eat them. They might be good even longer than that. If you can get them to stick around that long.
And I didn't catch the kitchen on fire. Whew!


Pumpkin Donuts with Powdered Sugar Glaze and Spiced Sugar Donut Holes

Spiced Sugar:
1 cup sugar
4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground nutmeg

Donuts:
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp buttermilk
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
Canola oil (for deep frying)

Powdered Sugar Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
Whipping cream

For spiced sugar:
Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl to blend.

For donuts:
Whisk first 8 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until blended (mixture will be grainy). Beat in egg, then yolks and vanilla. Gradually beat in buttermilk; beat in pumpkin in 4 additions. Using rubber spatula, fold in dry ingredients in 4 additions, blending gently after each addition. Cover with plastic and chill 3 hours.

Sprinkle 2 rimmed baking sheets lightly with flour.

Press out 1/3 of dough on floured surface to 1/2- to 2/3-inch thickness. Using 2 1/2 inch diameter round cutter, cut out dough rounds. Arrange on sheets. Repeat with remaining dough in 2 more batches. Gather dough scraps. Press out dough and cut out more dough rounds until all dough is used.

Using 1 inch diameter round cutter, cut out center of each dough round to make donuts and donut holes.

Line 2 baking sheets with several layers of paper towels.

Pour oil into large deep skillet to depth of 1 1/2 inches. Attach deep fry thermometer and heat oil to 365°F. to 375°F. Fry donut holes in 2 batches until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Fry donuts, 3 or 4 at a time, until golden brown, adjusting heat to maintain temperature, about 1 minute per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer donuts to paper towels to drain. Cool completely.

For powdered sugar glaze:
Whisk powdered sugar and 4 tablespoons milk to blend. Make this up to 3 hours ahead.

Add donut holes to spiced sugar and toss to coat. Spread donuts on 1 side with glaze. Arrange glazed donuts, glazed side up, on racks. Let stand until glaze sets, about 15 minutes.

15 comments:

glamah16 said...

Wow! I'm impressed I want to enter this and have sevral recipes.The problem is what to do with all those yummy doughnuts.

Mary said...

Glamah- That's why I did them while I was with family for a birthday weekend!

Unknown said...

oooohhh...I love pumpkin! I bet those were delicious! I've always wanted to try and make baked doughnuts, I really should try that with pumpkin too!

Deborah said...

What gorgeous donuts! And I think I would instantly fall in love with pumpkin donut because I love pumpkin so much!

Helene said...

Looks awesome! I am glad you participated, don't forget to send us your entry!

Brilynn said...

Pumpkin totally justifies these as healthy...

LisaRene said...

Homemade donuts, that's quite an undertaking. Sounds like you made a bit of a party out of it, which was sure to make them taste extra good!

How To Eat A Cupcake said...

Wow I'm definitely bookmarking this recipe!

Anonymous said...

Pumpkin doughnuts sound fabulous!

Ryley @ That's My Family! said...

Yumm.. pumpkin..

The vegitable deffinitly out weighs the oil for frying!! :)

Looks delicious..

Peabody said...

Now this is the way to eat your veggies!
Thanks for participating.

Cakelaw said...

These look and sound "yum" Mary. Also a great way to eat your veges ;) BTW, happy belated birthday - I know it was almost a month ago, but I am slow and just read this.

Cookie baker Lynn said...

These look totally delicious! And since it's a vegetable, it's guilt-free. Yeah! Good thing, indeed you had helpers there to eat them.

Gretchen Noelle said...

I love the idea of spiced pumpkin donuts! Great job! Those donut holes make me wish I still had more batter to make more!

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

Never knew you could make doughnuts with a vegetable. Great recipe.
And you either think of health or donuts and with me, the donut always wins!!