Baked Pumpkin Donuts

I like pumpkins. We carved four fat, round jack-o-lanterns tonight. The table piled high with seeds and entrails. The faces of four custom-created characters emerging from orange canvas. Snaggle toothed and triangle eyed, I fell in love with every one, their funky faces seemed somehow familiar. A breath of childhood memories snickering a hello through their crooked smiles.
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I like pumpkins. Like, a lot. I know there’s a whole club of you pumpkin haters out there. I respect that. I can’t eat banana’s with brown spots or leftovers that have sat in the fridge for more than 6 hours. But, to you, my pumpkin eschewing friends, I must admit my undying allegiance to the Unified Order of Pumpkin Likers. I cry over my first autmn bite of pumpkin pie. I toss a heel kick or two in the air when it’s time to bake loaves of pumpkin bread. I make pumpkin enchilada’s, and pumpkin pancakes, and a hundred other pumpkin recipes.
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Did I mention I like pumpkin? I might have understated my devotion a teensy bit.
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I love pumpkin. Love it. Love it. Love it.

Second only to my own little pumpkins, of course, all four of whom I shall now go smooch goodnight on their round, sleepy cheeks.
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Oh, yes. I do so love pumpkins. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy.

Baked Pumpkin Donuts

These soft donuts are combined together and popped in the oven, a significantly more healthful option than frying. Can oven baked donuts possibly taste as good as the oil-laden ones? Yes, indeed. The secret t0 giving these sweet, cakey pastries true donut flavor is a quick dunking in buttermilk glaze. Serve these for breakfast, dessert, or to your Halloween revelers for the ultimate taste of the season.

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup pumpkin puree

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, spice and sugar. Whisk together all of the remaining ingredients in a second, medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir them around the bowl until the mixture is well combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, rolling the donut dough to approximately 3/4″ thick, then cut with donut cutter. Transfer to a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or just until the donuts are cooked through. Dip immediately into buttermilk glaze. Eat warm & enjoy!

Buttermilk Glaze

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together in a small bowl until smooth. Dip hot donuts in the glazed, then allow to air dry on a cooling rack.

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