Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Maple-Cinnamon Glaze

This year my oldest son is in first grade.  A whole new landscape for us.  He rides the bus, stays at school for the whole day, comes home grumpy as all get-out ready to point out all the things I didn't do right -- forgetting to cut the crust off his sandwich or not filling up the water bottle properly.  All those super important things any mom worth anything knows.  There are new kids, a new teacher, a new building, larger amounts of homework, bigger expectations.  And new after school activities.

This year, my little boy became a Cub Scout.  Primarily because he would get to "shoot guns and things, wear a uniform, and start fires."  Very valid reasons to enlist in the Cub Scouts.  And now, we're selling popcorn for the scouts.  Which brings me to this minor point of irritation -- why do they line all the prizes up at the meeting and say "look kids, you can win this super awesome boomerang if you just sell $400,000 of popcorn!  Or, how about a squirt gun for a measly $1 million in sales?  Or, if you sign over your first born child now, you can win a scooter!!!  And why is a plastic nerf-like gun that you win for selling 2 billion dollars worth of popcorn so much cooler than a similar version which can be purchased for less than $15 at WalMart or Target in your kid's eyes?  Ahh, the mysteries of parenthood.

In happier news, these donuts are cheap and easy!  I had requested a donut pan for my birthday from the kids.  Apparently my oldest son waivered at the store when his dad suggested it because "mom is on a diet".  But, his love of donuts prevailed and instead of a donut pan they brought home a donut making device that looks kind of like a waffle iron.  I found a recipe for pumpkin donuts from Taste and Tell.  I followed the directions with just 2 minor modifications/additions.  I added some nutmeg to the glaze and I dipped them in cinnamon sugar after I glazed them.  And of course I baked them in my fancy contraption rather than the oven.  I am normally not a big fan of donuts because to me they have a taste of grease/oil.  Because these were baked they were more like a cake or muffin.  They were delicious and I'll definitely be making them again!

Doughnuts

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Maple-Cinnamon Glaze
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a doughnut pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Set aside.
• In another bowl, cream together the brown sugar, butter and pumpkin. Add in the eggs, mix well, then mix in the vanilla. Stir in the reserved dry ingredients.
• Place the mix in a large zip-top bag. Cut off the corner and pipe into the doughnut pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven, let rest for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, maple extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and milk.
• When the doughnuts are cooled, dip them in the glaze. Follow by dipping in cinnamon-sugar while glaze is still wet. (mix 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon to make cinnamon-sugar). Return to the wire rack to allow the glaze to set.