Tasty Thursday: Fall Desserts

Nothing screams fall like pumpkin donuts.  Top that with nutella and you wont be able to hold on to these long enough.  I love breaking out the donut baking pan this time of year, and let's face it if you're going to stuff your face with donuts at least the baked kind are healthier than their fried (but delicious) counterpart.  Happy Thursday!

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup milk

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Tbsp. active dry yeast

2 Tablespoons granulated white sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 heaping tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

For Frying:  4 cups vegetable or canola oil (enough for a 2 qt. saucepan)

Simple Glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Optional Topping:  Nutella

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the butter and milk into a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds until warmed through and butter starts to melt. Whisk for about 30 seconds. If the butter melts into the milk, it's warm enough. If it doesn't, microwave for another 10-15 seconds until it does.
2. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk. Sprinkle the sugar over the yeast. If the sugar and yeast don't fall under the surface, swirl gently until they are submerged in the milk/butter mixture. Let sit until foamy. 
3. Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer.
4. Add the yeasty liquid, the pumpkin puree, and the egg into the dry ingredients and mix with the bread hook attachment. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the edges as needed.
5. Once a dough ball has formed in the center of the bowl on the bread hook, continue to knead on the hook for 5 more minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
6. Once risen, punch down the dough and roll out to about 1 inch on a well floured surface.
7. Use a donut cutter (or simply large and small round cookie cutters, like I did) to cut out donuts. Cover loosely with a cloth and let rise while heating the oil for frying.
8. Heat oil in a 2 quart (or medium) saucepan over medium heat for about 10 minute. Test the oil by sprinkling a few water droplets into the pan. If the oil bubbles a little, it's ready. If it boils a LOT and starts splattering, take it off the heat for 2-3 minutes, lower the heat a notch or two, and then put it back on for frying.
9. Prepare a stack of paper towels. This is for absorbing some excess oil from the fried biscuits. I usually set my stack of towels on a wire cooling rack.
10. Place the donuts, one at a time, into the hot oil. Let it fry for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
11. Let it sit on the paper towels for a minute to absorb some of the excess oil and cool before glazing and/or frosting.
12. For glazing:  Whisk together the confectioners sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Add more milk (by the teaspoon) if you want the glaze to be thinner. Dunk the donut in the glaze (both sides), and place on a wire rack (with paper towels underneath to catch the drip) to let set.