Spicy Pumpkin Donuts

After a much-needed break of over a year where I had to care for personal matters, it is time to get back to food blogging. I couldn't be any happier. Food, and especially baking, is not only a hobby for me, but it's a cure, it's cathartic on several levels. I know for a fact that a lot of you are on the same boat. Food drives us and motivates us, it's not just a basic survival need, but it's part of who we are and how we view the world.

While creating this recipe I reconnected with the joy of testing the right combinations of flavor and texture, of styling and photography. Despite the hard work it takes, it is my ultimate comfort zone; the zen space that I cherish the most.

Donuts seem just like a banal dessert that you easily snatch on the go from your favorite "donut" shop. But don't let the humbleness of dessert fool you. If done right, it is a wonderful treat that offers endless customization possibilities. Making donuts at home puts you in full control over the flavor and texture that appeals the most to you.
This particular donut recipe delivers light, pillowy, sweet and mildly spiced donuts that just capture the best fall flavors. What's best is that the recipe makes use of a bountiful ingredient this time of the year: pumpkin. There is no shortage of pumpkin recipes on this blog and this is a welcome addition that I am sure you'll love and enjoy with a warm cup of coffee, perhaps spiked with the wafting aroma of pumpkin pie spice.

For 10 to 12 donuts you need:

• 300 g flour (I used 150 g bread flour and 150 whole spelt flour, you can use all bread flour if you want)
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 to 2 tsp of mixed spices (add the spices you prefer)
• Zest of half an orange
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
• 60 g butter, cold or at room temperature
• 40 g brown sugar (I used coconut sugar and maple sugar)
• 6 g salt
• 100 g pumpkin purée (I make mine)
• 60 ml of warm milk (37C)
• 5 g fresh yeast

First, in your mixer bowl, mix the yeast and milk and stir well until it´s dissolved, then add 60 g of flour and mix well. Then add the rest of the flour, cover and let it proof for 30 minutes. This step will make your donuts softer and last longer. Now add all the other ingredients except for the butter, and  with the hook attachment and mix for at least 10 minutes on medium to low speed.

If the dough feels a bit dry, add more milk. Keep in mind that different flours absorb water differently. 

Add the butter and mix again for another 8 to 10 minutes or until your dough is smooth and no longer sticky.

Cover the dough and let it double in volume. This should take around 2 hours.

Now, slowly deflate your dough by bringing the sides to the middle, cover again and put in the fridge overnight. I start working on the dough in the evening, so before I go to bed I just pop it into the fridge and leave it to ferment slowly and develop its beautiful flavors.

The next day , drop the dough on your lightly floured counter, and roll it out to about 1 cm thick.
Using a round cutter, cut the donuts and place them on parchment paper. This is optional, but I usually cut parchment paper squares to fit only one donut as this makes it easier to handle the donuts later on, but you can place all your donuts on a single paper. 

The cut donuts need their final rest to rise and puff. Depending on the warmth of your kitchen, this may take anything from one to two hours. Yup making donuts requires some patience.

Now we're ready for frying. Fill your frying pan with about 2 to 3 cm of vegetable oil and heat it to 180 C. The oil should not be too hot or else the dough will burn on the outside and remain raw in the middle and if it's cold the dough will absorb the oil like a sponge.
Fry the donuts until golden on both sides. Don't forget to flip the dough so both sides have a nice and even color. Placing the donuts on individual parchment papers helps me to place them in the oil directly without losing their shape as the dough is quite fragile when raw. 

Put the fried donuts on absorbing paper to get rid of any excess oil. 

You can simply dust your donuts with simple powdered sugar, or glaze them. Here;s how you do both:

• Simple sugar glaze: just mix 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar with a 1 tsp of cinnamon. 
• Maple glaze:  mix 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and add enough powdered sugar until you get the desired consistency, which should not be neither too runny nor too thick. 

The donuts should keep well for up to three days but of course they are best fresh.

Enjoy this delicious dessert with its typical autumnal flavors that go so well during Thanksgiving.

A Special Thanksgiving Treat: Nutty Pumpkin Pancakes!

Christmas, my favorite time of the year, is all too near, eventhough it means that the end of Autumn is near, my favorite season with all its colors and flavors.
Thanksgiving, though specific to North America, reminds us just how close Christmas is and incites us to celebrate all the goodness this season has to offer.

I know I will probably sound like a broken record, but I am really nuts about pumpkin especially during this season. I have already shared many recipes featuring pumpkins and I can guarantee that you'll always find the results to be super satisfactory.

Besides trying a variety of sweet and savory recipes using pumpkins, lately I have been experimenting with different types of flours. I have bought chestnut flour and I was eager to try it in a special recipe that would make use of its deeply nutty and sweet flavor. That's why I decided to combine these two earthy ingredients in a special Thanksgiving recipe. And what better way to celebrate this typical North American holiday than with the all time American favorite: pancakes! Interestingly enough, if you omit the toppings I used you will have delicious gluten and lactose free pancakes; a good option for individuals who have allergies to these ingredients.

So let's get ready and make some sweet nutty and spicy pumpkin pancakes!

For 2 servings you will need:

• 1 egg at room temperature
• 100 g pmpkin purée
• 1 tbsp light olive oil (no need for extra virgin) 
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 50 g apple butter (substitute with an extra 50 g of pumpkin purée if you don't have it)
• 85 g chestnut flour
• 15 g roughly chopped pecans
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 grated nutmeg
• dash of salt

Mix the flour, nuts, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, nutmeg and salt and set aside.
In another recipient blend the egg, oil, maple, pumpkin purée and apple butter until they come together nicely. 

Now you just need to combine the dry and wet ingredients and leave the mixture to rest from 5 to 10 minutes.

Cook the pancakes in a lightly oiled pan until set and cooked through but be careful as you don't want to overcook them.

I served them with some cream cheese and a sprinkle of cinnamon and lots and lots of maple syrup. 

The texture of these pancakes is just wonderful. They are moist, soft and the combination of flavors is comforting and absolutely delicious with a delicate balance between the sweetness, nuttiness and the spiciness.  And should I remind you that they are gluten and lactose free?

Happy Thanksgiving and happy eating!

Autumnal Apple, Pumpkin and Walnut Cake

It has become a habit of mine to post a recipe or two around this time of the year featuring pumpkin purée as a main ingredient. Pumpkins are brilliant, versatile, delicious and very healthy. In baking pumpkins do wonders to the texture of cakes and of course add subtle, autumnal and  comforting flavors; flavors that keep you coming back for more.  Pair this ingredient with the smooth and wonderfully spiced apple butter, sprinkle in some walnuts and you're in for a superb autumnal cake that will surely please everyone!

The recipe is perfect for less a gory Halloween celebration or for a sweet finish to your next thanksgiving dinner but it's also perfect for any rainy day when all you want to do is just cuddle under your blanket, drink tea and enjoy a sweet piece of moist  and delicious cake with a soft and creamy frosting. Sounds perfect, right?

Let´s start baking then.

For the cake (6 to 8 persons) you need :

• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 210 g brown sugar
• 150 browned butter (the French call it beurre noisette)
• 9 g baking powder
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 210 g cake flour
• 115 pumpkin purée
• 115 apple butter
• 100 g lightly toasted and roughly ground walnuts (leave some big chunks if you like)
• 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp mixed spices (cloves, star anise, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg)
• dash of salt

Start by combining the flour, walnuts, baking powder, salt and spices and set aside.

In your mixing bowl beat the eggs on a high speed and add the sugar, when the mixture triples in volume and becomes pale and thicker add the browned butter at low speed and mix until combined.

With a spatula add the pumpkin purée, the apple butter and the maple syrup, mix again and lastly fold the flour mixture.

Pour the batter in three 15cm pre-prepared pans (or in two 23cm) and bake in a preheated oven (175C) for 25 minutes. Remember that the baking time might vary so check on the cake after 20 minutes.

For the frosting you need:

• 250 g soft butter
• 250 g cream cheese at room temperature
• 220 g powdered sugar
• flavoring: 1 tsp maple syrup, 1/4 tsp mixed spice or just use vanilla essence.

Combine all ingredients and beat for about 5 min until creamy and fluffy.

Assembly:

Smear some frosting on your cake tray or stand. Put the first cake layer and pipe a generous amount of frosting. Add the second layer and repeat with the second and third layer. Cover the last layer with the frosting. 

I decorated the cake with marzipan apples, pumpkins, acorns and leaves and colored the frosting to go along with the painted fruits and leaves.

Do take some time to make this cake and I´m sure you will like it.

Finally I wish everyone a Happy Halloween.

For more pumpkin recipes click here, here and here.