Baked King Cake Doughnuts {Doughnut Diaries}

So on Sunday, I'm headed to New Orleans.

For an interview that I have on Monday. 

Just a few days before my birthday.

The weekend that Mardi Gras parades start.

I'M.SO.EXCITED.

Sorry to shout. 

If you follow me on Instagram, I'm just giving you a heads up but I most certainly will not apologize for this -- prepare yourselves for a New Orleans food tour. It's going down. I may have been slightly obnoxious the other day when grabbing lunch with a colleague at McAllister's. They have a muffaletta on their menu that sounded pretty good, but then I was all, "Why ruin a muffeletta for myself when I can be enjoying the best.muffalettas.ever in insertnumberofdayshere."

It happened. It's ok, you can throw shade. 

So what's on my food tour list? O, you know -- Gumbo, shrimp po' boys, beignets, Hurricanes, muffalettas, boudin, gator, oysters, crawfish, Abita, an Old Fashioned and Sazerac, and all the sights and sounds like Tabasco Country Store, the Mississippi River, French Market, Saint Louis Cathedral, Marie Laveau's tomb, the Natchez, Bourbon Street, parades, and so.much.more. This actually isn't my first trip to the Crescent City, there are just so many things I want to do but time simply won't permit. Hopefully I'll be able to visit all the things I want at leisure if I end up in the Big Easy!

While playing the waiting game, I've attempted to immerse myself in all things New Orleans. Before you know it, those gaudy, pre-fab, King Cakes will be hitting grocery store shelves near you. May I suggest another alternative? How about making your own BAKED KING CAKE DOUGHNUTS???

Sorry -- I'm shouting again. But for reals though -- King Cake is actually quite delicious and the tradition behind its existence is pretty awesome too. Which version is accurate, I do not know but you can read about its history here, here, here, and here.  

Where was I? O. Right. Baked King Cake Doughnuts. Would you believe Krispy Kreme even has their own version?? I can assure you that those babies ain't baked! To round out all things King Cake, I should also mention that Blue Bell makes Mardi Gras King Cake Ice Cream. I haven't had any luck finding it in Virginia, but I expect it's a regional flavor. Maybe I'll swing through a convenience store and snag a pint since I'll probably be famished while in New Orleans . . . HA! 

Why didn't I just make the normal King Cake ring? Well, because. Yeast. Know what I ain't got time for? 

That. I do not have time for that. Cue the doughnut pan.

Baked King Cake Doughnuts 

What You'll Need (~ 6-10 doughnuts, depending on how much you fill each cavity)

    Doughnuts (adapted from Fit, Fun & Delish who adapted them from Ina's Foolproof)

• Baking spray
• 1 C flour all-purpose flour
• 3/4 C sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 medium egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 C + 1 tbsp. whole milk
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

    Frosting (adapted from theKitchn who snagged it from Cooking Up A Storm)

• 1 & 1/2 C confectioners sugar, sifted
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 - 3 tbsp. almond milk
• Purple, green, and gold sprinkles/sugar -- optional, but suggested!
• Plastic babies (found in the Mardi Gras/baby shower section(s) at Party City)

How To Make Them

    Doughnuts

• Preheat oven to 350F. Spray two doughnut pans (6 cavities each) with baking spray and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix your dry ingredients. 
• In a small mixing bowl, mix your wet ingredients.
• Add your wet mixture into your dry mixture and mix until just combined.
• Spoon your doughnut mixture into each cavity, filling each one about 3/4 full.
• Bake for 15-17 minutes or until doughnuts are lightly brown on top/toothpick pulls clean.
• Cool in pans for five minutes, then turn out onto cooling rack.

    Frosting

• While your doughnuts are baking, mix together your ingredients for the frosting.
• After doughnuts have cooled in the pan for five minuets and on a cooling rack for five minutes, dip your doughnuts into the glaze and sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sprinkles/sugar, etc. Plop your plastic babies in the center and bam. Done!
• Tip -- If your frosting is too thin, add more confectioners sugar. If your frosting is too thick,  add more almond milk. Taste and adjust accordingly. 

Isn't that cinnamon/almond combo just divine!

Happy carnival season, peeps! Geaux enjoy some King Cake Doughnuts!

-Sue

Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts {Doughnut Diaries}

Y'all. I almost forgot how to blog. It's seriously been a hot minute. Remember when I said I would have more of a routine schedule? Well, that was a false statement. 

Very false.

Some rotations I have had a normal, predictable schedule. Others, not so much. Some were about as predictable as a newborn's sleep schedule. Bonkers.

Anyway. I'm back. For now. I hope to drop in here and there with a few posts -- I really have so much to share (Minneapolis, MN, Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania, VA, Hatteras, NC x 2, somuchfood, Charlottesville, VA -- yikes). 

--

For all you Virginians, it's fall. 

That means an obligatory trip to the orchard. For most, that means Carter Mountain Orchard. Me? That's not my style. Don't get me wrong. It's close to the highway, great for families, and has some pretty wonderful views. 

But the crowds. Omylanta the crowds. I can't deal. Dickie Brothers Orchard is more my jam. 

Last weekend, one of my roommates came up from the beach and I had a pretty perfect 'Fall in Virginia/Virginia is for Lovers' weekend planned. Not all of it happened, but it was good. Really good. On the list? Dickie Brothers Orchard. They had other plans, though. They had been picked hard the weekend before, so they weren't going to be open for PYO the day that we had planned to go. Bummer. (Locals -- this weekend they are open for PYO Pink Lady apples!)

I wrapped my mind around going to Carter Mountain and we made the best of it. One thing that Carter Mountain is known for? Their apple cider doughnuts. Not to shatter any hopes and dreams out there, but for those that have never had one . . . . they don't taste like apple cider. They're made with apple cider and taste like fall (cinnamon, warm, etc.). 

A couple weeks before we went to the orchard, I invested in two doughnut pans (each one makes six and it's just more convenient since most recipes make 8-12 doughnuts). It's probably the best kitchen gadget you can invest in (besides a garlic press). I got mine at Michael's and used a 40% off coupon. It was like being rewarded for baking doughnuts! I dig it.

About that same time, the internet/blogosphere/Pinterest/etc. was flooded. Inundated. Overwhelmed. Swamped with doughnut recipes. It seemed like everyone I followed (blogs and IG) had bought a doughnut pan and were about to partake in doughnut benders just.like.I.was.

Know what I call that? Perfection. The stars aligning. A sign from above. Just kidding. But really though. I think this doughnut craze is mostly due to the recent release of Ashley McLaughlin's book, Baked Doughnuts For Everyone. For all you gluten free-ers out there, this book is your ticket to doughnut heaven.

A couple days after I bought my pans, we had planned a family get-together at my cousin's house to see my aunt and uncle off to Florida (they live there but made the trek to Virginia for their granddaughter/my cousin's wedding -- more to come). 

I decided that now was the time to break in that pan. First batch? Apple cider doughnuts.

Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Maple-Cinnamon Glaze

Doughnuts - borrowed from Eat Live Run

What You'll Need (for 12 doughnuts)

• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 3/4 C sugar
• 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C apple cider
• 1/4 C buttermilk
• 2 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

How To Make Them

• Preheat oven to 325F. Spray two doughnut pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, sal, and cinnamon.
• Grab a smaller bowl and blend the eggs, buttermilk, apple cider, and melted butter. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Batter will be thick and sticky.
• Using a table spoon, spread the batter into the doughnut cavities about 3/4th full. Full disclosure -- I filled the cavities all the way. Also, I just spooned the batter into the cavities and went back afterwards with my finder, spreading things smooth.
• Place doughnuts in the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes until fluffy and slightly golden. 
• Invert doughnuts onto a cooling rack over parchment paper and allow to cool. If your doughnut hole isn't pronounced, I used something similar to this to punch out the centers.
• While cooling, make your glaze.
• Traditional apple cider doughnuts are tossed in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. I decided on a glaze for fun. If you'd like the traditional topping, make a cinnamon-sugar mixture (1/2 C sugar + 1 tbsp. cinnamon). 
• Once glaze is made, dip the top of doughnuts into the glaze and allow to rest for ~15 minutes. 
• For traditional apple cider doughnuts, grab a small bowl, melt a couple tablespoons of butter. Dip doughnuts into the butter and then into the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
• Eat up! 

Maple-Cinnamon Glaze - borrowed from Top With Cinnamon who borrowed from Ashley McLaughlin's Baked Doughnuts For Everyone

What You'll Need (for 12 doughnuts)

• 2 C powdered sugar
• 4 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 & 1/2 tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

How To Make Them

• Combine the glaze ingredients together until smooth. Add more milk if a thinner consistency is desired.