Homemade Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts
Submitted by GCM
Homemade pumpkin spice doughnuts fried golden from a pumpkin puree dough warm with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, then dipped in a maple glaze. Cake-style donuts for fall mornings and Thanksgiving dessert.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
60 minForget waiting for the coffee shop to bring back the seasonal menu. These cake-style doughnuts lean on real pumpkin puree and a full teaspoon of warm pumpkin pie spice, so they taste like autumn and fry up tender, not bready, thanks to the leavening and a pour of evaporated milk.
The one step you cannot rush is chilling the dough. Pumpkin makes a soft, sticky batter, and an hour in the fridge firms it just enough to knead, roll to three-quarters of an inch, and cut clean rounds. Skip it and you will be wrestling a sticky mess.
Fry them a few at a time so the oil stays hot. Crowding the pot drops the temperature and gives you greasy doughnuts with raw centers. A minute or two per side is all it takes to reach golden. Let them cool fully before dipping in the maple syrup glaze, or it slides right off. Do not toss the holes, they fry into perfect two-bite treats.
Chef Tips
- Chill the dough for the full hour. Pumpkin dough is too soft to roll and cut otherwise.
- Keep the oil between 350 and 375°F (175 to 190°C) and fry in small batches so the doughnuts cook through without soaking up grease.
- Glaze only after the doughnuts have cooled completely, or the maple icing melts and runs off.
Variations
- Skip the glaze and toss the warm doughnuts in cinnamon sugar instead.
- Make your own spice with a quarter teaspoon each of nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon.
- Add a splash of bourbon or vanilla to the maple glaze for extra depth.
Ingredients
Directions
In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and butter. Add pumpkin purée, mix in well. For the dry ingredients, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin spice. Begin to marry the pumpkin batter and alternate with the evaporated milk, folding in gently. Refrigerate the batter to firm for approx 1 hour before kneading. Turn onto a lightly floured work-surface and knead well. Roll to approximately ¾'' in thickness. Cut with a 2½'' doughnut cutter. (Alternatively, cut with the small rim of any glass jar or cup and use a small bottle to cut out the hole.) Fry doughnuts and doughnut holes, a few at a time, until golden (approximately 1 to 2 minutes on each side). Remove using a slotted spoon or a spider and allow the excess oil to drain on paper towels. For the icing, whisk together all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Spread over cooled doughnuts with a teaspoon (place on a wire rack over a sheet tray, if desired).
Pair with something sweet like Woodbride by Robert Mondavi Pink Moscato for best taste!
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