Pumpkin Spiced Doughnuts

When I fall in love with books and songs, I fall hard and fast and deeply. Belonging and acceptance can be a feeling so rare at times. When I find something that I can identify with, I draw myself into its world, surrounding myself with pages of words and looping tracks. Books are devoured in days, the written words joining me during spare moments throughout the day, at the dinner table, and late into the dark night. A single song may be put on repeat for weeks, meaningful for far longer than the few minutes it plays.

I breathe it in, taking in the experience and the moment, and I take and I take and when there's nothing more for it to give, I share it with someone else, hoping they will find the voice and spirit in it as I had.

And I ran back to that hollow again
The moon was just a sliver back then
And I ached for my heart like some tin man
When it came oh it beat and it boiled and it rang

The Stable Song by Gregory Alan Isakov is one of the few songs that speaks to me in a way so many others cannot. When it plays, I find myself stopping whatever I am doing and listening. Listening with ears-wide, mind-open abandon. A hundred listens later, I still get the chills, still find the words speaking to me. Each time the guitar tells a slightly different story, the chords evolving with my life and its changes.

Yesterday it was about loss, tomorrow it is about self discovery.

With my eyes shut tight, I imagine myself in the mountains on a warm summer night, the smell of green, of life in the air, the feeling of peace and sadness and emotion, and it somehow all fits together. The chords on the guitar allow me to live outside myself for a moment, live another life before my eyes open and I'm brought back to my kitchen table and my computer and an empty coffee mug and a distinct awareness of feeling drained but in a way I would never change.

I never want that moment to end.

Pumpkin Spiced Doughnuts are moist and spiced with the scents of autumn. Pumpkin is baked into a cake doughnut, adding a bright flavor to match its bright color. The doughnuts and glaze complement each other well, providing the right amount of sweetness when paired together. A cup of coffee in one hand and a doughnut in the other is the best way I've found to enjoy these.

One Year Ago: Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, Pumpkin Waffles, and Black Velvet Cupcakes
Two Years Ago: Pumpkin Spice Latte, Oatmeal Raisin Crisps, and Red Wine Chocolate Cake
Three Years Ago: Banana Nut Bread, Apple Tart with Almond Cream, and Pumpkin Alfredo

Pumpkin Spiced Doughnuts

Yields 1 dozen

Pumpkin Doughnuts
1/2 cup (113 grams) butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups (390 grams) pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 3/4 cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease a standard-size doughnut pan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. Mix in the sugars, pumpkin, spices, and salt until smooth. Fold in the baking powder and flour.

Transfer the batter to a pastry bag (or large kitchen bag with the corner snipped off). Fill the depressions in the prepared pan with the pumpkin batter until even with pan for best results. Alternatively, if appearance does not matter, you could spread the batter into the pan using an offset spatula, but this results in more unevenly shaped doughnuts. Bake the doughnuts for 15-18 minutes, or until puffed and browned. Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, before transfering to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Glaze
1 cup (125 grams) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons milk

In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, thin with a teaspoon or two of milk.

Take the cooled doughnuts and dip the tops into the glaze, allowing any excess to drip off before righting them and placing them back on the cooling rack. The glaze will take 10-15 minutes to set, depending on the thickness.

Comments

[Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar]

These donuts look perfect, and that glaze is killer!!

[Leigh Kramer]

This recipe has almost convinced me I need to get a doughnut pan. Almost.

[Magda]

It is so atmospheric and cozy on your blog I almost feel like I'm in your kitchen listening to the song with you and a doughnut in one hand and coffee in other.

[Asha@fsk]

beautiful post. I agree with you. words have the power to pierce, heal, soothe and so many things... as for you, words bring me solace :)

Hope all is well...

[Brittany]

What a beautiful post! I am obsessed with all songs by Gregory Alan Isakov. He just warms my soul. Also these doughnuts look amazing and I am sure they pair wonderfully with a cup of coffee!

[Selma]

Long time follower, first time commenting. Truly beautiful post - such a soulful track - I am a new fan - thank you so much for sharing. Love your photos - you have a great eye. The doughnuts look pretty delish too!

[Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)]

These doughnuts are just so beautiful. I want to eat several of them.

[Mandy]

OH, my, these look awesome. I just happen to have some pumpkin in the cabinet!

[Kerry]

What type of brown sugar have you used for these doughnuts?

[Kristin Rosenau]

Kerry-- I used a dark brown sugar because I prefer the deeper molasses flavor, but light brown sugar would work and taste just fine.

[Jes]

made these today...perfection!

[Gintare @Gourmantine]

Gorgeous post, your writing is just flowing, a pleasure to read, not to mention how good looking these doughnuts are!

[francesca]

these look so absolutely amazing. with a cuppa!!

[Tashia]

This inspired me to order a doughnut pan- just to make these as a hostess gift! They're wonderful! I used dark brown sugar, as well. With a standard size pan, I was able to make 17 doughnuts! I think the cooking time lends to the longer of the options, but that's probably because I like the top a bit crispy. They were cooked through at 15 minutes, but I left them in there a little longer. Thank you! Great recipe, great glaze, too! I also used the glaze on pumpkin bread!

[Hari Chandana]

Woww.. These turned out really perfect.. looks awesome!

[Nina]

I only have a mini donut pan. Is it ok to let half the batter sit while the first half bakes?

[Steph]

Hi, these look divine! Have you tried making them with wholewheat flour?

[Arielle]

Any tips as to how to make these without a doughnut pan? I don't have the money for such specialized kitchen equipment...

[Anne]

I decided I needed a donut pan after this! These are so delicious and moist and good. I made my first couple hilariously oversized, but they still taste really good. I saw on some other site a recipe for maple glaze using syrup which I feel may also be amazing on these.