{food} Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes

Welcome Fall!

I cannot express my excitement over wearing sweatshirts and slippers, drinking hot chocolate and baking autumny treats! When I woke up yesterday morning and let our dogs outside, I noticed a chill in the air! I had to go put on my warm and comfy clothes! In celebration of this wondrous time of year, I have made my first pumpkin wonderfulness of the year!

This is a new recipe that I found through Pinterest, a great site I mentioned here. (I got this recipe here, at Craving Chronicles, after I found it on Pinterest)


These, my friends, are Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes...

They are SO easy... just mix all the wet ingredients together, then add all the dry.

After they come out of the oven, as soon as they are cooled enough to handle them, you --get this-- DIP THEM IN MELTED BUTTER! Yep. I said it. then you roll them in cinnamon and sugar. 

Heaven.

Add a cup of hot chocolate.... perfection. (actually, I think a spiced soy chai may have been a better companion, but I'll take what I can get! :) 

Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Makes 20-24 mini muffins

Don’t worry – you don’t actually use the whole stick of butter for the coating, it just makes it easier to dip the muffins. If you’re looking for a somewhat lighter treat, skip the coating – the muffins are moist and pumpkin packed all on their own. These are best dipped and coated the same day you are going to eat them, otherwise the coating tends to get soggy.

Ingredients

For Donuts
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned plain pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup low-fat milk

For Coating
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven 350°F. Spray each cup in a 24-cup mini muffin tin with baking spray or butter generously.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and spices (through cloves). In a separate, large bowl whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined – do not over mix!

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. (Using a 2-tablespoon scoop will ensure uniform size.) Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While the muffins bake, melt butter in one bowl and combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. Remove muffins from oven and cool for 2 minutes, or until just cool enough to handle. Dip each muffin in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar to coat.