Pumpkin Spice Baked Donuts

The pumpkin recipes aren't ending so just get used to it.  The way I see it, I've got until Thanksgiving to do pumpkin overload until I need to focus on peppermint-y Christmas-y things.  DEAL WITH IT.  Please?

I mean, it's not like I'm freaking out that there are Christmas decorations in stores already and that we all know that beginning November 1st, it'll be Christmas commercials all.the.time.   I'm totally fine with it.  Except obviously I'm not.  Because why is it ok to just breeze past Thanksgiving?  What has Thanksgiving ever done to you?  Do you not love turkey and casseroles and cranberry sauce?  Well if you don't then you don't love America.  

What I'm saying is, if you skip Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas, you're a communist.  So department stores have a lot of explaining to do.  So can we all take a deep breath and just enjoy pumpkin a little longer?

And let's all just take a deep breath and brush these donuts with melted butter and them dip them in sugar and cinnamon.  Sound familiar?  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  Except fix it by adding some pumpkin and spices to the batter.  That'll fix it real good.  So get to makin' this recipe.  And keep America safe by sharing the pumpkin love. 

Here's the Recipe!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin purée  (not pie filling)
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 

For the cinnamon-sugar topping:
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (for brushing)

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease wells of muffin tins or (as pictured above), donut pan and mini muffin pan.  I made a total of 12 donuts and 12 mini muffins.  

2.  In a large bowl, beat the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, salt, and baking powder on medium until the smooth.  Then, sift in (I did this directly over the bowl) the pumpkin pie spice and the flour until they are completely incorporated – do not overmix.  It's ok to even have a few flour pockets.  

3.  Fill the wells of the muffin tin 3/4 full (same goes for donut pans and mini muffin pans).  Bake for 14 – 16 minutes for muffins or 10-12 minutes for donuts/mini muffins.   A toothpick should come out clean even though they will still appear moist.  Cool the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes then remove the muffins from the pans to cool further.  Combine sugar and cinnamon topping and set aside.

4.  When completely cool,  brush melted butter onto muffins/donuts.  Then, dip them in the cinnamon-sugar topping to evenly coat.  You may have leftover topping. Serve at room temperature. The muffins will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days though they are best fresh.  

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Smells Like Home

Hearty Cinnamon Granola

YUM.  Trust me on this one.  YUM.  As much as I love a bagel or waffles or even a bowl of cereal, one of my favorite breakfasts is still fresh fruit, yogurt, and granola.  It's got all the best things- sweet fruit, tangy yogurt, and crunchy granola.

But here's the thing, most store-bought granola is some kind of crazy calorie-packed "health food."  It's like granola makers just kept daring each other to make a granola with more calories than the other person.  And now the result is record-setting calorie levels in the country's granola.  I'm pretty sure that's what really happened.

And I recognize the irony of my calorie-complaining because my previous post was Brown Butter M&M Cookies.  But I don't eat those for breakfast (usually).  So I was determined to find a lower calorie version of granola.  Aaaaannddd, I did!  

The great thing is, granola is totally customizable.  If you've got the basics down, you can mix in any dried fruits, nuts, or cereal you like.  And I love to eat it with yogurt and fruit but it's great for snacking or even with a bowl of milk.  And snacking.  Lots snacking.  So much snacking.  

Here's the recipe!

Ingredients
3 cups of rolled oats
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees and slightly spray a baking sheet.
2.  In a large bowl, combine oats, sliced and slivered almonds, and cinnamon.  Mix until combined.  
3.  In a medium bowl, combine applesauce, honey, vegetable oil, and vanilla and whisk until incorporated.  Make a well in the center of the oat mixture and pour the applesauce mixture in the center.  Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, combine ingredients until well coated and evenly mixed.  
4.  Pour onto prepared baking sheet in an even layer and bake for about one hour,  stirring every 15 minutes while baking.  Incorporate coconut about half way thru baking.  Granola should be golden brown and slightly crisp when done.  Allow to cool on baking sheet.  When cooled, stir in chocolate, cherries and cranberries. Store in a sealed container to keep fresh.    

Enjoy!