Pumpkin spice candied nuts

At my grandfather's 90th birthday (!!) celebration last night, my aunt (who hosts Thanksgiving) asked me if I was baking anything for Thanksgiving.  Of course, the answer was yes!  I asked her what she wants, and I heard the most beautiful words ever: "you have free reign."  As in I can bake whatever I want!  And what's even more, my cousin (whom I love dearly, and we will all miss at Thanksgiving dinner) with the nut allergy won't be there, I can really bake anything!

Like these nuts.

OK, OK, they don't technically fall under "baking," however they do go in the oven, so they are technically baked.

I had been toying with the idea of making some pumpkin spice candied nuts for a while.  But as you probably know, I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin spice.  And when I came home and got ready to bake them, the pumpkin spice mix I thought I had at home was nowhere to be seen.  So with that little snafu (combined with the fact that my Trader Joe's was out of pumpkin spice, too!) as my disdain for pumpkin spice flavors, I made these candied nuts with a combination of spices found in pumpkin spice, but not all of them.  Which is fine for me, since the missing spices are actually the spices I don't like in pumpkin spice flavored foods and drinks.

I chose to package these nuts in a clear cube box (meant for cupcakes).  With a nice bow and cute hanging tag, they'd be a perfect holiday hostess gift...or gift for the pumpkin spice lover in your life!

Pumpkin Spice Candied Nuts
Adapted from these candied cinnamon sugar nuts

Ingredients:

6 cups of nuts (I used mixed nuts.  I wanted to make sure to have some pecans in it, since I think pumpkin pie and pecan pie are synonymous with Thanksgiving.  After devouring half the recipe, B and I decided that the pecans were the best part.  No one would fault you if you went ALL pecans or half pecans and half other nuts.)
2 egg whites
2 Tbsp water
2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp salt

Optional (if you want to really make them "pumpkin spice"-y):

pinch of ground allspice
pinch of ground cloves

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300F.
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
Spray with non-stick spray (if using parchment paper).
Set aside.

Mix nuts in a large bowl.
Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and water on medium-high speed until still peaks form, about 4-5 minutes.
Add the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
Stir until well combined.

Pour sugar mixture over nuts.
Stir to coat completely.
Spread nuts over the baking sheets.
Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Allow to cool completely.
Enjoy.

Store nuts at room temperature, covered.

Spiced apple cider marshmallows

Last fall I made pumpkin spice marshmallows.  They were actually tasty, despite my dislike of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices.  I gave them out to friends and family and they were met with such rave reviews!  So this fall, I figured why not try something new?  Another fall themed marshmallow?

So I went with my favorite fall beverage, apple cider.  I simply loooooove it!  It's the only drink with calories I'll have (besides coffee with milk and booze).  I'm not a juice drinker (I actually hate apple juice), but I love apple cider.  So when I saw it on the shelves in the grocery store last week, I bought myself a quart.  

Which brings me back to these marshmallows.  At first I thought about how to get the apple flavor into them (they started out in my head as apple pie marshmallows).  At first I thought I'd use some apple sauce.  Then I realized that I had the apple cider in the fridge.  So I went with all apple cider to make sure that I got that appl-y good flavor just right!  (But I'm sure I'll get back to those apple pie marshmallows soon enough!)  


Spiced Apple Cider Marshmallows

Ingredients:

For the marshmallows

1 cup of your favorite apple cider, divided

3 Tbsp. + 1 1/2 tsp. unflavored powdered gelatin (3 envelopes – envelope is 1/4 oz. each, for 3/4 oz. total)

2 cups granulated white sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp. fine salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves (more to your taste, I'm personally not a huge fan)

For the coating

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Spray a 9x9 or 7x11 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper (Recommendation: cut to fit flat on the bottom, with the edges of the paper over-hanging the sides. The ends are fine just sprayed.)

In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, pour 1/2 cup of apple cider
Mix a few times to allow them to mix.
Sprinkle the gelatin over the cider.

Let stand.

In a medium saucepan over high heat, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, salt and the remaining 1/2 cup of cider.

Stir until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil.

Stop stirring and once mixture comes to a rolling boil, continue boiling for 1 minute.

Remove from the heat.
Pour the mixture into a 2-cup glass measuring cup, to make it easier to pour into the mixer.  *The mixture is very, very, very hot.  Be extremely careful!*

Turn the mixer to low and mix the gelatin a bit to loosen.
Very slowly and carefully add the hot sugar mixture by pouring it gently down the side of the bowl.
Continue to mix on low until all the sugar mixture is added.

Turn the mixer to high and whip the mixture for 10 to 12 minutes until the marshmallow batter almost triples in size and becomes very thick and opaque.

While the mixer is going, mix the spices in a small bowl.
Stop the mixer, add the spice mixture, and then whip briefly to combine.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and use a spatula or bench scraper to spread the marshmallow evenly in the pan, pushing it down into the corners.
Work quickly, as the marshmallow becomes more difficult to work with as it begins to set.

Spray a sheet of plastic wrap really well with cooking spray and lay it across the top of the marshmallow, sprayed side down.
Smooth the plastic wrap on top of the marshmallows a bit to seal it smoothly and tightly against the mixture.

Leave the marshmallow to set at room temperature for at least 3 hours or, even better, overnight.
The marshmallow will be too sticky and soft to cut if you try too soon.

Meanwhile, mix the coating ingredients in a bowl.

When marshmallows are ready, grab the edges of the parchment and lift the marshmallows from the pan.
Remove the plastic wrap from the top and fold down the parchment on the sides.
Using a pizza cutter or a large knife, cut the slab into 1x1 inch squares.
Roll each of the freshly cut marshmallow squares in the coating mixture.
Put them on a baking sheet to dry slightly before packaging them up (about 30 – 45 minutes).

Pumpkin spice latte cupcakes

It's early October in New York City, and despite last week being sunny and in the 70s, this weekend is utterly cold (last night it was below 50 degrees!) and rainy.  Doesn't help that there's a hurricane threatening to dump more rain and wind on us in the next few days.  So I figured a homemade cupcake version of the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte (which aficionados of the drink affectionately refer to as a PSL, I hear) -- which is synonymous to most people with fall -- was the perfect treat to bake today!

I'm not a huge pumpkin spice fan, but I decided to give these a go anyway.  Part of it was that they were perfect for this weather, and part of it is because I was less likely to eat them all.  Plus, I really really really wanted to try this cream cheese whipped cream frosting.  Because how awesome does that sound?!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
From Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:
Makes 12 cupcakes (I got 18) with extra icing

For the Cupcakes:

1 1/3 cups flour
4 1/5 tsp espresso powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cloves
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola, since that's what I had)
2 eggs
1/4 cup brewed coffee, for brushing

For the Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream

For the Garnish:

Ground cinnamon
Salted caramel sauce
Coffee syrup (optional)

Directions:

Make the cupcakes.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
Set aide.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, both sugars, and the oil until completely combined.  Make sure to break up any clumps of brown sugar.
Whisk in the eggs, 1 at a time.
Add the flour mixture in 2 additions, folding with a rubber spatula (I continued to use my whisk) until no flour pockets remain.

Divide the batter between the baking cups, filling each about 2/3 full.  I opted to fill mine until they were 2/3 full and ended up with 6 extra cupcakes, although one was a bit small).
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18-22 minutes (mine were done at 18 minutes).
Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes.
Remove cupcakes and leave to cool on a wire rack.
While the cupcakes are still warm, brush the tops with the brewed coffee (next time I might try some coffee syrup instead).
Let each coat soak in before applying the next one.  I only did 2 coats each since I didn't want them to get soggy.
Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting.
On medium speed, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract in a mixer with the whisk attachment until smooth and completely combined, about 2 minutes.
Slowly add the cream and scrape the side of the bowl.
Increase speed to medium high and whip until stiff peaks form.

Assemble the cupcakes:
Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Drizzle with caramel sauce, coffee syrup, or both, if desired.

Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Salted browned butter Rice Krispie treat white chocolate cones

Remember when I made those poppable Rice Krispie Treats?  Well as soon as I made them, I had two simultaneous ideas.  One was that I should make them with browned butter, because it just makes everything better, and then other idea was "why not put them on mini ice cream cones?" because I thought they'd make super cute treats!

I'd say I was right, no?  I made these fall themed because it's pretty darn coool out today, and also because I had picked up these adorable mini leave sprinkles that I just had to use.  I chose white chocolate because I thought it would contrast with the fall colors of the leaves, but dark or milk chocolate would work just as well.

Rice Krispie Treat Ice Cream Cones
Loosely adapted from the poppable Rice Krispie Treat recipe from Cookies & Cups

Ingredients:

1/3 cup nonpareil sprinkles, in your choice of color or combination
1/3 cup sprinkles of your choosing (I chose mini leaves for fall)
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups mini marshmallows
Pinch of salt
2 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
1-1.5 cups chocolate or white chocolate chips
18-24 mini ice cream cones, depending on the size of your Rice Krispie Treat balls

Decorations for the top could include:
Melted dark or white chocolate
More sprinkles
Red M&Ms (to look like cherries!)

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Set aside.

Place nonpareil sprinkles in a bowl.
Place other sprinkles on a small shallow plate
Set both aside.

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over low heat.
Allow butter to brown, watching closely so it does not burn.
Add the mini marshmallows into the melted butter.
Stir frequently until the marshmallows are melted and smooth.
Immediately remove from the heat.

Stir in the cereal.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Lightly grease your hands and form the Krispie Treat mixture into 1 Tablespoon-sized balls.

If using nonpareils, immediately roll each ball into the sprinkles, coating evenly (I skipped this part this time).
Place each ball onto the lined baking sheet.
Repeat the process with the remainder of the Rice Krispie Treat mixture.
Allow balls to set before proceeding.

Set up a rack so that mini ice cream cones can stand upright.  I find the best way to do this is to cut little "x"s in the ice cream cone box.
Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl until smooth, mixing every 30 seconds to make sure it doesn't burn.
Fill the cone with melted chocolate (you can skip this step if you'd like).
Dip the top 1/4 to 1/2" of the ice cream cone in the chocolate (it's OK if some of the chocolate from the cone drips out) and then immediately into the sprinkles and then immediately stick the cooled Rice Krispie Treat ball on top (it should stick because the chocolate is still wet....if not, just dip the bottom of the Rice Krispie Treat Ball in the chocolate and then affix it to the cone).
Leave upright and allow chocolate to harden.

Decorate with melted chocolate and more sprinkles and/or an M&M "cherry."

Poppable Rice Krispie treats

I've had 2 disjointed thoughts about these treats that I feel the need to share with you:

1. Sometimes I see a recipe online, and I think to myself "that's brilliant!"  And after a second of berating myself with thoughts of "why didn't I think of that?!," I realize that I'd really like to give the creator of said recipe a giant hug or pat on the back.  Even though I don't know them and they'd probably be freaked out by me doing so, but still.  Latest on the list?  Most recently was Shelly from Cookies & Cups, and her Toasted Marshmallow Rice Krispie Treats (here's the link to mine).  And she did it again with these Krispie Treat Party Bites.

2. I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin anything.  I've decided it's two-fold: I don't like pumpkin pie spices and I don't like pumpkin itself that much, either.  But it's the first few days of cooler weather in New York City, and that screams FALL!! to me.  And to most people, fall means pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin pie and all those festive pumpkin-y fall treats.  And I wanted to make a fall dessert for the cooler weather, but I wanted to avoid pumpkin.  So I needed to come up with something...

_____________________________________________________________

And now back to my regularly scheduled post:

Truth be told, I love Rice Krispie Treats.  Not the prepackaged, wrapped in blue foil ones you buy in the store but the tried-and-true homemade variety.  Sometimes, I think it's a waste to take the time to press them into a pan and set, since I think the best part is licking off the spatula!  And while these are a little more time intensive than bars that are pressed into a pan, they're utterly adorable and worth the slight increase in effort!

Because they're POPPABLE!  Mini Rice Krispie Treat balls rolled into nonpareil sprinkles, and made into a 1 or 2 bite snack!

See?  2 little bites....

And the best part?  You can make them to match any theme!  I made mine in yellow-orange-brown nonpareils because it's fall, but you could use any colored nonpareils to match the season or holiday or a party color theme.  Can you tell I'm a planner?!  Already thinking about making some of these for Halloween...

Poppable Rice Krispie Treats
From Cookies & Cups

Ingredients:

1/3 cup nonpareil sprinkles, in your choice of color or combination
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups mini marshmallows
Pinch of salt (I left this out)
2 cups Rice Krispies Cereal (I used Trader Joe's brand)

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Set aside.

Place sprinkles in a bowl.
Set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over low heat.
Add the mini marshmallows into the melted butter.
Stir frequently until the marshmallows are melted and smooth.
Immediately remove from the heat.

Stir in the cereal.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Lightly grease your hands and form the Krispie Treat mixture into 1 Tablespoon-sized balls.

Immediately roll each ball into the sprinkles, coating evenly.
Place each ball onto the lined baking sheet.
Repeat the process with the remainder of the Rice Krispie Treat mixture.

Try not to eat them all at once!

Apple pie with latke crust

Scrolling through Instagram while at a conference a few weeks ago, I came across a picture with a caption explaining that the pie was a pumpkin pie with a latke crust for Thanksgivukkah.  The other pumpkin pie I had seen for Thanksgivukkah had a rye crust, which just didn't sound appetizing to me.  Well, neither sounded all that appetizing to me because I don't like pumpkin pie.  But at least the latke crust gave me something to work with.  And then -- almost immediately -- it came to me: Apple Pie with a Latke Crust!  It was like a somewhat deconstructed potato pancake (latke) with applesauce, which happens to be my favorite way to eat latkes.

I figured I would have to work on the recipe a little, since apples are watery and I didn't want a soggy latke crust (the BEST part of latkes are their crispy outside!).  More on that below (see *).

I was a little overzealous when I made it, and cut into the pie when it was still a little runny (the filling does thicken a little as it cools) -- see the photos below.  But it was super tasty - exactly what I wanted it to be.  And even though the filling was a little wet (because of my overzealousness), the crust was still crispy thanks to cooking it technically three times.  *So, even though I thought this pie would need a few iterations before I posted it for you, I was pleasantly surprised by the final result the first time.  I would possibly add a little more flour next time, just to control some of the filling, but I honestly don't think I have to do that. 

 

FYI, the blogger who I got the recipe from claims that these are the best latkes she has ever tasted.  Clearly, she has never had my mom's latkes!  But since I knew the crust worked with her recipe, I went with it....I may need to try it again with my mom's latke "recipe."  Just sayin'.


Latke Crust
From My Name Is Yeh

Ingredients:

She calls for a "half batch of ex-boyfriend latke mix" - adjusted measurements below:

2 1/2 medium russet potatoes
1/2 medium yellow onion
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 egg whites
1/2 cup all purpose flour

Canola or vegetable oil to coat pan

Directions:

Preheat oven to broil.

Shred potatoes and onion using a food processor or mandolin.
Mine was very watery, so I drained the mixture before adding everything else.  Just like my mom does when she makes latkes. 
Add lemon juice, salt, pepper, egg whites, and flour.
Mix well.

Once you've mixed up the latke mixture, coat an oven safe pan with oil and set over medium heat (She used a 9-inch cast iron pan).
Pour the latke mixture into the pan and use a spatula to firmly press the mixture all over the bottom and around the edges.

Cook until the bottom browns.  I assume she meant on the stove top, so that's what I did.
The crust may start to puff up in the center-- if this happens, poke a few holes in the bottom with a fork.
Once the bottom is brown, stick the pan in the oven and broil for 8-12 minutes, or until the top starts to brown.
Reduce the heat to 375 (or whatever your pie filling recipe advises -- Mine calls for 350, if you're making my "deconstructed latke with applesauce" pie).

Pour in the filling (see below), and bake until the pie is set.

Apple Pie Filling
(you may need less since the latke crust is a bit thicker than a regular crust.  That's OK, the apples are super tasty on their own, to snack on while the pie is baking)

Ingredients:

6 to 7 medium apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (about 7 cups total) -- I tried to lessen the amount of apples because my crust was particularly thick.  I used 2.5 LARGE apples (1 Rome apple, 1.5 Braeburn apples), but I ended up with a lot of apples, so I ended up keeping the following amounts as is, except the butter -- but that is noted below. 
2 tablespoons lemon juice 

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar -- I used some dark brown sugar (less than 1/4 cup), since I didn't want to open another box of light brown sugar, so I lessened the amount slightly.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced -- I used 1.5 Tablespoons

 

Directions:

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger; toss to combine.

Mound the apples in the crust-lined pan, making the center higher than the sides.

Dot the top evenly with the pieces of butter. I ended up using half of the butter since I didn't want it too soupy and to make the crust soggy.

I covered it with foil.

 

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until the apples feel tender, mine took about 30-40 minutes.  After that, I removed the foil and let it bake a little longer, about 5-10 minutes

Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Let the pie rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

Serve warm or at room temperature.  

Halloween Rice Krispie treats

Halloween is coming up and I haven't really made any Halloween-inspired treats yet, except for these white chocolate ghost lollipops.  Part of it is because I have no Halloween parties to go to this year (which I'm quite OK with), and part of it is because I'm not completely sure what a "Halloween treat" entails....usually they're orange, or pumpkin-and-other-Halloween-paraphernalia-shaped treats, or pumpkin flavored, or include Halloween candy.  But I didn't feel the need to artificially color things orange, or make pumpkin flavored things (it's one of my least favorite flavors), or sit there and painfully decorate Halloween-shaped cookies to only have them go to waste -- but I wouldn't put it past me to do that in a few days, after I catch up on some much needed sleep from my crazy week at work, and after I get more into the Halloween spirit.

 

But I digress.  I wanted to make something for the blog that was at least a bit "Halloween-y."  I found a few recipes for Halloween treats - a recipe for homemade candy bars (which I plan on making for my sisters soon), one for some Rice Krispie treats with a bunch of things in them including candy corns (gross, if you ask me), and a bunch of pumpkin desserts.  I had also saved a recipe a year or two ago for candy cups made with extra leftover Halloween candy, but of course I can't find it now.  (As an aside, is there such a think as "leftover" or "extra" Halloween candy?)  

So I came up with a "recipe" of my own, a Halloween Rice Krispie treat with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Reese's Pieces.  I thought about adding some peanuts, some peanut butter, or some Halloween-colored sprinkles, but decided that I'd stick with the Reese's only.  I froze the large peanut butter cups and Reese's pieces, since I didn't want the chocolate to melt too much when I mixed them into the Rice Krispie-Marshmallow mixture.

** Just a thought, but I think these would be good with ANY chocolate Halloween candies...especially Whoppers, Butterfingers, and Twix, to name a few **

Halloween Rice Krispie Treats
(aka Reese's Peanut Butter-y Rice Krispie Treats)

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp butter or margarine
40 Large marshmallows (I used 4 cups of mini marshmallows)
6 cups of Rice Krispies
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, frozen (I used the large ones, and I ended up using 6)
Reese's Pieces, frozen (I could only find a small package, so that's what I used....I always believe that more is better when it comes to Reese's Pieces.)

Directions:

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan - I used a 9 x 9 inch pan because I wanted really thick Rice Krispie treats.  Sometimes I'm a glutton....what can I say?  My preference is Pam, but you could also brush it with some melted butter.

Measure out the cereal.  
Chop the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups roughly; I cut each one into 9 pieces.

Microwave the butter in a microwavable bowl on high until melted (about 45 seconds).
Add marshmallows and toss to coat.
Microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds or until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 45 seconds.  I recommend using a nonstick spatula or a spatula sprayed with Pam.

Add the cereal immediately, and start mixing well.
After a few seconds, add the frozen candies.  Continue mixing well, until all incorporated.  Don't worry if the chocolate melts a little, because it will.  OK, maybe it'll melt a lot, but that's still OK.
Press into the greased pan.
Allow to cool completely.

Baked apple cider donuts

Ever since I saw this recipe a week and a half ago, I just HAD to make it.  Despite my statement that the only things I drink with calories are coffee and alcohol, I secretly adore apple cider.  It is, to me, fall in a cup.  Now just because I love it doesn't mean I buy it or drink it often, but this recipe for baked apple cider donuts just screamed out to me.  The combination of my love of apple cider and B's love of donuts make it seem like a good recipe to try.  That, and the fact that I had just bought a donut pan (I don't love donuts, partly due to the fact that they're deep fried).

My goal had been to make these Sunday, the first day of fall, but I neglected to notice apple butter on the ingredient list, and then didn't have a chance to get any for a few days.  So these are a little bit belated for the first day of fall, but seeing as the weather hasn't quite decided if it is summer or fall, I figured I had a little leeway in terms of baking them ;-)

 

 

Two things about this recipe:
1. I have a mini donut pan.  It took so little batter to fill each cavity 1/2-2/3 of the way full, and they baked in 6 minutes.  I got frustrated having to fill those small cavities that I switched to a mini bundt pan for the rest of the "donuts."
2. I sprinkled them with sugar.  They were OK.  So I decided to use cinnamon sugar (a trick I borrowed from my great grandmother's coffee cake recipe.  Even better!!

The one on the left is the one I made in the mini bundt cake
pan.  The one on the right is from the mini donut pan.

Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts
from RecipeGirl (there's even nutritional information on her site, link above)

Ingredients:

Granulated sugar for preparing pans
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 large egg, beaten
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup apple butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
3 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

Directions:
 

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Coat pan with nonstick spray or oil.

Sprinkle with sugar, shaking out excess.  Or make a simple cinnamon sugar, mixing granulated sugar and cinnamon until desired cinnamoniness.

 

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together egg, brown sugar, apple butter, maple syrup, cider, yogurt and oil.

Add dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.

Divide half of the batter among the cavities in the prepared pan, spoon about 2 generous Tbsp. of batter into each cavity (This must have been for a regular-sized donut tin, mine barely used one Tbsp; about 2-3Tbsp filled each of my mini bundt pan cavities).  Don’t fill them to the top or your doughnuts will lose their holes when the batter puffs up while baking!

 

Bake 10 to 12 minutes (My mini donuts took 6 minutes, mini bundt "donuts" took 10 minutes), or until the tops spring back when touched lightly.

Loosen edges and turn the doughnuts out onto a rack to cool.

Clean the pan, re-coat it with spray and sugar.

Repeat with remaining batter.

 

Ice your doughnuts, if desired:

Sift 1 cup powdered sugar and mix w/ 2 ounces light cream cheese, a dash of cinnamon and enough nonfat milk to create a spreading or dipping consistency. (If I made icing, I might try using apple cider instead of milk.  It would be less white, but I think the flavor on an apple cider donut might be extra yummy).

Dip tops of doughnuts into the icing, then set right side up on a rack to let the icing set.