fall + browned butter pumpkin donuts

 

Pumpkin season is finally among us and what better

way to celebrate than with some pumpkin donuts!

Only we're browning the butter because it's a wonderful thing I'll tell ya!

If you don't know what that is, it's where you

melt butter in a saucepan until brown specks form at the bottom of the pan.

The rest of the butter will be brown as well. 

It creates an amazing nutty aroma.

Try it with your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!

A donut in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

That's how every morning should start.

 Onto other things, like pumpkin patches.
This here is Fir Point Farms, my favorite pumpkin patch.
I remember going there once as a child and loving every second of it.
There was hot apple cider and fresh donuts, a trail through the forest, a big slide surrounded by hay, a corn maze, and loads more.
Returning years later, not much has changed.
It doesn't get much better than freshly made donuts for fifty cents a piece.
WINNING!

So happy fall to all!
Go visit a pumpkin patch
and make some pumpkin donuts.
(and listen to some Iggy, cause we fancy)

Yields 1 dozen

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.

source: pastry affair