Doughnuts with citrus: spice and everything nice

By Jim Bailey
theyankeechef.blogspot.com

These baked doughnuts hold up just as well as deep-fried doughnuts and are an outstanding example of how every little bit of consciousness when easing our fat consumption can be remarkably tasty.

You will be surprised at the flavor the Chinese 5-spice powder adds, but allspice is a great substitution as well.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
9 ounces orange-flavored yogurt
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup caramel eggnog *
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons allspice, Chinese 5-spice powder or cinnamon
Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray

Line a cookie pan with parchment paper; set aside. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and baking powder, mixing well.

Add yogurt, pumpkin, eggnog, orange zest and melted butter, mixing until it comes together completely using a sturdy wooden spoon or a paddle attachment on a table-top mixer.

Empty dough onto well floured work surface and knead until it is no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Roll out to at least an inch thick.

Cut out as many doughnuts as possible, gathering up dough, re-kneading slightly and cutting more doughnuts until all dough is used.

You can either use a doughnut cutter or the mouth of a cup, with the screw cap from a soda bottle to press out doughnut holes.

Place each doughnut on prepared pan, leaving an inch between each doughnut.

Bake 24-26 minutes, or until they spring back when touched in the center and slightly crispy on top. Remove from oven to cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, mix together granulated sugar with allspice in a shallow bowl; set aside.

Over the same cookie pan, spray the top of  one doughnut with nonstick cooking spray. Flip over and spray the other side.

Immediately dip doughnut in prepared sugar mixture until evenly coated, placing back onto pan. Repeat with remaining doughnuts.

Makes about 12 doughnuts