Pumpkin doughnuts

I love Fall.  I love cooler weather, switching from shorts to jeans, colorful leaves, and all things pumpkin.  My favorite recipe of all time is this chocolate chip pumpkin bread that my friend Kady got me hooked on years ago.  When I make it, which is often, there is leftover canned pumpkin that I need to find a use for.  This time around I made these delicious baked doughnuts from Pia Recipes.  The kids loved making doughnuts at home, and I felt slightly better about them since they aren't fried.  Yum yum!  ** And I just noticed I have back-to-back doughnut posts.  #sorrynotsorry

PUMPKIN DOUGHNUTS

Yield: 12 doughnuts

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée (canned pumpkin)

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar, for coating

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two standard doughnut pans. If you don't have doughnut pans, you can bake these in a standard muffin tin.

2) Beat together the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, spices, salt, and baking powder until smooth.

3) Add the flour, stirring just until smooth.

4) Fill the wells of the doughnut pans about 3/4 full; use a scant 1/4 cup of batter in each well. (If you're making muffins, fill each well about 3/4 full; the recipe makes about 15).

6) Bake the doughnuts for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. (If you're making muffins, they'll need to bake for 20-25 minutes).

7) Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes.  While the doughnuts are still warm (but no longer fragile), gently shake them in a bag with the cinnamon-sugar. If you've made muffins, sprinkle their tops heavily with cinnamon-sugar.

9) Cool completely, and wrap airtight; store at room temperature for several days.