Pumpkin Doughnuts

I'm sitting here with my oversized fuzzy sweatshirt on huddled under my wellworn sherpa-lined blanket.  There is a chill in the air and I didn't want to turn the heat on just yet so I decided to warm up the house by turning on the oven and do a little baking.  

Pumpkin is one of my favorite ingredients to cook with every Fall.  Pumpkin cheesecake, scones, cakes rolls, love them all and yet.....I'm not crazy about pumpkin pie!  What's up with that???

So this weekend I decided to try a new recipe for Pumpkin doughnuts.  I grew up on frying doughnuts so this recipe intrigued me because the doughnuts are baked. I don't know if they are any healthier but thought I would try them out.  I ordered the doughnut pans off of Amazon (about $5.00/pan) and as ready to go.

This was a simple recipe to make- no fancy ingredients or difficult directions.  First thing it called for was to 

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

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. Bake the doughnuts for 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the doughnuts from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool. While they are still hot, dredge them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Enjoy! Pumpkin Doughnuts Doughnuts 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, or 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus heaping 1/4     teaspoon each ground nutmeg and ground ginger 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons flour Coating 3 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar Directions 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; they just won't be doughnuts. Beat together the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, spices, salt, and baking powder until smooth.  Add the flour, stirring just until smooth.  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, so you'll need to bake in two batches (unless you have two muffin pans).  Bake the doughnuts for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean. If you're making muffins, they'll need to bake for 23 to 25 minutes. Remove the doughnuts from the oven, and after about 5 minutes, loosen their edges, and transfer them to a rack to cool. 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. Cool completely, and store (not wrapped tight) at room temperature for several days. Yield: 12 doughnuts or 15 muffins.