Healthy Baked Doughnut

We have been picking up doughnuts at church on Sunday, and the kids eat them for breakfast during the week. I do not approve of doughnuts for breakfast before school even though I keep bringing them home.

I became determined to fix the problem. I was going to create a healthy doughnut!

While surveying the basement food storage I was struck by an epiphany.

Squash Doughnuts! For those of you who do not know, recipes that call for pumpkin can be substituted with squash without a problem.

I did find a few recipes of pumpkin doughnuts. For some reason I decided to experiment instead. Must have been the late hour!

The first time I made them, the texture great but was more like a muffin than doughnut, and the flavor was good. They were all gone within 24 hours - all 2.5 dozen of them. I wanted more spice/pumpkin flavor. I tried doubling the squash and spice, then increasing the honey to 3/4 cup. It made the batter too thin so I had to add more flour. It was a little more flavorful - especially with the honey, but the texture was more bread like.

I will try more experiments - and leave a comment on how you would improve it.

This is the original recipe from cooks.com My substitutions are in red.

2 pkgs. quick acting yeast
1/4 c. water (105-115 degrees) - I used whey in place of the water and milk.
1 1/2 c. lukewarm milk, scalded and then cooled
1/2 c. sugar - honey
1 tsp. salt - I think I only used 1/2 tsp.
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1/3 c. shortening - squash!
4 1/2 c. flour - I used white whole wheat
1/4 c. butter, melted
Cinnamon sugar or sugar

In large mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, eggs, shortening and 2 cups of flour. Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in remaining flour until smooth, scraping side of bowl.

Cover; let rise in warm place until double (50-60 minutes). Turn dough onto well floured cloth-covered board. Roll around lightly to coat with flour (dough will be soft to handle). With floured stockinet-covered rolling pin, gently roll dough about 1/2 inch thick. Cut with floured 2 1/2 inch doughnut cutter.

Lift doughnuts carefully with spatula and place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Brush doughnuts with melted butter. Cover: let rise until double, about 20 minutes.

In preheated 425 degree oven, bake 8-10 minutes or until golden in color. Immediately after removing from oven brush with melted butter and shake in cinnamon, sugar, or sugar. Makes 1 1/2 to 2 dozen doughnuts.

Being a reformed night owl

When I was young and carefree I would go out dancing at night. Most of the time I would get the urge between 9:00 and 10:00 pm, head out, and arrive back home after 12:00 am. I always found myself energized the following day despite my lack of sleep. I loved dancing. I loved the late nights.

Husband, kids, and a long early-morning commute have changed my options for dancing and late nights. Most evenings will find me winding down and climbing into bed between 9:00 and 10:00 pm.

Sometimes I still feel that longing. The 9:00 craving. The 9:30 restlessness. The 10:00 urge. There must be somewhere I need to be. Something that must be done. Dancing!?

I have found my replacement.

Food.

Sometimes it just means I get the munchies.

Quite a few evenings it means recipe research and experimentation. This month alone has included the following late night recipes: Fresh goat's milk mozzarella, baked healthy doughnuts, homemade yogurt and ice cream (without an ice cream machine).

We will see if this trend continues and I will post recipes soon!