Nutmeg Glazed Pumpkin Spice Donuts

There’s something about the fall season that really gets you into the mood for donuts. Something spiced, warm and cakey. I love a good ol’ warm fried donut, but when I’m making them at home, it takes a lot for me to want to heat up a vat of oil. Though, I have done it before and it was well worth it!! (I.e. Key Lime Yeast Donuts, Peach Fritters, Korean Hotteok Donuts) With that being said, I was in the mood for something a bit denser and cakier. (is that a word?) And since you guys are well aware of my love of pumpkin for the fall, this is yet another pumpkin recipe- Nutmeg Glazed, Pumpkin Spiced Donuts.

This season I’ve been obsessed with Nutmeg. Maybe it’s because I’ve been using more freshly grated nutmeg or it’s because of the nutmeg ice cream I tasted from Amy’s Ice Cream here in Austin, but I’ve had nutmeg on the brain. It’s a flavor that’s long been used to complement the fall powerhouse spice, cinnamon. But when freshly grated and left to it’s own devices, nutmeg is utterly delicious! So I decided that the glaze on these donuts needed some nutmeg love.

The donuts come together fairly easily with the help of a stand mixer. I only used a stand mixer here because it’s easier to beat in the butter. But if your butter is very very soft, I would even do mix it all together by hand.

Once the batter is mixed together (very similar to a muffin batter, dry ingredients mixing into the wet ingredients) I place it into a piping bag to get it into my donut pans. I find it a lot neater and easier than spooning this into the donut shaped wells. Bake this at 325 for 8-10 minutes, or if you’re using molds like the ones I have here (I found these at Sur La Table) they will take longer since it takes more batter, about 15-20 minutes depending on your oven.)

Once the donuts are baked, they will be springy to the touch. I like to take the donuts out of the pan and place them on a wire rack to cool while I make the glorious glaze.

I used mascarpone cheese in this glaze because I had it on hand and I love the flavor but you can easily sub in cream cheese or no cheese at all! You may need to ad more milk to help thin it out but It will be just as yummy. Once you glaze is mixed together, dip the cooled donuts in then place them back on the wire rack to set.

Enjoy these on a cool fall day or whenever you’re in the mood for some pumpkin spice, which for me will be all month long!

Nutmeg Glazed Pumpkin Spice Donuts

Yields approx 16 donuts

Ingredients

For the Donuts:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1/4 cup buttermilk

• 1/4 cup butter, softened

• 1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

  For the Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

• 4oz mascarpone cheese

• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 2 tbsp milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Spray donut pans with nonstick spray.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer add pumpkin puree, eggs, milk, and softened butter. Beat mixture until smooth, then add in the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda. Mix on low speed until combined into a batter.

3. Spoon batter into a piping bag or large zip top bag and cut a corner off. (I find it neater and easier to do it this way than to spoon the batter into the pans) Pipe the batter into your prepared pans.

4. Bake in preheated oven until donuts spring back when touched, 8 to 10 minutes. (For the pumpkin cake molds, it took 15-20 minutes)

5. Beat confectioners' sugar and mascarpone cheese till smooth. Mix in the nutmeg, milk and vanilla extract together in a bowl until smooth. Dip cooled donuts into the glaze place back on a wire rack to dry.