Bring back all the feels of Autumn with these doughnuts that disintegrate when the warm sugary pumpkin hits your tongue. They are a wonderful treat for breakfast or dessert for hosting a crowd. I must warn you though, once you try them, you will never go back to store-bought again.

Serves: 18 regular size donuts

Tools:

3 – 6 slot regular cavity non-stick donut pans

large size mixing bowl

medium size mixing bowl

measuring cups

spatula rubber scraper

sturdy whisk or electric hand mixer

piping bag or plastic zip-locking sandwich size bag

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg, from a whole nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2-3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter at room temperature, plus 1/4 cup more for basting the donuts

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup canola oil

2 large eggs, room temperature, beaten

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup scratchmade apple cider

1 tsp good vanilla

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, dusted with flour (optional)

Cinnamon Sugar:

1 part ground cinnamon, 2 parts granulated sugar. Mix in a small bowl and set aside.

For the Donuts:

Make the apple cider and set aside to cool or refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius / 340 degrees Fahrenheit. Evenly coat donut pans with butter or non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Then add the dry spices. Set aside.

In the large mixing bowl, whip butter until the color lightens. Add white sugar, whip. Then add brown sugar and whip together. Add canola oil and beaten eggs, whip together. Whip in the canned pumpkin and vanilla. Stir in apple cider.

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients mixing until well combined. Add chocolate chips, if desired.

At this point batter can be frozen and saved for later use; be sure to thaw in the refrigerator.

To pipe the batter in to the donut pans prepare a piping bag with an extra large round tip, or snip the end off of a plastic zip-locking sandwich bag, and fill with batter. Pipe batter following the course of the donut pan, being careful not to over-fill. Refill piping bag as necessary.

Bake in pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes depending on the heat intensity of your oven.

The donuts are ready when they turn darker in color and remain firm when lightly pressed with your finger.

Remove donuts from oven and let set in the pan for 2-5 minutes.

While the donuts are resting, melt 1/4 cup butter in a microwave safe bowl. Prepare cinnamon sugar.

Carefully remove donuts from the pan with a rubber spatula so they do not break. Coat lightly with melted butter and then dust generously with cinnamon sugar and plate.

These will melt in your mouth and your hands when served straight away; but also can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for three days.

Enjoy. I know you will.