Special for Sundays ~ Homemade Donuts!

A few readers have asked for my donut recipe, and of course I'm glad to share! Actually, it's really not mine - the recipe I use is found on the back of the donut pan packaging. And truth be told, though I've had my pan a few years now, I have only made donuts twice! It's just one of those things I think is going to take more time (and work) than it actually does. But the payoff is just so great ~ freshly baked donuts for my family!

Now first off, I must link to the pan for baked donuts. (I know you can prepare homemade donuts in deep pans of boiling oil but that is not something I'm going to attempt -more for safety reasons than fat content, lol!) I ordered the standard size pan, but you might prefer the mini-donut pan.

I also must admit that donuts are a treat and I know many of my readers have given up treats for Lent. But Sundays are always a day for rejoicing, a day to take a break from the fast ~ and warm homemade donuts are a memorable treat to come home to after church! And more than anything else, I love making memories for my boys. In fact, I often think those that involve food "stick" with them the best. :)

So without further ado, here are the two recipes, one for chocolate and one for plain:

Chocolate Cake Donuts

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325. Combine the four, cocoa, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, mix eggs, sugar and vanilla until thick. Combine milk and butter. Alternately combine egg mixture and milk mixture with flour mixture and mix until smooth and soft. Spray pan lightly with cooking oil. Fill with batter 2/3 full. Bake 8 minutes. Cool. Carefully remove. Repeat with rest of batter. Frost or glaze.

Glaze

• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 2 tablespoons HOT water

Cake Donuts

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly spray donut pan with cooking oil. In bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt. Add butter, eggs, milk, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Beat until well blended. Fill each donut hole 2/3 full. Bake 8 minutes or until tops spring back lightly when touched. Cool. Remove from pan and dip into glaze.Donuts may also be dipped into cinnamon and sugar instead of glaze. When the pan has cooled, wipe clean with cloth or paper towel and repeat process. Yield: approximately 36 mini donuts.

I must say a quick word about glazes and whatnot. :) First of all, the donuts are quite delicious plain, but they are fun to "decorate." I made up the glaze described above and lightly drizzled it across the tops of the donuts. It was rather thin, so I'd like to play around with the measurements a bit, to make more of a frosting. I think maple-glazed donuts would be perfectly delicious in March, don't you? (Those happen to be my favorites at Dunkins!) And at Eastertime, a white chocolate glazed donut would be festive - sprinkled with pastel jimmies of course! The mini donuts would be a lovely teatime treat for the children, especially if they are allowed to choose their own toppings!

Of course there are all kinds of ways to make Sundays special, and that's a project I'm working on just now. But something warm and fresh from the oven brings my family such joy, and that's just the mood I hope to foster on this day ... and when it's something really special, something reserved just for Sundays - such as coffeecake or fruit danish or homemade donuts - it's even more of a treat. :)

I'd love to hear what your favorite baked goodies are! Is there something you love to bake ~ any day or especially on Sundays? Please drop me a note below if you have a moment ~ I'd love to add to my Sunday collection. :)

But for now, I'm off. I hope you have a happy evening, and I'll see you all again sometime tomorrow.