Apple Walnut Donuts

Apple cinnamon, a winning team any day of the week.

If I stand for one thing, it is that apples go with everything. Everything. Everything has the potential to be raised to the apple-th power to be spectacular.  Every fruit, every grain, every vegetable, every spice, every meal, every season. Spring summer fall winter, apples every day is the only way.

Traditionally, autumn gets the bragging rights to the apple, what with all the picking and hayrides and cider and so forth. But don't forget to let winter have its fun too. These baked vegan whole-wheat apple walnut cake donuts go marvelously with a fresh snowfall, a few poinsettias, and a hum to the tune of "Feliz Navidad".

See how great they look with the Christmas mugs?

(An interpretation of these Baked Apple Doughnuts. And did I mention there's no yeast!)

Apple Walnut Donuts

Yields 1 dozen donuts

3 c whole wheat flour
3 1/2 t baking powder
1 c sugar, scant
1 t salt
1 t nutmeg
1 c safflower oil, or any vegetable oil
2/3 c applesauce
1 c grated apples (I used 1 1/2 Romas in a food processor)
1/2 finely chopped walnuts
Cinnamon sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly grease 2 donut pans or 1 cupcake pan.

Combine everything up to and including the oil in a large bowl. Crumb ingredients with your hands until well mixed. Add remaining ingredients (besides the topping).

Spoon into pans, 3/4 full. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean and top is golden brown. Let cool completely before removing from pan. One at a time, gently toss donut in a bowl full of the cinnamon sugar to ensure a complete coating.

i can has dohnut plz?

Feel Good Donuts: Chocolate & Cinnamon

What we're gonna do right here is go back

My chocolate baked donuts are my pride and joy. Here they are from a mini-cupcake pan with a light glaze.

The first chocolate baked munchkins

When I was eight, I cut an ad out of the Sunday paper for a baked donut pan. I didn't know how to order things, but it stayed taped on the kitchen wall for a year or two. Twelve years later I finally got one from Amazon and felt complete.

I baked a bunch of chocolate and cinnamon donuts, and brought them to nearby bakeries to sell. Unfortunately, I probably couldn't have picked a worse time to go (5pm Friday?) and no managers were in all 3 or so that I visited. I dropped off a bag of donuts at Hot Breads, an Indian bakery chain that specializes in eggless cakes, but shamefully carries donuts that are egg-full. The manager called me up very impressed, and wanted to start off with a "small order" of 50 for Tuesday morning.

Only having 2 half-dozen trays and a small oven, it took me about three hours that morning, after preparing all the dough the night before. Thankfully I did not have to glaze or finish them, just come in with a whole lotta naked donuts. Unfortunately, I don't think the icing Hot Breads used was vegan, as they really were just into the whole eggless thing, so I didn't try their final result, but my family swore they were as good as they looked.

So beautiful, I might cry.

Normally I toss my "plain" (nutmeg) cake donut in cinnamon and it's wonderful. I think it's odd to ice it, but if they want to pay me I can't complain.

Christmas? In June? Fine by me.

Sadly, I could not mass produce these babies for the small cents like they wanted, and told me they would call again in the future, after really promoting their new product. I wouldn't have been able to keep up with them anyway, if they ever needed more than a small order of 50. But, thanks to this experience, I can refer to myself as a professional baker without having to cross my fingers behind my back, and that is worth a lot to me.