Glazed Doughnut Muffins

Mmmmm doughnuts. Who doesn't love them? I love that this version comes in muffin form and tastes just like cake doughnuts without being fried! Therefore they are easier, healthier, with less frying mess to clean up and they taste just as good as the real thing. I saw this recipe over on Fine Cooking and knew I had to try it. After reading through the reviews I made a few adaptations of my own to add flavor, increase muffin height, slightly change texture and opted to go for a doughnut glaze rather than a buttered cinnamon sugar coating. 
Now the only problem I have is that I want to eat them for breakfast, brunch, lunch, linner and dinner. I'm excited to try other variations of this muffin in the future (like orange cranberry, lemon poppy seed, dulce de leche, blueberry or jam filled, chocolate or pumpkin). Endless and delightfully delicious possibilities. Enjoy!

Glazed Doughnut Muffins
Yields 1 dozen

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp buttermilk
10 Tbsp butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk and buttermilk, set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using and electric hand mixer on medium speed, blend together butter and sugar until well combine, about 30 seconds. Mix in eggs one at a time mixing after each addiction. Blend in vanilla. Using a wooden spoon to mix, add flour mixture in three separate batches, alternating with two additions of the milk mixture, mixing just until combine after each addition (batter will be thick). Divide batter among 12 paper lined muffin cups (in a non-stick muffin tin) filling each one nearly full (about 1/3 cup batter per each). Bake in preheated oven 15 - 20 minutes until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. 
During the last few minutes of cooling prepare glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Dip each muffin in glaze, while twirling and rotating to evenly coat tops (and allowing it a few seconds to get a good layer of coating on), then lift and allow excess glaze to run off. Enjoy warm or allow cupcakes to rest at room temperature about 5- 10 minutes until glaze has set. Store in an airtight container.

*recipe updated 10/25/12, I made these a second time around today and omitted the lemon juice and used real buttermilk instead. If you don't have buttermilk, simply add just over a tsp of lemon juice to 1 cup + 2 Tbsp milk.

Recipe Source: adapted lightly from Fine Cooking

Doughnut Pancakes with Doughnut Glaze Syrup

Yes. Yes, yes, yes! Doughnuts collide with pancakes to make one unbelievable breakfast (or dessert)! If you want to show someone how amazing you think they are, say for the up coming Father's Day or a birthday then these are a great way to express your love and appreciation for that special someone =). I know I'd feel pretty awesome getting these for breakfast in bed on my Birthday. I'm always trying to think of new recipes, new food ideas and things out of the ordinary. This is a result of one of those random thoughts. I love to create new recipes, you could probably say I'm addicted. It's hard to keep me out of the kitchen basically. These are one of the funnest recipes I think I've made. Who doesn't love a sweet, tender doughnut or a fluffy stack of pancakes? Everyone who tried these thought they were delicious, and the kids faces lit up with utter excitement just upon seeing them. These taste just like cake doughnuts and pancakes in one. They're fluffy, perfectly sweet and melt in your mouth delicious. Can I eat these for every meal =)? Enjoy and share!

Doughnut Pancakes
Yields 10-12 (4-5 inch) pancakes


Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups milk
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp applesauce
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil, for brushing griddle
1 recipe Doughnut Glaze Syrup


Directions:
Preheat an non-stick electric griddle to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, applesauce and granulated sugar until well blended. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combine (batter should be slightly lumpy, don't over-mix). Pour half of the batter into a sandwich size ziploc bag and seal bag (I tried pouring all of it into a large ziploc and just found it was easier to work in two smaller batches). Brush preheated griddle generously with vegetable oil (I used a silicone baster and brushed the areas where the pancake batter would be poured. The vegetable oil is an important part of the "fried" doughnut flavor so that's why I stated "generously"). Cut about a 1 inch corner off the ziploc bag (while holding it with the tip pointing upward so the batter doesn't pour right out), then carefully pipe doughnut shapes onto oiled griddle*. Cook pancake until golden on bottom, then lift pancake with a spatula and brush griddle again with vegetable oil then carefully flip to opposite side. Cook opposite side until golden. Repeat process with remaining batter. Serve Doughnut Pancakes warm, with Doughnut Glaze Syrup and sprinkles of course =).


*note: the first one will probably be a practice pancake, the second should look better once you get the feel for it. The batter will spread slightly as it cooks so keep that in mind when judging how large you keep the hole in the center of the circle. Also, after piping each pancake, return bag with the cut opening facing upright so batter doesn't continue to pour out. If you find it too difficult to get the shape you want you could just ladle (and slightly spread the batter so the centers aren't thicker) onto the griddle and do normal shaped pancakes then use a small circle cookie/fondant cutter and cut a circle through the center of the pancake after it's been cooked.


Doughnut Glaze Syrup


Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla extract


Directions:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once butter has melted, stir in powdered sugar, salt and milk. Whisk until sugar has dissolved completely then stir in baking soda and whisk for about 30 seconds until frothy. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve warm over Doughnut Pancakes. Store in refrigerator up to one week.