Fluffy Doughnuts

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D is for Doughnuts 

Every now and then you need a doughnut, especially on special occasions or as a cheat meal.

Instead of reaching for the ones that are highly processed, from the gas station or even one of the highly known doughnut chain stores, how about making them yourself?  Doughnuts are easy to make and can be made healthier (well, to a certain degree).

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free (when made with coconut sugar instead of white sugar) and will make approximately 11-12 doughnuts.


Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour
• 3/4 cups of Big Tree Farm's Coconut Sugar 
• 2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Simply Organic ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon Simply Organic ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Blue Almond unsweetened almond milk 
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon Simply Organic vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening
• Spectrum coconut oil spray

Icing:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1/2 tablespoon Simply Organic almond extract (optional)
• India Tree Sprinkles (optional) 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly grease the doughnut pan with the spray coconut oil.
2. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon an salt.  
3. In a medium size bowl, mix all the wet ingredients - almond milk, eggs, vanilla and shortening. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well blended.
4. Fill each doughnut cup 3/4 full. Bake 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven until doughnuts spring back when touched.  Allow to cool in the pan before removing them.
5. To make the glaze, blend confectioners' sugar, water and almond extract (optional) in a small bowl.  Dip the doughnuts in the glaze before serving.

Ingredient alternatives:

• Coconut sugar can be substituted for white sugar as it is a 1:1 substitution ratio.  If you choose to substitute with white cane sugar, your doughnut will turn out white instead of a brown color shown in the picture.
• Almond milk can be substituted for cow's milk or coconut milk, although I am not sure how it would turn out.  
• The gluten free flour used is Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour.  If you are not gluten free, you can use the same amount of all-purpose flour.
• If you substitute the coconut sugar, almond milk and/or gluten free flour, you may need to adjust baking time.
• Instead of glaze, you can use any type of doughnut "topping", such as cinnamon sugar, or even without any type of topping.
• Sprinkles were used just for added decoration and can be left off.

Doughnuts Save the Day.

Even though I make them as a treat, I also serve them with healthier foods to accompany them, such as eggs, bacon and fruit.  

I would love to know what you think of them once you have made them.  I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does.