Sugar-Crusted Turmeric Chili Stoneground Cornmeal Donuts

never not donuting.
Sugar-Crusted Turmeric Chili

Stoneground Cornmeal Donuts.

oh, the things you can donut (verb).

This may be hard to believe, but up until fairly recently, donuts didn't interest me much. It was an ill-conceived donut birthday cake project that first stirred something deep inside. The cake was an unmitigated disaster, but it's construction did require the purchase of a certain specialty kitchen item. I expected to use it only once, maybe twice, and then leave it to collect dust on a high shelf somewhere.

Best laid plans...

Not to get all swept up in pastry-based hyperbole, but owning a donut pan has 

CHANGED MY LIFE. 

It was a seismic shift with a hole smack dab in the center.

A new mission, clear as day-- everything in donut form, 

whenever and wherever possible.

seismic.

baking weather.

Sugar-Crusted Turmeric Chili

Stoneground Cornmeal Donuts

(makes one dozen)

Adapted from my Turmeric-Chili Stoneground Corn Muffins recipe. 

Because DONUTS.

dry:

1c all purpose flour

1c stoneground cornmeal

1/3c unrefined sugar

1Tbsp baking powder

1tsp finely ground sea salt

2tsp chili powder

1tsp turmeric

wet:

2Tbsp ground flax seeds

6Tbsp boiling water

1c non dairy milk

1/4c melted unrefined coconut oil + a little extra for greasing the donut pan

1tsp apple cider vinegar

topping:

3-4Tbsp extra sugar

1Tbsp crushed red pepper

Baked Apple Cider Donuts with Cardamom Cinnamon Sugar

donuting.

Baked Apple Cider Donuts 

with

Cardamom Cinnamon-Sugar.

Donuting, or to donut. Its a verb.

If you live in New England, come fall, you go apple picking. I'm pretty sure it's a law in most states. Like, if you don't go a guy in a tricornered hat shows up at your house on horseback and takes you at musket point. Either that or a hefty "apple-picking non-compliance" fine will be levied against you, probably hand delivered to your house by a guy wearing knickers and ringing a bell. So apple picking we go. Because, and I admit this grudgingly, its actually pretty fun. If you can get past the hordes of screaming children, ridiculous shtick-y corn mazes, and annoyingly packed hayrides full of suckers (hayrides are indeed for suckers, unless they're free. that's all I'll say on that subject), standing in a sun-soaked apple orchard, wearing a seasonally appropriate (!) sweater and picking fruit right from the tree is pretty much the best thing about fall. Throw donuts into the mix and the enjoyment level skyrockets. Sadly, for the more plant-based among us farmstand apple cider donuts are not an option. This has been an annual, almost soul-crushing disappointment for me. So this year, instead of giving the side-eye to every overjoyed person around me eagerly shoving apple cider donuts into their facehole, I took action.
Apples were picked, donuts were baked, and the "autumn in New England" circle was completed.



that sparkle tho...



found. and the one that got away.

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

with

Cardamom Cinnamon-Sugar

(makes one dozen)

dry:

1 1/2c whole wheat pastry flour

2/3c light brown sugar

1/2tsp ground sea salt

1tsp baking soda

1Tbsp ground cinnamon

wet:

1Tbsp finely ground flax seed + 3Tbsp boiling water

1tsp vanilla extract

3/4c applesauce

3Tbsp apple cider

1/3c canola oil (or other neutral oil)

topping:

1/4c unrefined sugar

1tsp ground cinnamon

1/2tsp finely ground cardamom

Baked Banana Bourbon Donuts with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting

mmm...alliterative. 

Baked Banana-Bourbon Donuts with 
Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting.

The answers are all here.

I wouldn't call myself a particularly together person. Most of the time I'm bordering on what could only be described as mildly unhinged and grasping for answers, but there are two things I know with absolute certainty: 1) bourbon makes everything better and 2) the same can be said of donuts. Emboldened by these dual concrete truths and inspired by a few past their prime bananas, a donut pan and a bottle of our finest barrel aged, I embarked on some EXTREMELY CONFIDENT
baked banana-bourbon donut making. 

Plus a little cashew cream cheese frosting composition, for good measure,
and further alliterative hilarity. 

Baked Banana-Bourbon Donuts

(makes 10 donuts, using a standard donut pan)

2 large over-ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

1 1/2c whole wheat pastry flour

1/3c melted unrefined coconut oil

2/3c brown sugar

1Tbsp ground flax seed

+

3Tbsp boiling water

2Tbsp bourbon

1tsp vanilla extract

1/2tsp sea salt

1tsp baking soda

2tsp cinnamon