Spiced pumpkin donuts

Steamed pumpkin lends a subtle sweetness and a brilliant orange colour to these donuts. Serve these warm, tossed with our very own take on pumpkin spice.

Spiced pumpkin donuts Credit: Chris Middleton

• makes

  14

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Donut moulds come in trays to make 6 donuts – if you don’t have two trays, these are fine to cook in two batches. If you don’t have donut tins, you can bake these in a couple of standard muffin tins; they just won’t be donuts! 

Ingredients

• melted butter, for greasing
• 380 g (13½ oz/1½ cups) steamed and mashed pumpkin (squash), cooled 
• 150 g (5½ oz/½ cup) apple purée (see note)
• 3 eggs
• 80 ml (2½ fl oz/⅓ cup) macadamia oil or melted butter
• 1½ tsp mixed spice
• ¼ tsp liquid stevia (optional)
• 225 g (8 oz/1½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt

Spice powder

• 40 g (1½ oz/¼ cup) dextrose
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Cooling time: 5 minutes

Instructions

For the apple purée, peel, core and roughly chop the apples. Put the apples and a splash of water in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes or until tender. Stir and mash the apples, still over the heat, until broken down – they should be mushy and quite thick. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. It is fine to have a little bit of texture, but if you prefer a smooth sauce, whiz in a food processor or use a hand-held blender and purée until smooth. The purée will keep for 3–4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It also freezes well for a couple of months – portion the purée into small containers or spoon into ice-cube trays, freeze and seal in an airtight container.

Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F (fan-forced). Generously grease two 6-hole 80 ml (2½ fl oz/⅓ cup) capacity donut tins with the melted butter. (If you don't have two, don't worry, they will be fine cooked in two batches.)

Beat the pumpkin, apple purée, eggs, oil or butter, mixed spice and stevia (if using) with an electric mixer until smooth. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and stir into the pumpkin mixture until just combined. 

Put the batter in a piping bag fitted with a 1.5 cm (½ in) plain nozzle (or use a large sealable plastic bag with the corner snipped off) and pipe the mixture into the prepared donut holes (alternatively, you can spoon the batter in). Fill each hole about two-thirds full.

Bake for 10–12 minutes or until well-risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Carefully loosen the donuts and turn onto

a wire rack.

While the donuts are still warm (but no longer fragile), gently toss them with the combined spice powder ingredients. 

These donuts are best served warm from the oven, but will keep for 2–3 days stored in an airtight container.

 Note

• Apple purée helps to add bulk to recipes that have had the cane sugar removed, as well as providing natural sweetness and fibre. Peel, core and roughly chop 4 large apples (about 800 g/1 lb 12 oz). Put the apples and a splash of water in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes or until tender. Stir and mash the apples, still over the heat, until broken down – they should be mushy and quite thick. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. It is fine to have a little bit of texture, but if you prefer a smooth sauce, whiz in a food processor or use a hand-held blender and purée until smooth. The purée will keep for 3–4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It also freezes well for a couple of months – portion the purée into small containers or spoon into ice-cube trays, freeze and seal in an airtight container. Makes 600 g (1 lb 5 oz/2 cups).

This recipe is from Incredible Bakes (Smith Street Books). Photography by Chris Middleton. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Donut moulds come in trays to make 6 donuts – if you don’t have two trays, these are fine to cook in two batches. If you don’t have donut tins, you can bake these in a couple of standard muffin tins; they just won’t be donuts!