Baked Mini Gingerbread Doughnuts

Day 8 of the 12 Days of Christmas Gluttony!!

Why did I make this recipe?  Because they're super cute.  Why is it great for the holidays?  A) you don't feel as bad eating mini things and B) these are AMAZINGLY good!  They've got a bit of gingerbread spice that's nice (ha!) and the glaze on top will just knock your stockings off.  It's like this caramel-y butterscotch-y glaze that just pushes these doughnuts to the next level.  The only thing now is to keep myself from finishing the whole batch off before the family arrives...  *sigh*  I have such a hard life...  Enjoy!

Tools needed:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mini donut pan
• Wire cooling rack
• Medium pot or saucepan 
• Spatula
• 2 medium bowl
• Whisk
• Sifter or fine mesh sieve
• Piping bag or plastic bag with corner you can cut off
• Olive oil spray or butter

Ingredients:
Gingerbread Doughnut

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon milk (you can substitute buttermilk, almond milk, whatever milk you like)
• 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

Glaze

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a mini donut pan with olive oil spray or butter.  Set aside.  

2.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and salt.  Whisk in brown sugar.  Add butter and using the pastry cutter, mix and cut the butter until the entire mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, maples syrup and milk.  Add this mixture to the dry mixture and mix until just until the flour mixture disappears - do not overmix or your doughnuts will become gummy/chewy!  Pour mixture into a piping bag or thicker plastic bag.  If you're using a plastic bag, try to pour all of the mixture into one corner and then cut 1 cm of the corner off to use it like a piping bag.

4.  Pipe dough into prepared mini donut pan - only fill it 1/2 to 3/4 of the way or else your donuts won't have holes (and they'll be mini muffins then...).  

5.  Bake for 7-9 minutes or until doughnut springs back when touched/poked.  Remove from oven and allow doughnuts to cool for 3-4 minutes before moving to a wire rack to completely cool.  

6.  For the glaze: in a medium pot/saucepan, melt butter with brown sugar over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and have it boil for 2 minutes, whisking occasionally (scraping the bottom).  The mixture would have darkened in colour and would be thicker - add a tablespoon of buttermilk (there will be lots of steaming and bubbling but don't be scared!), whisk until completely incorporated and bring back to a boil.  Add powdered sugar and whisk until thoroughly incorporated.  Stir in last tablespoon of buttermilk to help thin out the frosting.  Switch to lowest heat possible and dunk each doughnut into the glaze and set onto wire rack to allow it to cool and harden.  This may be a lot of extra steps but it is WORTH IT!

7.  Eat and enjoy!

(Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum)