Vegan MoFo #11: Award-Winning Pumpkin Donuts

Remember that Great Pumpkin Cook Off I told you about?


Here is my entry for the sweet category - donuts with maple and cinnamon sugar!! What could be better than this? (Nothing...)

EDIT // My donuts won FIRST PLACE in the sweet category! Woohoo!!! They were the talk of the event, and the judges were raving about them. People were literally stockpiling them by the plateful (I'm not kidding. One lady literally ate like 4 donuts in five minutes). Now you have even more of a reason to try these babies! :)

Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Icing
Makes approximately 20 donuts
Ingredients:
1 T. flaxseed meal, mixed with 2 T. warm water
1/4 c. unsweetened almond milk, mixed with 1/4 t. apple cider vinegar
1 3/4 c. unbleached all purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. evaporated cane juice
2 T. Earth Balance butter
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. cooked pumpkin puree
Oil for frying

Icing:
1 c. powdered sugar
5 T. maple syrup (more if you want a thinner, more drippy icing)

Topping:
Cinnamon sugar (mix 1/2 c. evaporated cane juice with 2 1/2 t. cinnamon)

Directions:
1. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and cane juice until evenly distributed.
3. Add the flaxseed mixture and mix until combined. Add vanilla, pumpkin, and almond milk mixture. Stir until combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients. I just dump it all in at once, but it's probably better to do this in batches.
5. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
6. Press or roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using the top of a round glass, press down into the dough. You should make a nice little circle cut out. Then, take an apple corer (or just use a knife) and cut out a small circle in the middle. Now you have your donut and your donut hole!
7. Set holes and donuts on a lightly floured baking sheet until you have finished cutting all of your donuts out.
8. Heat several inches of oil (I used canola) in a heavy pot over medium heat. Once hot, slide donuts in the oil to fry. I would fry 2-3 large donuts or 3-5 donut holes at one time. Rotate the donuts until golden brown on both sides. Remove for oil, place on a rack lined with paper towels to drain, and allow to cool.
9. While cooling, mix together the powdered sugar and maple syrup to form your icing. Take each donut and dip one side in the icing. Make sure it's covered completely! Before the icing hardens, sprinkle the tops with a good amount of cinnamon sugar.
10. Bon appetite!

What is your favorite kind of donut?
Much love,