Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Welp, I'm back from my beach vacation and am now writing this post next to my snowy window. Sorry for the lack of posting this week. I have no excuse except that I was crying about the foot of snow I came back to (and the sun rash covering my body is super itchy, but that's a post coming soon).

To make up for my absence, I am giving you donuts. Yes, donuts. The most magical food on the planet. Although I obvi can't bring real donuts to all of my dedicated followers (I'm talking you- Mandi, Whit, Amy and Danimal), I shall instead give you a wondrous baked donut recipe that your mouths, friends and thighs will love.

Donuts are the best. They are one of those foods that are so good, so light, so airy that I can't possibly imagine ever, actually, achieving their perfection. I'm content with letting the professionals fry up those little rings of perfection (frying scares me) and me just eating them. However, when I found Shutterbean's recipe for baked donuts, I became intrigued. I can bake! I'm not scared of mixing and turning on the oven! So I tried the recipe, and the donuts were gooooood. I adapted the recipe a bit, using a buttermilk substitute and making donut holes instead of rings. The results were glorious. Make them this weekend for brunch. Make them tonight for dessert. Make them now. You won't regret it.

Brush with with melted butter. Shh, I won't tell.

Dip in cinnamon/sugar. The cinnamon makes it healthy, right?

A cinnamon/sugar bath.

So moist (worst word ever) and delicious.

Get in my mouth.

Enjoy with a cup of coffee. Nom nom nom nom.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts (adopted from Shutterbean)

makes 24 donut holes

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute)

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

FOR THE TOPPING:

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup sugar

1-2 tbsp cinnamon (depending on how cinnamon-y you like it)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a donut pan. If you don't have a donut pan (like me), use a mini muffin pan for donut holes or a regular muffin pan for muffin donuts!

In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, butter and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Pour batter into greased pan until 2/3 full. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until donuts are puffed up and golden. Cool for 5 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack.

While donuts finish cooling, make the topping. Whisk the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Lightly brush each donut with butter on all sides. Dip the donuts into the cinnamon/sugar mixture until completely covered. Enjoy!