Thursday

Mini Baked Doughnuts





First of all, thank you for all of the kind comments, emails, and beautiful cards regarding the passing of our dog Cinnie girl. You all touched my heart and your kindness has been overwhelming.  Yes, 'just a dog' but never the less, a member of our family and daily life.


It has been a little difficult to get back into the kitchen . . . 
she was a 'food-driven' dog, and always my companion while I prepped, cooked and baked. 


But, there were boundaries. Our cooktop is on a center island, which opens to the great/family room.  She was not allowed to come on "the working side" of the island counter, and she knew her boundaries well. However, she always kept me company on the 'other' side of the island. Nose and ears alert in case some 'goodie' happened to hit the floor.  


Whenever I 'chop' on the cutting board I expect to see her sitting up attentively just waiting for me to say "Ooops", that was her signal to come and do 'floor duty" for some scrap that had gone astray.  


Gosh I miss her.  Thank you again friends, for your kind thoughts and compassion while we're healing.




Each day it becomes a little easier.






~*~*~*~*~*~







Like much of the Northwest coast of North America we received an unusual summer downpour a day or so ago.  Instead of the usual light summer sprinkle, this storm brought over an inch of rain to our area. Yikes!

 Sunny day gardening was put aside, and a little baking was on the agenda instead.

And to preface ~ I must say, doughnuts are a very rare indulgence around here these days. I do make old fashioned homemade fried doughnuts every couple of years on very, very special occasions, but they are not a regular indulgence at my house by any means. (Nor are store/bakery-bought doughnuts.) 


So these seemed like a fair alternative, and it was the perfect opportunity to try out my new mini-doughnut pans.  


Big plus... they are baked, not fried.  :) 










After comparing a bunch of "mini-size" doughnut baking pans I chose this one by NorPro®.  Number one, because I've been pleased with their quality of baking pans in the past, plus these do not produce 'micro-mini' size doughnuts (1-inch to 1.5-inch in diameter) which I've seen elsewhere, these are 2-inches in diameter (similar to the mini-size made by Hostess, etc. as you'll likely find in the grocery store.)


Most mini-doughnut recipes yield between 24 to 48 mini-doughnuts, so I bought two pans and they have worked out perfectly.


I used the recipe that came with the package which I thought was 'okay'. . . but I noted a little too much baking soda aftertaste. There is also a recipe for chocolate doughnuts on the package which I haven't tried yet. Next time I'll try the recipe from Wilton Company*, which includes buttermilk, and a little less baking soda.  

Each of the recipes come together very quickly and the little pans bake up in less than 10 minutes. 


Hint, if you try these, use a piping bag or a zip-bag with a corner snipped to help fill the pans neatly, and only fill each mold 1/2 full. 

I dipped the baked and cooled doughnuts with a simple confectioner's sugar glaze flavored with vanilla extract, then decorated with nonpareils.  Decorate them any way you like!  A dip in some dark, warm ganache, sprinkled with chopped toasted nuts, shredded coconut, or any frosting/icing you like. You can also shake them in a paper bag with confectioner's sugar, or cinnamon sugar while still warm.




Two-bite size, they are perfect with a spot of tea, or a cuppa joe (or a glass of icy cold milk.) And they take no more time to make than an average cookie recipe.


If you like cake stye doughnuts, I think you will like these and recommend that you give them a try.  










* When I make these using the Wilton recipe I'll post a review about it.

Thanks for stopping by today and for any comments you would like to share.  I appreciate each one so much. 

~mari


Yummy Mummy

I'm joining Yummy Mummy for her Yummy Friday Linky Party!

and






Michael Lee @ Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday, too!



NOTE: For anyone interested in the pans with the smaller capacity (NOT the one I used for these donuts) you can find them by clicking the link:  Nonstick 12-Cavity "1-3/4 inch" Mini Donut Pan













20 comments:

  1. Mari I am so sorry about your dear dog. After our Beau died it took me a while to realized WHY our kitchen floors were suddenly so messy all the time. My kitchen helper was gone.

    Your mini-donut post is so timely! I have the pan sitting out on my counter and I'm planning on making them this afternoon. I'm going to use the recipe that came with the pan so I'll let you know (or blog about it) how it turns out.

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  2. Mari,
    I know what you mean about certain things spurring memories of little furry friends that have passed away. So many things still remind me of our sweet, funny Airdale, Tucker. He always made us laugh no matter how dark the day!
    These donuts are just lovely and sound wonderful. Love your photos, so............ pretty! Thanks, Chris

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  3. Could they be any cuter? I thought I was done with pans..Now I am thinking..why not one more in the future?
    I like Norpro products..this post of yours may sell a few.
    Mary we love you and care for you.. we are thinking you:)

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  4. Oh..I'm so sorry for your dog....I just hug you..because I know what your heart feels!!!!

    Anyway your mini doughnuts are wonderful....where can I find the complete recipe??? Thank you....hugs, hugs hugs, Flavia

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  5. those are adorable, little bites of fun~

    i know how much you miss cinnie, when tucker died i had no one to hoover up after me... i would automatically throw food on the floor, and no one was there :( thank goodness you have a trio to come lick the place clean :)

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  6. So sorry for your lose. A lose of your dog is never "just a dog" espically to you. They have been a important part of your life. I want to Thank You for all you wonderful post over over the years. I love following your food life as well as pieces of your personal. I was wondering if you could tell me what type of camera you use. I am in the market for a new camera and just love the crisp clear photos you have?
    Thank You
    Helen Ernst
    numduck@verizon.net
    helenernst.blogspot.com

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  7. Aren't they just the cutest little thangs?? My sweet little Caroline would go bonkers over these sweet treats. I'll be anxiously awaiting your review of the recipe.

    On a side note, our FL neighbors had a dog they named "Hoover" because he cleaned up every speck that fell on the floor. Your description of Cinnie girl jogged that funny memory.

    Hugs,
    Rett

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  8. Off to buy pans, I am inspired. Lovely post. ((hugs))

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  9. Mary, I know how much you are hurting. Stetson, my foodie sheltie has been gone 4 years and I still look for him sometimes when I'm peeling potatoes or at clean up time. He never met a food he didn't like. Well except for escargot.

    Love the mini donuts. I might just have to find me one of those donut pans.
    Ann

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  10. So cute! So glad I found you via Designs by Gollum. I hope you can join the Momtrends recipe linky and share your divine creation:

    http://www.momtrends.com/2011/07/friday-food-recipe-linky/

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  11. Oh I am so sorry for your loss. Our pets become members of the family and it's so hard to lose them.

    Thank you for linking this adorable recipe! I adore your blog and am following now. I've been meaning to make baked donuts. Thanks for the inspiration! Yours are the cutest ever. Xx
    http://yummymummykitchen.com

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  12. Well, now I need a mini-doughnut pan (or two)!! Those are just so cute - just the perfect bite of sweet. Love that!

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  13. More warm hugs for you my sweet friend...((((hugs))))
    I hope each day becomes brighter for you...
    Those do-nuts look incredible...
    you amaze me!
    L~xoxoxoxoxox

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  14. Andrea, Your Beau sounds like he was a sweetheart. You know, actually I believe it was a link you posted recently which inspired me to look into the mini-doughnuts! :D Can't wait to hear your review ... did you get the Wilton pan? I'll be curious to learn how you like the recipe that is included. As I mentioned, I thought the recipe which comes with the Norpro pan contained too much baking soda. I'm going to experiment with other recipes.

    Chris, your Tucker must have been so loved, and now so missed. Thank you for your understanding.

    Monique, me too. I promised myself I wouldn't be buying any more molds or shaped baking pans. I couldn't resist... I bought two in order to make the batch go faster. ;) Thank you for your kind words.

    Flavia, Thank you for your kind words, so nice of you. The recipes come with the pans when you buy them, but I wouldn't recommend the recipe I used :( (see first comment). However, I googled Wilton's recipe for Mini Doughnuts and found it on this lovely blog:

    http://glorioustreats.blogspot.com/2011/06/baked-mini-cake-doughnuts-with-maple.html

    That's the recipe I'm going to try next!

    Jain, my heart went out to you upon the loss of your sweet Tucker, too. I didn't know Cinnie would follow down a similar path so soon afterwards. Now you have 12 doggie paws to keep you company and your floors clean! :D

    Helen, What a sweet comments, thank you very much. ((hugs)) The cameras I use now are Canon, one is a Rebel T1i (I like it because it is lighter in weight than my other Canon or my Nikon.) My other Canon is a EOS 50D, more well built and smoother in operation than the Rebel, but I usually grab the Rebel when heading out the door because of it's slightly smaller size, and lighter weight. There is a newer version of the Rebel, you can google it to learn more. I like to go to amazon.com to read the reviews from actual users. Of course, the lenses you choose are a highly personal decision, depending upon what results you want. I usually shoot food with a Canon Macro EF-S 60mm 1:2.8, or Cannon Macro 100mm. If you go with either of these Canon models and you don't want to use a 'fixed' lens, you might look into the Canon EFS 18-200mm zoom lens. I've been playing with that one for about 6 months or so; it's a versatile all-around lens.

    Hi Rett, Thank you for your comments. :) How funny that your Florida neighbor's dog would do the same floor duty ... and was appropriately named. So cute!!

    Kathleen, I hope you have fun with your pans! If you click the link I posted above (Glorious Treats), the author shows and shared a recipe for maple glazed doughnuts... they look so good!

    Ann, I remember Stetson, such a beautiful boy, I know he had a wonderful life with you and Moe. It's difficult to believe it has been four years already, they really do leave paw prints on our hearts forever
    don't they? BTW, my favorite doughnut recipe is the King Arthur Flour version you shared a few years back on a message board . . . those are the best and not one bit greasy.

    Nicole, thank you for stopping by ~ I'll definitely go stop by Momtrends! Thank you for letting us know about it, and for the invitation.

    Hi Yummy Mummy! I adore your blog, so fresh and appealing ~ very nice! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. ((hugs))

    Lori, They are so petite I can almost convince myself that they barely have any calories ~ ha ha!! But the little doughnuts are just a perfect size when you're craving just a bite or two of something sweet.

    Linda-Girl, you are so kind. It's true, each day is a little easier, but there are 'moments', just as with any loss... I hope you're having a great time with all of your guys home with you, I know they are in for some good eats!


    I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend ~ and if you celebrate Independence Day, have a fun time celebrating the 4th! xoxo ~m.

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  15. These donuts look so lovely... And the tin you bake them in is great...

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  16. HI! Where haven you seen the micro mini donuts?
    I've been searching for those pan crazily.
    can you tell me where i can find them?
    THANKS!!

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  17. Hi OnigiriLoves, There is a link (with picture) as to where to buy the pans in my post . . . (they are available through amazon.com)

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  18. er nonono, it the micro mini donut pans that you mentioned that are 1" to 1.5" diameter (:

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  19. OnigiriLoves, I revised the post to include the information about the smaller capacity doughnut pans (scroll all the way down to the bottom of the post and you'll find the lnk.) Cheers!

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Thank you for your comments, friends ~ they make my day!

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