What is it about chilling weather that makes one want to grab a steamy drink and a sweet treat?
Although everything pumpkin spice may not entice, goodies made with real pumpkin are not only delicious, but healthy. And we all know that an apple a day keeps the doctor away – or so the saying goes.
Pumpkin offers such nutrients as vitamins A, E, and C, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, selenium, iron, magnesium, and beta-carotene. And using real pumpkin in recipes is super easy. Cut a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy middle, place inside part down on a cookie sheet covered in a little water, and bake at 350-degrees for about 30-40 minutes, or until a knife goes easily through the rind. Scoop out what is needed for the recipe and then freeze the rest.
Enjoy pumpkin donuts that are not super filling or calorie-laden. This recipe is by The Conscious Plant Kitchen.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups self-rising flour
- ¼ cup light olive oil
- 1 ⅓ cups pumpkin puree – canned (or fresh)
- 1 tsp. pumpkin spices (can be nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, pumpkin pie, etc.)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- Coating for donuts:
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spices (can be nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, pumpkin pie, etc.)
- 3 Tbs. coconut oil – melted
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Oil generously two 12-hole mini muffin pans with cooking oil. This recipe makes about 16 donut holes, so you do not have to oil all of them.
In a mixing bowl, stir oil, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spices, brown sugar, and self-rising flour until it forms a sticky muffin batter. Use a small cookie dough scoop to fill each muffin hole.
Bake the donut holes for 13-15 minutes at 350-degrees until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Flip the pan upside down on a cooling rack and let them cool for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, melt some coconut oil in a small mixing bowl in the microwave in 30-second bursts. In a small bowl, stir sugar and pumpkin spices. Use a pastry brush to brush each muffin donut hole and immediately roll it into the pumpkin spice sugar.
Apple Fritters
Ingredients:
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups cinnamon applesauce – if plain, add 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 cups granny smith green apples (about three apples), peeled, cored, diced in small cubes
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Glaze for fritters:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tbs. almond milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with silicone mats or baking paper that are safe for use with an oven broiler. You can also use the baking sheet directly, but it gets hard to clean. Oil the paper generously with cooking oil. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, add self-rising flour, cinnamon (if your applesauce is not cinnamon-flavored), and sugar. Whisk to combine. Fold in applesauce and stir until it forms a thick, moist batter. Don’t over-mix. Fold in chopped apples and stir to incorporate evenly.
Drop heaping tablespoons of batter on the baking sheet, leaving a thumb space between each fritter. (Recipe makes about 27 small fritters.) Don’t make big fritters; for the best texture, keep them small.
Place baking sheet in the center rack of the oven, one baking sheet at a time, keeping the second one on the kitchen countertop while the first one bakes. Bake the fritters for 18-21 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and turn the oven to broiler 420 °F (210 °C)—no more, as baking paper can’t handle broiler over 425 °F!
Meanwhile, make the glazing, stir icing sugar, vanilla extract, and almond milk.
For crispy baked apple fritters, brush a little bit of the glazing on top of each warm fritter and broil on the top rack of the oven for 2-3 minutes, keeping a close eye on them so they don’t burn. When golden brown, remove from the oven. Let them cool for 10 minutes on a rack, then dip them in the glaze and return them to the rack to let the excess glazing drip down.