Spiced Pumpkin Doughnut Puffs with Caramel Dipping Sauce

I bloody love doughnuts!  Just plain cinnamon and sugar is my absolute fave, and still warm….they have to be warm.  Crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy in the middle.  I’m not a fan of the bready, heavy doughnut that many bakeries sell, so when I have a hankering for a doughnut, I like to make these.   Truth be told they’re not an actual doughnut (there is no yeast involved) but they have the flavours of a doughnut without the palaver of waiting for dough to prove and deep frying….I hate deep frying, not because of the health aspect, but I just can’t be bothered….and then there is the issue with what to do with the oil afterwards.  Don’t get me wrong I do deep fry occasionally but sometimes I just want the easy option ;) 

This recipe is inspired by Donna Hay’s doughnut puffs in her Basics to Brilliance Kids cookbook, however, I’ve changed it up a bit by adding pumpkin, spices and a dipping caramel.  

Good luck stopping at one…

Mel xoxo

Spiced Pumpkin Doughnut Puffs with Caramel Dipping Sauce

makes 24

Ingredients

30g butter

1 tsp mixed spice

250g pumpkin, grated

235g plain flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

110g caster sugar

100g unsalted butter, melted

2 eggs, lightly beaten

150ml milk

generous pinch of salt

Dusting Sugar

110g caster sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

50g unsalted butter, melted

Caramel Dipping Sauce

150g brown sugar

100ml cream

75g unsalted butter

Method

Preheat oven to 180C and grease a 24 x 1/8 cup capacity non-stick patty pan tin. 

Begin by preparing the pumpkin.  Heat a small saucepan over low-medium heat and add the 30g butter and mixed spice.  Once the butter has melted and is beginning to sizzle, add the grated pumpkin and stir gently for approximately 5 minutes until the pumpkin is cooked and soft.  Spoon the cooked pumpkin into a bowl and set aside until required.  In the same saucepan, melt the 100g of butter.  Once melted, remove from heat and add the milk and eggs and lightly beat until combined.

Into a mixing bowl, sift the flour and baking powder then add the sugar and salt.   Make a well in the centre and add the wet mixture.  Whisk until combined then add the cooked pumpkin and continue whisking until smooth.

Divide the mixture between the prepared tins, filling just to below the top of the tin.  I find it easiest and cleanest to use a piping bag for this (snap lock bags work well too), however you can also just spoon the mixture in.

Bake for 12 minutes until puffed up and golden.

Whilst the puffs are cooking, prepare the dusting sugar by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a  small bowl.  In a small saucepan melt the butter.

Remove the puffs from the oven and allow them to cool in the tin for a minute or two before turning out onto a wire rack.  Whilst the puffs are still hot, using a pastry brush, brush them all over with melted butter.  Toss them in the cinnamon sugar.

Now for the caramel dipping sauce.  Add the sauce ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the sugar is dissolved - around 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and pour into a serving bowl.

Eat the doughnuts whilst still warm by dipping into the sauce and making a little piggy of yourself.