Cinnamon Baked Doughnut Holes

I was reminded of the National Doughnut Day that fell on 6 June 2014 when I was clearing my email inbox as I came across a mailer which I have subscribed from this famous doughnut brand, which created a craze (and was there an overnight queuing?!) when it first launched in Singapore last October. I was astonished when I was told of the prices of the doughnuts sold there compared with the prices of the doughnuts sold here in United States. @_@

During my childhood days, I remember my Mum would often buy us the "traditional" sugar-coated doughnut rings and doughnut holes on a skewer from our neighbourhood bakery for our tea-time snacks. Unlike these days, the assortment of doughnuts I could recall came only in chocolate coated, chocolate coated sprinkles and chocolate coated nuts back then. And if I wasn't wrong, each assorted doughnut cost only a dollar or slightly over. It is unbelievable how the prices of the fancy doughnuts these days have sky-rocketed (let alone the cause of inflation) just with its novelty transformation and branding. But well, it has been proven that there are still people who are willing to queue and pay for it. 

I've never thought of making doughnuts at home because of the dough proofing and oil frying involved until I pullout this recipe which I have bookmarked sometime ago from what I've watched on my all-time favourite food channel. 

Cinnamon Baked Doughnut Holes

The addition of the cinnamon spice to the doughnut and coating creates an elegant touch and taste to the plain sugar coated version I had during childhood which was already tasty. Unfortunately I ran out of skewers, or else savouring these doughnut holes from a skewer would have resembled much like every bite taken during the childhood days. ^_^

Cinnamon Baked Doughnut Holes

Recipe referenced and modified from: Food Network (Ina Garten)
Makes four dozens

Ingredients Required

Baking spray with flour*
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

*Alternatively, grease each cavity of the mini muffin pan with butter and dust with flour.

For the coating
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Bakeware Used

Two 24-cavity mini muffin pans

Preparation Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. 
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. 
4. Using the whisk, stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.
5. Spray the mini muffin pans well with baking spray.
6. Spoon one tablespoon of batter into each cavity and bake for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
7. Allow doughnut holes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out the doughnut holes onto a baking sheet (or any large plate).

For the coating

1. Melt the 8 tablespoons of butter in a microwave bowl and let it cool slightly.
2. In a separate small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon until well combined.
3. Dip the doughnut holes in the melted butter and then roll the doughnut holes in the cinnamon sugar until well coated.

Look at how nicely each "dome" has formed. Aren't they cute? *_*

The Dream Baker's Experiment

1. The original source recipe uses two six-cavity doughnut pans and makes 12 standard size doughnut rings.
2. The original source recipe did not specify the type of sugar used and I've used granulated sugar in my experiment. However, I would recommend using caster sugar for the coating to create a better bite texture. The coating with granulated sugar gave a coarser bite.
3. I used normal table salt instead of kosher salt because I didn't have any.
4. I used an extra-large egg which weighed approximately 64 grams (with shell on).
5. I omitted nutmeg and used 2% reduced fat milk instead of whole milk.
6. The amount of melted butter used for the coating in my above recipe is 1.5 times of the original source recipe while the quantities of sugar and cinnamon are 3 times of the original source recipe. They were used up for all my baked doughnut holes.
7. I placed the muffin pan in the middle rack of the oven and baked, one pan at a time, for 17 minutes (varies across different ovens).

I used a daisy pan since I only have one regular mini muffin pan. No "dome"was formed for these daisy-shaped doughnut holes though.

Before (left picture) and after (right picture) the daisy-shaped doughnut holes were coated with cinnamon sugar.  Try something fanciful and turn them into individual lolli-doughnut holes by piercing a lollipop stick (too bad I didn't have any) into each of these.
I am sharing this post with the event, Little Thumbs Up (June 2014: Butter) organised by Bake For Happy Kids and My Little Favourite DIY hosted by Jozelyn of Spice Up My Kitchen.

I am also sharing this post to the event, AlphaBakes (June 2014: Letter "D") hosted by Caroline of Caroline Makes and Ros of The More than Occasional Baker because "D" is for Doughnut (Holes)!

Last but not least, I am submitting this post to Treat Petite June 2014 theme, Childhood Memories hosted by Stuart of Cakeyboi and Kat of The Baking Explorer because doughnuts never fail to remind me of my childhood tea-time. *_*

Dare to dream.

The Dream Baker