Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts

 


We are awfully fond of doughnuts in this house.  I especially like the Crispy Cremes we can get at the local Tesco and on the Motorway.  Occasionally I will buy a box to treat the missionaries with, and  . . . we have been known to indulge in one or two when we are on a lengthy trip along the motorway.  But deep fried doughnuts are a once in a blue moon treat for us, which is as it should be.

 

I am not adverse to baking doughnuts however.  I bought myself several doughnut baking pans last year and I break them out every so often.  Baked doughnuts are still a real treat, except they are not fried.  I guess they are a bit like muffins, except they are shaped like doughnuts.  What's not to like about that?

 In the past year I have made . . .



Baked Chai Spice Doughnuts.



Honey Glazed Granola Doughnuts.



Baked Chocolate Buttermilk Doughnuts.



White Chocolate Drizzled Gingerbread Doughnuts.  




Jam Filled Baked Cinnamon Doughnuts.



Glazed Red Velvet Baked Doughnuts.

I have to say that each variety was quite delicious in their own right.   Today though . . . I baked a new favourite.   Carrot Cake Doughnuts.



How could you not fall in love with your favourite flavour of cake . . . in doughnut form???  It's not humanly possible I don't think.   Enjoy.



*Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts*
Makes one dozen

Printable Recipe  

Your favourite cake in a doughnut.   Simple and quick to make and very tasty.  You can sub soy milk for the regular milk for a dairy free version if you like and leave out the icing.   Just drizzle with honey whilst still warm in that case.

300g self raising flour (2 cups)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

75g toasted walnut pieces (3/4 cup)

115g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)

2 large free range eggs, beaten

200ml of milk (generous 3.4 cup)

150ml of sunflower oil (scant 2/3 cup)

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp orange extract (can use the finely grated zest of one orange)

For the glaze:

150g of cream cheese (5 ounces)

(Do not use no fat)

50g sifted icing sugar (1/3 cup)

1 tsp lemon juice
chopped toasted walnut pieces, optional

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Grease well two six cup doughnut pans.  I use nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nuts together in a bowl.   In a separate measure whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, milk, oil and extracts.   Stir in the carrot.   Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix to just combine.  Spoon into the prepared donut pans.  I find 3 dessert spoons in each is sufficient.



Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until risen and golden.   Allow to rest in the pans for about 5 minutes before tipping out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

To make the glaze, beat together all of the ingredients.  It should be thick but slightly drizzable.  Spoon over or dip the tops of the  baked doughnuts in this mixture, swirling to coat.  Sprinkle with toasted walnut pieces before the glaze sets.



Ohhhhhhhhhhhh  SO delicious!  I do hope you will give them a try!  I just know you are going to love them too!

Grilled Pancetta Mac & Cheese Sarnie (Sandwich)

We have a couple of Missionary Elders coming for tea tonight and one of them doesn't like Vegetables.  I know!  I cannot imagine not like vegetables!  Anyways, I made a nice Macaroni and Cheese for supper, which I will serve with some Gammon and carrots (the only vegetable he will eat) and a salad.(which he won't eat, but I have to have salad!)



I had too much macaroni and cheese for the baking dish and so I decided to lend my hand to doing something tasty with the bit that didn't fit.  I know . . . I can't help it, the wheels in my culinary head are always turning.



I can't claim to have invented this . . . but it's new to me.  If you've already done this, I haven't stolen your recipe.  We are just great minds that think alike!  (What a fab idea to think that the world is filled with great minds thinking alike!)  They say there is nothing new under the sun, only new ways of doing things.   I expect that is true. 



I decided to create a Grilled Macaroni and Cheese Sandwich, and then I decided as I was gathering my goodies that it would taste even better with crisp pancetta between the layers. 



Each bite brings the taste of buttery toasted bread |(Garlicky if  you have used garlic mayo instead of butter), salty crisp pancetta and creamy peppery macaroni and cheese!  WOWSA!  This was FABULOUS!



I was too afraid to eat the whole thing.  My arteries were constricting just thinking about it so I tortured the Toddster with half of it.  He seemed to enjoy it as well.   Now I am pondering what else I can do to this to take it even further over the top. Any ideas???  (I think some rocket/arugula would be a nice addition.  Next time!!)

*Grilled Pancetta, Mac & Cheese Sarnies*

Makes one

Printable Recipe  

My instructions and amounts are for one sandwich, but can easily be upped to more.  I used my homemade macaroni and cheese for this, before it was baked in the oven.  I just removed about a cup of it and then put the rest into the casserole dish to bake a bit later on.  

2 slices good white bread

4 slices of pancetta, cooked until crisp

softened butter or garlic mayo

about 1 cup of prepared good macaroni and cheese
a small handful of grated cheddar cheese

Fresh ground black pepper

Butter the outsides of the bread with some softened butter or garlic mayonnaise.  Place the grated cheese on the un-buttered side of one slice of bread and spread the macaroni and cheese on the un-buttered side of the other slice.   Grind a goodly amount of black pepper on the macaroni and cheese.  Lay the slices of cooked pancetta on top of the cheese on the other slice.  Carefully press the two sides together, taking care that the plain buttered sides are on the outside.  Heat a small nonstick skillet.  Carefully add the sandwich and brown first on one side, then flip over and brown on the other side.   Wait a few minutes and then slice into halves or quarters and enjoy!  

Note:  If you really want to be hedonistic, you can brown them in the fat leftover from cooking the pancetta.  I'm not going to admit to this.  ;-) 

You can find a really good Mac & Cheese recipe here.