Baked Orange Donuts

I got up early Valentine's Day to make my husband some baked donuts for breakfast.  I had just bought some oranges and decided that was a good change from baked lemon donuts I have made before.  Besides, I didn't have any lemons!

Baking makes them a little less decadent, but they are still a special treat.

   

Baked Orange Donuts

2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons melted butter
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
zest from one orange
1/3 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
zest from one orange

   


Spray donut baking pans with Pam and preheat the oven to 425°.


   

Zest and squeeze two oranges.

   

Place the sugar and zest of one orange in a medium bowl, stir and let it sit to combine flavors.

   

In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt.

   

Stir the melted butter into the sugar mixture.

   

Add the beaten eggs, orange juice and vanilla.  Whisk to combine.

   

Add half the sugar mixture and half the milk to the flour and stir.  Then add the rest of the liquids to the batter and mix, just until combined.

You can try to spoon the batter into the donut shapes on the pans, but it can get messy. The easiest way is to fill a quart sized Ziploc bag with the batter and pipe it into the donut pan.

   

Roll the top of the bag down and scoop the batter into it.  Grab the bag above the batter and snip of fa small bit of one corner. Then you can easily pipe the batter into the donut shapes without dripping all over the place.  Then just toss the Ziploc bag.

   

Bake for 8-9 minutes. I needed 9 minutes.

   

Let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Use a plastic knife to remove them to the cooling rack.

While the donuts bake,  prepare the glaze.  Whisk the zest and juice into the powdered sugar until smooth.

   

Place some waxed paper under the cooling rack to catch the drips from the glaze.  Grab the donuts from the bottom and twist the tops in the glaze.  Return them top side up to the rack.  I had enough glaze to dip the donuts twice.

   

   

I served the donuts with scrambled eggs. It seemed like a (mostly) healthy meal to me!

   

Lee liked it, at least.