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Posts Tagged ‘pumpkin’

Friday Favorites and Southwestern Pumpkin Burgers

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , on September 20, 2013| 4 Comments »

I made the world’s best tasting vegan burgers!

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But first, Friday Favorites! It was really hard for me not to do all Friday Favorites this summer, especially with music, but I managed to contain myself! Here’s a few from this week:

Lorde- Royals. Poor Matt had to listen to this at least 10 times during the Cape trip. Every time it came on, I belted it out. Love it.

A Day in the Life of a Food Blogger I’m no where near this cool. I’m lucky if I change out of my pjs

The Republic of Tea’s Pumpkin Spice Black Tea. I’m pretty much the only person in the universe who doesn’t like Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes. This, though…this is delicious! I found mine last year at Crate & Barrel but I believe this link is the same kind I have.

tea

Laurel Hill Pumpkin Seed Tortilla Chips. Your answer to a savory, salty pumpkin fix. Because clearly we need pumpkin in all parts of our life!

chips

The Neighbourhood- Sweater Weather.

 

And incase you aren’t totally OD’ed on pumpkin stuff already, I made these pumpkin burgers this week and they are Ah-Maz-Ing! I can’t even stress how flavorful they are!

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Southwester Pumpkin Burgers
modified from Eating Well

  • 6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped red or green bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn ( I used fresh and it was delicious!)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 cup canned unseasoned pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup toasted pecans, processed in the food processor until fine (or 1/2 c. toasted wheat germ)
  • 1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste
  1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in bell pepper, corn, garlic, chili powder and cumin; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl; let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add pumpkin, pecans, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper to the onion mixture; mix well. With dampened hands, form the vegetable mixture into six 1/2-inch-thick patties, using about 1/2 cup for each. Firmly, squeeze the ingredients together so they won’t crumbly in the pan.
  3. Using 2 teaspoons oil per batch, cook 2 to 4 patties at a time in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned and heated through, about 4 minutes per side. Adjust heat as necessary for even browning.

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You can serve these on a tortilla, a hamburger bun or on top of a salad. I have had them all three ways and it’s great. This week, I have been serving them hot on top of a salad with spinach, bell peppers, tomatoes, avocado and salsa. Black beans would be delicious, too. I think the salsa and avocado are a must no matter how you serve them, though.

These burgers are so packed with flavor. I have served them to just about everyone (mostly meat eaters) and I haven’t had a single complaint. They are amazing. They do get soft when they are refrigerated, so be aware of that. It doesn’t take away from the taste, though. To reheat them, I like to bake them at 350 for about 20 minutes.

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Know what else these taste good with? Pumpkin Seed tortilla chips and a pumpkin beer. Am I embracing Fall or what?

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Pumpkin Cranberry Soup

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on October 30, 2012| 4 Comments »

I got the Taylor Swift CD last week and seriously, I can’t stop. It’s not even funny.  I’m plugged in at the grocery store, there was an embarassing moment in an aisle of Target where someone totally caught me dancing to the song “Holy Ground”, and my poor roommates probably know the songs by heart because I’ve been blasting it while cooking, which is pretty much all I do. My friend, Melinda, even tried to stage an intervention by giving me a TON of new CDs and while I’ve given them a quick listen, I make it about 30 minutes before switching back to Taylor Swift.

This is a problem. Halloween in TOMORROW. I should be listening to a halloween playlist. I even have one made up! But nooo…I keep listening to “We are never, ever, ever getting back together” ad nauseam and wondering if Taylor Swift is trying to give me relationship advice through her music.

Seriously…I need help…

BUT, even if my music life is in shambles, I am totally prepped for Halloween, food-wise. I made a huge pot of this pumpkin cranberry soup for lunch this week. Check in tomorrow, too. I may be posting a cupcake recipe that I should have given you today but totally forgot to photograph. Fail…

Pumpkin Cranberry Soup
veganized from The New England Soup Factory Cookbook by Marjorie Druker. (seriously…buy this book)
found on-line at Food.com

  • 1/2 cup fresh cranberries (or 1/2 c. cranberry sauce or 1/2 cup dried cranberries)*
  • 3 tablespoons Earth Balance or other vegan butter
  • 1/2 large Spanish onion, diced
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 pound of fresh, uncooked pumpkin or butternut squash, cubed (Do you even need to ask which I used?  Butternut Squash Addict!)
  • 1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 1.5 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup cashew cream (or 1/2 c. silken tofu or 1/2 c. heavy vegan cream)**
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • pepitas for toppings

* The recipe called for dried cranberries but I couldn’t find them so I used fresh. I didn’t think this gave the recipe a ton of cranberry flavor so next time I will definitely use sauce

** Cashew cream = 1/2 c. raw cashews blended with 1/2 c. water until smooth. I like this because I feel it has a more neutral taste then vegan cream and I always have cashews, as opposed to silken tofu. All these options will work though.

Directions:

  1. If you are using dried cranberries, place the cranberries in a glass or ceramic bowl and 1/2 c. water. Cover the bowl and let the cranberries soak at least 2 hours or overnight.
  2. In a stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots and saute 5 minutes.
  3. Add the fresh pumpkin/butternut squash and saute for another 5 minutes
  4. Add the canned pumpkin, stock, brown sugar, maple syrup and nutmeg and bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer 30 minutes or until fresh pumpkin/butternut squash is fork tender
  6. Remove from heat, add cranberries (or cranberry sauce) and puree or blend until creamy. (I used a immersion blender)
  7. Add the cashew cream and stir until incorporated
  8. Season with salt and pepper and stir well. Top with Pepita seeds!

I know a lot of people don’t like blended soup. It sort of has the consistency of baby food so I get it. I love adding seeds and nuts on top of blended soup for some crunch, which helps with the texture thing.

This soup is so warm and comforting. I had a huge bowl of it while I was camped out during Hurricane Sandy and it was perfect. It’s thick and hearty and I love all the Fall flavors.

Also… Halloween mini-sized candies don’t count calories-wise, right? Cause I may have had about a bajillion Monday while camped out on my couch riding out the hurricane and watching Dexter season 6 and 7. Please tell me you have seen this show! I’m so obsessed right now!

Also… download this song so when you see me dancing like a weirdo in Target you can join me and we can be weird together. Awesome!

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , on October 26, 2012| 4 Comments »

First off, I want to give a shout out to anyone who is making there way here from How Sweet Eats. I’m so glad you came back to check out Wicked Vegan! Even though my recipes don’t contain Jessica’s signatures (bacon, cheese, browned butter…), I promise I still have super yummy recipes!

Anyway! T-minus 5 days until Halloween and I am so excited!

Now, if only I could get anything on my Halloween To-Do list done. Currently, I still have to:

  • Buy boots for my halloween costume
  • Buy supplies to turn said boots into rainbow-striped moonboots
  • Actually get my butt in gear and use said supplies to turn said boots into rainbow-striped moonboots
  • Decorate for party
  • Bake for party
  • make halloween cards

You know, all that super fun stuff I love to do but I just haven’t had the time or energy to actually complete. oi! Why isn’t October/Fall longer?! I need like two more week of fall awesomeness before I’m ready for Halloween.

If I could have no work for those two weeks too that would be perfect! In fact, if we could just freeze time tomorrow at noon until I get all my fun stuff done, that would be perfect!

No big deal, right??

Anyway, here is a recipe for you that would be great for your halloween get together or to help keep your sweet tooth vegan on halloween day.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
a mash up of Loveandoliveoil.com‘s truffles and How Sweet Eats‘ Pumpkin cookies

1 c. butter (2 sticks)

1/2 c. pumpkin butter (or canned pumpkin puree)

1/2 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1/3 c. soy milk

2 1/2 c. flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice

1 bag of mini vegan chocolate chips (or regular chocolate chips)

little bit of vegan shortening

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice.

In a large bowl, beat butters and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 or 3 minutes. Mix in milk and vanilla.  Slowly add in flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated. Stir in 1 c. of chocolate chips. Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes or firm enough to handle. If you find that the dough isn’t firming in the fridge, you can put it in the freezer.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place dough in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the rest of your chocolate chips and the vegan shortening in a double boiler or the microwave ( I much prefer the double boiler). Dip dough balls in the melted chocolate. Refrigerate in an airtight container. Truffles will keep for about 2 week, if you don’t eat them before then.

These truffles are SUPER delicious but the texture is a little different from the original cookie dough truffles. The pumpkin butter makes the dough very creamy, almost like cheesecake. I liked them best frozen. It keeps them solid. Though, they absolutely do not need to be frozen. If you make them and leave them out at a party, they will be just as delicious.

Now, off to paint some hideously ugly Ugg-like boots into awesome rainbow brite boots!

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Pumpkin Pancakes

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , on October 23, 2012| 1 Comment »

How many of you have picked out your halloween costume??

I HAVE!

How many of you are having a halloween party this weekend?

I AM! I AM!

How many people are not ready at all for said halloween party??

er… that would be me…

There’s decorations and costumes and food to finish and I have this pesky thing called work that’s standing in my way.

BUT, one thing that I do have planned is the morning-after breakfast. Oh yes. After a night of beer pong, keg stands and overall bad decisions, I like to have a good hearty breakfast to soak up the booze in my belly. And these are perfect!

Pumpkin Pancakes
from Food.com

  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 1/4 cups soymilk
  • 1/3 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice and set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the soy milk, canned pumpkin, and corn oil and process until well blended. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing with a few swift strokes until just combined.

Use a skillet to make pancakes as you would with regular pancake batter.

This batter was slightly different from my normal go-to pancake recipe (er…bisquick…) in that it was very thick. I had to pour the better on the pan and then spread it around with a spatula. The resulting pancake was still delicious, though! And SUPER fluffy

Also, I made a big batch of these one Saturday and took the left overs to work. I would toast them in the toaster at work and just eat them straight. Something to consider for the night after your party! Make a batch the day before and store them in the fridge. Then, when you and your guests stumble into the kitchen for breakfast, viola! Fast and mess-less breakfast! Maybe whip up some scrambled tofu or local eggs, too. Yum!

Also, you could make these into halloween shapes by using cookie cutters or a squeeze bottle or add some halloween sprinkles!

Now…if only I could finish my costume…

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Deep Dish Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on October 4, 2012| 2 Comments »

To the tune of 50 cents- In Da Club

“Go, Go, Go

Go, Go Wicked vegan, it’s  your birthday.

We’re gonna party like it’s  your birthday.

We’re gonna make vegan cake like it’s your birthday

And you know we don’t give a F**k cause it’s your birthday!

You can find me in the kitchen

Baking cake thats bitchen

Look readers I got the pumpkin

if you wanna autumn snack

So good with no double chin,

you’re gonna think it’s wack

Recipe is below if you into cakes that

don’t blow.”

…sorry… that was unnecessary… but I mean, clearly I missed my calling as a rapper. Clearly!

ANYWAYS. It’s Wicked Vegan’s 1 year birthday! You know… incase you didn’t get that from my rap above. I want to thank everyone who checked out my little blog this year. Every person who visited was SO appreciated. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing someone read my ramblings.

So to celebrate, I made this delicious autumn cake/cookie to share with you. Enjoy!

Deep Dish Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie
from Chocolate Covered Katie

  • 2 cans white beans or garbanzos (drained and rinsed) (I used garbanzos)
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin (or butternut squash or sweet potato)
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil or coconut oil
  • 1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar or coconut sugar
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Blend everything (except the chips) very well in a food processor (NOT a blender). Blend until it’s super-smooth. Mix in chips, and pour into a pan. (I used a 10-inch springform pan, but you can use a smaller pan if you want a really deep-dish pie.) Cook at 350F for 35 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

This recipe is very similar to the regular deep dish cookie cake , which as I said about 8 million times was delicious! This version is just as delicious but with a a fall twist. And we all know that I LOVE a fall twist!

Plus there is chocolate. And as I said in the last post, chocolate is must when you’re in a funk. mmmm…look how ooey, gooey that is above.

Look at me Eek plate. Isn’t it adorable?

Keep an eye out for my  upcoming rap CD. It’s called “White Vegan Girls Shouldn’t Rap”.

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The Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies that Weren’t

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , on October 17, 2011| 3 Comments »

 

Ever have one of those mornings were its chilly outside but nice and warm in your bed; your pillows are perfectly squished and arranged for optimum comfort; your comforter is feeling especially fluffy and cuddly; and overall, you are just too stickin’ comfortable to think of getting out of bed??

Today was one of those mornings. I would have sacrificed a small, annoying child to be able to stay in bed all day.

Unfortunately, I don’t know any small, annoying children. Also,  I had 2.5 dozen of these cookies in my kitchen and if I did not bring them to work this morning, I would get up later in the morning just long enough to bring at least one bag of these back into bed with me where I would curl up and eat them all.

And I could not have that! So, here I am…

This is another Howsweeteats.com recipe. She posted it last week and I was intrigued by the idea of a flat, chewy pumpkin cookie as opposed to the soft cake-like version I had made last year.  Well, mine were not flat or chewy. My cookies were definitely more cake-like.

Howsweeteats.com

wickedvegan.com

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
When we look at the side-by-side comparison here that I have conveniently provided for you, we can clearly see mine are way too soft and pillowy (much like my pillows were this morning *Sigh*).  I suspect the egg substitute had something to do with that. Maybe next time, I’ll try replacing the eggs with applesauce instead and see if that works. They still tasted amazing, though!
 

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies made with Pumpkin Butter

[adapted from the howsweeteats.com]

makes about 24-30 cookies

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) vegan butter, melted and cooled (I used Earth Balance)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg replacer + 1 egg yolk replacer (conversions are on the Ener-G egg replacer box)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup pumpkin butter

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 1/4 cups vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix the flour, salt, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the melted vegan butter and sugars until they are combined. Add the egg replacer, egg yolk replacer, and vanilla and stir until mixed. Stir in pumpkin butter until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture and mix until a dough forms – it will look crumbly at first, but it will come together. I even used my hands to help at one point. Fold chocolate chips and chunks.

Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes, then roll into golfball-sized balls. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until cookies are crisp and slightly golden on the edges, then let cool completely.

So, these cookies are definitely delicious (my roomies were raving about them!) but I have to be honest- Pumpkin Butter was about $7 for 3/4 of a cup. Not terrible if you are making one batch of these. If you are crazy though, and decide to tackle 2.5 batches of these on a Sunday night, I would suggest going the pumpkin puree route.  It’s cheaper and the pumpkin butter didn’t make a huge difference when you make the cookies vegan.

On a more exciting and completely different note, look what I found in Whole Foods.  Sticks of Earth Balance! I’m so excited!! No more measuring TBS of Earth Balance out of the tubs!!! It’s the little things in life…

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Twofer Monday

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on October 3, 2011| 8 Comments »

So you should probably know something about me before I launch into this first post and that is

I Love Fall!

It’s hands down my favorite season. I love apple picking, pumpkin carving, boots, my birthday * cought Oct 8 cough*, hoodies, halloween, colorful leaves, etc etc. I love it all!

Especially being able to bake again! My lovely apartment in  Boston lacks some of the more cushy things in life, an AC being one of them. So in the summer baking is 100% off limits. Actually, short of lying in front of a fan and breathing, pretty much everything is off limits.

So last year, I was so excited when the weather cooled and I was allowed to bake again that I went a little overboard. Cue the weekly baked goods for my work. I get to over due it with the baking AND not have to eat it. I was pretty excited. I’m doing that again this year so expect Monday blogs to be chuck full of delicious baked goods.

This week is donuts! And not just one kind. Oh no, we have two- pumpkin spice and apple cider. Why you ask? Well, I was going to do just pumpkin spice, which I had tried once already and loved, but when I shared the super exciting news that this is what I decided on for my first blog post and fall baked good, one of my friends I work with immediately replied, “oh… I don’t like pumpkin”.

whomp, whomp.

So, at the last minute, feeling really bad that he wouldn’t be able to try the first weekly bake good, I also decided to make apple cider donuts as well. Because I’m just awesome like that!

Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Spiced Doughnuts

from Oh She Glows

Pumpkin Doughnuts:

  • 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 6 Tbsp non-dairy milk ( I used unsweetened)
  • 1/2 cup canned pureed pumpkin
  • 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
  • 3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 Tbsp lightly packed brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter substitute), melted
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp of baking soda
    1 tsp cinnamon+ 1/2 tsp ginger + 1/4 tsp nutmeg (or 1.75 tsp pumpkin pie spice)
    1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup of whole wheat pasty flour
Cinnamon sugar:
  • 1/4 cup Earth balance (or other non-dairy butter substitute), melted
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp  cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two mini doughnut pans or two regular sized doughnut pans with Earth Balance (or other butter substitute).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, milk, pumpkin, sugar, applesauce, brown sugar (sift if clumpy), and melted Earth Balance (or other butter sub).

3. Add in the dry ingredients (baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and flours). Mix until just combined.

4. Using a ‘zip-lock’ baggie or pastry bag, spoon the batter into the bag and then secure it with the zip lock or rubber band. Twist the bag slightly and then cut off a hole at the corner to ‘pipe’ out the batter. Pipe the dough around the circle and gently flatten down with slightly wet fingers to smooth. Repeat.

5. Bake  for 10-12 minutes at 350F or until they gently spring back when touched. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully using a butter knife to remove. Place on cooling rack for another 10-15 minutes.

6. Cinnamon Sugar: Melt Earth Balance in a small bowl and dip the cooled doughnuts into butter one at a time. Transfer the dipped doughnut into a bag with the cinnamon sugar and shake until coated thoroughly. Doughnuts keep for 2-3 days. (I used both a plastic bag and a brown paper and I found the brown paper helped absorb some of that extra butter…or it could just be wishful thinking)

I absolutely LOVED this recipe and there wouldn’t be anything that I would tweak about it. I made the first batch without pastry flour and it came out great. The second patch was with pastry flour and it was much more fluffly. Both were delicious so don’t worry if you don’t have pastry flour.

Mini Apple Cider Doughnuts

from Peas and Thank you

  • 1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup apple cider
  • 1/4 cup organic sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp molasses
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
  • 2Tbsp vegan margarine (ie Earth Balance)
  • 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
  • cinnamon and sugar for dusting (I used the exact same method as I used for the pumpkin doughnuts)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.
  3. In a measuring cup or smaller bowl, mix together apple cider, sugars, molasses, applesauce, melted margarine or coconut oil and vanilla extract.
  4. Add cider mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined.
  5. Spoon batter into a greased donut pan (or muffin tin).
  6. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until donuts are slightly browned and firm. (the mini doughnuts, like the pumpkin doughnuts, only took 10 minutes because they were mini)
  7. Dust with cinnamon and sugar while still warm, if desired (who doesn’t desire more cinnamon and sugar! I definitely shook these babies in cinnamon and sugar, just like above)
This recipe isn’t too bad. I like it but I don’t love it. The molasses is very strong and I think I would have omitted a TBSP. Unfortunately, as I mentioned, this was a last minuted addition so I didn’t have time for a trial run. My roommates swear that these are great so it is possible I’m suffering from doughnut overload!

Happy fall everyone and enjoy your doughnuts!!

PS. Clearly, with all the doughnuts being dunked in butter around here this isn’t a ‘health’ blog. I will hopefully have a good balance of healthy and comfort food. So don’t be scared of all the cinnamon and butter!! (As for the picture- though I love them, this isn’t a product placement for Flour bakery. I mooched extra brown bags off them for this recipe. This is just to show you the nice butter absorption. yum!)

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