Fall Favorite: Simple Pumpkin Doughnuts

 by meantux (contact)

It's pumpkin mania this time of year with pumpkin-flavored everything in stores and restaurants. I love pumpkin just as much as the next guy (maybe more than!) so I wanted to share a favorite pumpkin recipe of mine: Pumpkin Doughnuts.

I'm also stopping by for a visit with my friends on Mornings with Fox43 and thought this recipe would be a fun thing to demonstrate. Deep frying on live television...it doesn't get more southern than that!

Pumpkin Doughnuts

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg

Blend first five ingredients together well. Combine remaining ingredients and stir into the dry ingredients until moistened. 

Now for the frying...this could vary depending on your preferred method. If you have a fryer, use that. Otherwise, use a tall-sided stock pot. A couple inches of vegetable oil in the bottom is all you will need. The secret here is low and slow. Bring the oil to medium-ish heat. Drop spoonfuls (or scoopfuls) of batter into the oil. The doughnuts will begin to float as they fry. Turn them over a few times so that each side is fully cooked. You might need to test one by poking it in the middle with a toothpick to see if it's done. If not, cook it a little longer in the oil. Transfer cooked doughnuts from the oil to a plate lined with a paper towel. 

When the oil has drained, transfer to a brown paper sack with a little powdered sugar sprinkled in it. Shake the sack until the doughnuts are coated evenly. Try not to eat just one.