For the longest time, I’ve wanted to try making baked donuts. This past Christmas, I ordered two donut baking pans to put under the tree as a gift to myself. (How many moms out there have done that before?)
I did my homework before ordering the pans… I wanted something that was non-stick and had no seams in the donut bed so that the batter could lay evenly without getting trapped in the metal seam. I found the perfect pans at Norpro.
This past week, as my oldest daughter celebrated a birthday, I decided to make a tray of donuts in lieu of a traditional cake. She was scheduled to have back surgery the afternoon of her birthday and I wanted to bring a special bite-sized treat along so that she could nibble on a mini-birthday-donut the morning of the procedure.
As I scoured my cookbooks and kitchen files for a suitable recipe, I spied a boxed muffin mix that carried a small picture of a basket of mini-donuts posted on the back of the package. To my surprise, the recipe posted beside the picture was for baked donuts. I thought…well, let’s give this a try.
So after a few alterations, I came up with this recipe adapted from Krusteaz Guilt Free Baked Donuts.
Sweet Cranberry and Pecan Glazed Donuts
Donuts:
1 package Krusteaz Cranberry Orange Fat Free Muffin Mix
1 can cranberries (enclosed in the box), drained and liquid reserved
3/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Reserved cranberry liquid
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray with cooking spray, the donut baking pans. For the donuts: In a medium bowl, carefully stir together the muffin mix, cranberries, orange juice and extract. Combine just until blended. Place the batter in a gallon-sized sealable bag (or a pastry bag). Snip the plastic bag 1/8″ from the corner. Evenly pipe the batter into the mini-donut baking pans. Bake 8-12 minutes or until donuts spring back when touched. Cool and remove to wire rack.
For icing: Place all icing ingredients (except nuts) in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Drizzle or dip donuts into the icing then sprinkle with chopped nuts.
Note: I also used the regular sized donut baking pan for this recipe. Alter baking time by adding 10 minutes or until light golden brown and donuts spring back when touched.