This weekend was all about getting into the holiday spirit.
Chris and I put up our Christmas tree which Penny immediately jumped in and tried to climb to the top. I ran a Christmas themed race (more on that later). We watched couple of holiday films. The weather was snowy and gray.
All in all, it seemed to be working. But it felt like something was missing.
Baked goods.
Since I was little I would make sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, and many others all for Santa and my family. But when I left for college, the baking dwindled. And after I moved out of my parents house (shortly before I got married), I didn’t really know what kind of traditions I wanted to do and what kind of traditions I wanted to create with Chris. I still wanted to bake cookies, but I wanted to bake other things too.
And then I had a major craving for donuts. So, I took to the internet and started searching recipes.
One little craving has started a brand new delicious tradition.
Cinnamon Sugar Baked Donuts
Adapted from these recipes here & here
Serves: 24 donuts
Warning: Your house will smell amazingly delicious for hours.
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extra
Topping:
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray donut pans with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. The flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. (I used a rubber spatula to mix them all together.)
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. The egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
4. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until combined.
5. Pour the batter into your donut baking pans. Fill them a little more than three-quarters of the way full.
6. Place the batter filled pans into the oven and bake for 17 minutes. You will know they are done when the toothpick comes out clean.
7. Once they have cooled, remove them from the pan.
8. Prepare the topping by melting your stick of butter in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Mix together the cinnamon and the sugar in a separate bowl.
9. Dip each donut into the butter first and then in the cinnamon sugar combination on either one side or both sides. I placed mine on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet under it so it would catch the excess drippings.
10. Devour.
Seriously, you guys. These donuts are so freaking good. Kind of like a snickerdoodle cookie but in a fluffy, yummy donut form.
They received the Chris seal of approval. Yay!
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What’s your favorite holiday tradition?
What’s your favorite cookie? If you have a recipe link, please share!