In search of Doughnuts

Posted by Kathryn @ 9:10 AM

The other day when I got my haircut, the stylist mentioned that a Dunkin Donuts would be going in near Greenfield. In most towns this would be of little note, but as newcomers my husband and I have struggled to find a source for donuts other than the grocery store. The few bakeries we have found with donuts have focused almost exclusively on glazed raised varieties. I am a bit finicky and don't actually like glaze on my donuts, so the possibility of Dunkin Donuts means that I can get plain cake and double chocolate with ease maybe even the occasional coconut or nut!

Of course I am aware that there is a DD location downtown, but unfortunately it has the sorriest selection of Dunkin Donuts I have ever seen, so I fear that the Greenfield location should it come to be will suffer a similar problem. As the store doesn't exist yet, I will just have to make do. I found an interesting option in a cupcake cookbook I flipped through at Joseph Beth Booksellers this week, Doughnut Muffins..

Unfortunately I neglected to look at who the author was when I jotted down the ingredients quickly.

6 oz of butter ( 1 and 1/2 sticks)
7 oz superfine sugar (1 cup) ( I actually substituted regular and just beat it with the butter longer.)
2 large eggs
13 oz flour (2 1/2 cups generous)
3/4 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
9 oz milk ( generous 1 cup)

cream butter and sugar. Add egg slowly. Mix dry ingredients together and add half with half of milk stir until just combined, don't over mix. Add second half of dry ingredients and milk. Fold together.

Grease 12 large muffin tins or 18-20 in regular muffin tins. I actually did half grease and half in paper cups. The greased ones got a nice crispy crunch reminiscent of a donut, so that is a better way to go. Fill each cup 3/4 of the way full.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile mix 1/2 cup sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon to top the muffins. I actually took my muffins out a couple minutes shy of being done, added the topping, then returned them to the oven for the last bit of brownness. The author suggested brushing the muffins once they are finished cooking with a bit of melted butter and then sprinkling with the sugar/cinnamon mixture.

I of course couldn't leave well enough alone. I tweaked the recipe a little trying to get more flavor. I put in some buttermilk instead of a couple oz of the milk. I was trying to achieve the tangy flavor of a cake doughnut. Next time I would really up the amount of nutmeg. I felt like the flavor was tame. In addition the crumb was larger than your typical doughnut. So I need to do a bit of research on how to make this even better, but it does act as a decent breakfast stand in when you have the doughnut craving.

Of course this is all theoretical at this point