Baked Chai Spiced Doughnuts

Sunday 4 November 2012

 

My sister has been on a doughnut baking kick lately.  My mother sent her a doughnut pan and she's been baking doughnuts since, or at least talking about it, looking up recipes, etc. and sharing her thoughts with me.



I was so inspired by her talk that I went out and got myself a doughnut baking tin and decided to bake us some doughnuts too.  Baked doughnuts have to be much, much better for you than fried ones . . .

 

Of course, if you were looking for doughnuts which have the texture of yeast doughnuts . . . you would be disappointed.   These are not them.  They are not fried, nor are they yeasty. If you baked a yeast doughnut you would probably end up with something like a Bagel . . . except sweeter and not as chewy, but I seriously doubt at the end of the day that  it would be like a real yeast doughnut.



These are kind of like a cake doughnut . . . except without the frying.  In other words, very similar to a muffin . . . but with a hole in the middle of it.   And therefore, like a muffin you wouldn't want to over mix the dough . . . or you would end up with a tough doughnut/muffin.  Not quite the same as a fried doughnut . . . but a somewhat healthy substitute.



I was looking through a doughnut book and saw a recipe for some yeasted  and fried ones that were spiced with a chai mixture of spices.  I was intrigued.  I quite like the flavour of chai spice . . .

 

And so I took the recipe which I found for vanilla baked doughnuts here  which looked rather good.  I spiced them up with chair spices and created a chai glaze to spoon over top.



They were actually rather scrummy . . . and I felt good about them because they weren't deep fat fried.  No, they are not quite like a real doughnut . . . but when you're watching the calories, they are a fair substitute!



*Baked Chai Spiced Doughnuts*
Makes 6
Printable Recipe

Spiced just right and much lower in fat than traditional fried donuts!  Moreishly delish.

140g of plain flour (1 cup)
6 TBS golden caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
pinch ground cloves
6 TBS buttermilk
1 large free range egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla essence
1 TBS melted butter

For the glaze:
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 to 2 TBS milk
70g of sifted icing sugar
1 tsp powdered Chai Spice Tea mix
Sprinkles to decorate (optional)

Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3.  Spray a 6 cup sized non-stick doughnut baking tin with some low fat cooking spray.  Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and all of the spices.  Whisk together the egg, buttermilk, vanilla and melted butter.  Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just mixed and no dry areas remain.  Pipe or spoon the batter into the prepared doughnut baking tray, filling the indentations 2/3 full.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the centre of one comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan for several minutes before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack.

Whisk the glaze ingredients together until smooth.  Spoon this glaze over the doughnuts while they are still warm, sprinkling with sprinkles as desired.  Store in an air-tight container.

11 comments

  1. Mmmmmmmmmmm they look and sound lovely. To be fair I am such a doughnut addict that I don't mind if the are fried (shhhhhhhhhhh son't spread that about!) or baked ;0)

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  2. I'm with you Chele, I like pretty much any kind of doughnut too. I especially like the frozen ones you can get that are filled with cream and jam, a once in a blue moon treat for sure! But oh so good!!

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  3. hi Marie, looks yummy! I was just looking at a doughnut pan and wondering if my crowded kitchen could fit another baking pan! I have a question, when you say to add 1 tsp of Chai spice tea mix for the glaze, is this a type of instant mix you bought? I love Chai tea too, and would love to make these!

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  4. Hi, Marie!
    I'm making the Jaffa rock cakes but I don't know what kind of marmalade is the seville marmalade.Do you think I can use black cherry marmalade instead, which I happen to have at hand now?

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  5. Mary, the Chai Spice mix was an instant type of Chai Tea I had bought. They really are lovely doughnuts!

    Helen, you would not want to use black cherry marmalade as it is completely opposite to Seville Marmalade. Seville Marmalade is made with the rind of Seville oranges and is not overly sweet, as they are the most bitter of all the oranges, and perfect for making marmalade with. A marmalade such as this would have shreds of citrus peel in it, in this cake orange. Jaffa is a flavour combination of orange and chocolate, which is quite delightful! If you cannot get any orange marmalade, I would be happy to send you a small jar so you could try it out. Let me know!

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  6. Always loved doughnuts now they are a big NO No but I take a bite now and then,and these's look so yummy.oooxxx

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  7. Always loved doughnuts now they are a big NO No but I take a bite now and then,and these's look so yummy.oooxxx

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  8. They sound heavenly, will pin and try to make them, tahnk you for sharing, love chai anything!

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  9. Marie, the BAKED
    part of the recipe
    title grabbed my
    attention {or course,
    the doughnut part
    didn't hurt, either}!

    I now know to ask
    Santa for a doughnut
    pan....Had no idea
    they even existed.
    There are two teens
    in this house who
    woud be thrilled to
    wake up to these on
    a school morning : )

    Thank you for your
    always inspiring and
    delightful recipes,
    sweet friend....

    xo Suzanne

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  10. Well I guess I will have to get a doughnut pan and try these. They look so good.
    How do I enter the contest you mentioned on your blog today? Hugs, Lura

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  11. Oh I so want a doughnut pan! Never tried a baked doughnut so glad for the information that whilst different to fried version, are still very much worthwhile! I have really gotten into chai tea and can imagine these doughnuts being quite delicious!

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