Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

Ever since I got my doughnut pan, I've been craving doughnuts more and more.  It's a good thing that they are so easy and relatively quick to make-and a good thing for my waistline that they are baked instead of fried!  After having the apple cider doughnuts, I fell in love with the flavor and texture of the cinnamon sugar topping.  Once I saw these doughnuts in Ina Garten's Foolproof, I knew I had to try them!

This is one recipe that I made a few adjustments to until I got it "just right".  I thought the original was a little greasy and really didn't hold it's shape together just the way I wanted it to.  I ended up making this recipe a few times and finally came out with what I thought was the perfect version. Ina recommends dipping the doughnuts in butter before coating them in the cinnamon sugar, but I found that simply brushing them with melted butter gave me a better texture and less greasy doughnut.  I also filled the doughnut pan only halfway up with the batter-anymore and the batter grew together and they looked more like muffins than doughnuts!

These doughnuts are perfect for breakfast with some coffee but we also enjoyed them as an afternoon snack and even as an after dinner dessert with a nice cold glass of milk.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the topping:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a doughnut pan (or 2) with cooking spray.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla extract in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Spoon batter into baking pans filling each about half full. (If you over fill, the batter connects on top and looks like a cupcake instead, don't over fill!) Bake for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the wall of a doughnut comes out clean and the doughnuts are puffed and lightly browned. Let them cool (in the pans) for 5 minutes, then gently invert the doughnuts onto a rimmed baking sheet.

While the doughnuts are cooling, make the topping: Melt the butter in a small saute pan over medium-low heat.

Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

Brush the warm doughnuts with the melted butter, then dip them into the cinnamon-sugar mixture on one or both sides. Serve warm.