The snowfall yesterday added some holiday spirit to the air. These easy eggnog donuts are perfect for a holiday breakfast or as an afternoon snack with a hot chocolate and a movie. Maybe you just need a plate of these and a soft blanket to curl up under. It’s definitely all about the little pleasures in these dark days. Consider packing them up for a holiday gift! You could easily make these donuts dairy free by using a vegan “butter” and eggnog. They would also work well with your favorite gluten-free flour blend.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temp.
- 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt, room temp.
- zest of half an orange
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup eggnog (room temp)
- pastry bag for piping donuts into pan (optional)
- festive sugars or sprinkles
Glaze:
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 4-6 tablespoons eggnog, as needed for a pourable consistency
- 1 -2 teaspoons rum (optional)
Method of Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 6 cavity large donut pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer, combine butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until combined and creamy.
- Add egg, yogurt, vanilla and orange zest. Continue to mix until combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk to combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients slowly and mix until the batter starts to come together. It will have large clumps or crumbs in the batter.
- Slowly add the eggnog and mix on low for about 30 seconds. Finish mixing by hand with a spatula.
- Using a spoon or pastry bag, fill each donut cavity 3/4 full.
- Bake 7-10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the donut.
- Let cool in pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Continue to cook the rest of the batter in the same manner, being sure to lightly spray the pan before each batch.
Glaze:
- In a large bowl, whisk to combine powdered sugar and eggnog. You can add a little nutmeg to this mixture if you like. Keep in mind that you only need a little. Add some rum if you wish.
- You may need additional eggnog if it’s not thin enough, or additional powdered sugar if it’s too thin.
- Immediately spread on the tops of cooled donuts, and add sprinkles – the glaze will set quickly!
