Blueberry Buttermilk Mini Doughnuts

On Hiatus and Mini Doughnuts

Hi all! I know it’s been forever since I posted a recipe, life got busy, I had a birthday, and, I think I just needed a bit of a break before the craziness of the third annual Summer of Pie begins (in less than two weeks… eek and egads!). And here you thought I’d forgotten about you. Never!

In fact, I’ve been working on something that people asked for when I ran my survey last summer — an official Summer of Pie t-shirt! Here’s a rough initial sketch to prove it:

Wow, exciting eh? Now I’m drained from all the anticipation and must go to bed. Here’s a recipe from my current obsession, mini doughnuts, to prove I’m still alive. See you this summer!

BLUEBERRY BUTTERMILK MINI DOUGHNUTS

Adapted from The Novice Chef’s “Lemon Poppy Seed Doughnuts”

Yield: about 24 mini doughnuts

6 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (or 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tbsp dried buttermilk powder
1/2 cup half-n-half
1/4 cup of small wild blueberries, frozen is fine (optional)

Special equipment: a mini doughnut pan or mini doughnut maker.

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and stir until combined. Mix in flour, baking powder, salt, and buttermilk powder. Then add half-n-half and stir until just combined.

Spoon about 1 tbsp of dough into the wells of a well-greased doughnut pan/maker (I recommend using butter or vegetable oil to grease the pan. It gives the doughnuts that crisp outside akin to what you get from frying.). Press 3-4 blueberries into the batter in the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the oven or 2-3 minutes in a doughnut maker. Use a wooden chopstick to turn them out to cool on a rack while you make the glaze.

Maple Glaze

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup (the real stuff)
2 tbsp milk

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together sugar, syrup, and milk. Continue stirring until mixture is warm and thins a bit. Keep on a very low heat, then immediately dip the top of the doughnuts in it and return them to the rack to cool (best to put a plate or wax paper under them). I find that using a wooden chopstick helps keep your fingers from burning. Cool until glaze hardens, just a couple of minutes. Enjoy fresh and warm.