Pumpkin Doughnuts sure is the best way to eat pumpkin. Wowzers people, it is like pumpkin fritters on steroids. Just think about it for a while….. pumpkin, deep-fried dough, cinnamon sugar and then….. melted chocolate.

Pumpkin doughnuts sure is a mouthful to get your mind around, but once you give in to the temptation, you will not stop at one, not even 2 or 3, they are that addictive. I make doughnuts (or donuts) every now and then as a special treat for the children. If you are worried about too much oil, I have a baked doughnut recipe just for you! You don’t even have to think about making your own dough, you can just buy a kilogram of dough from your local baker or supermarket. I made these utterly sinful doughnuts with bacon and jalapeno using shop-bought dough.

Last week when the first winter storm hit Cape Town, I wanted to embrace the arrival of winter by making these pumpkin doughnuts. I was longing for that old familiar smell of cinnamon and baking in my kitchen.I prefer making a yeast dough when making doughnuts, it just results in a lighter end product. Why add pumpkin, I hear you ask? Well, I like chopping and changing, so by adding pumpkin puree to my dough, I got the best of pumpkin fritters and doughnuts in just one mouthful. Do try these pumpkin doughnuts, they are much easier to make than you think!

Pumpkin Doughnuts

makes 15

Ingredients

500 ml cake flour (all purpose)

3 ml instant yest

pinch of salt

30 ml sugar

250 ml pumpkin puree

125 ml milk

30 ml butter

750 ml oil for frying

cinnamon sugar

200 g milk chocolate

Method

Pour milk and butter into a jug and heat in microwave until butter has melted and milk is strong lukewarm. Pour the flour, salt, sugar, yeast and pumpkin puree in your mixer and slowly start the machine. Add the milk, butter mixture slowly until the dough comes together in a soft pliable dough. If you need more fluid, add a little lukewarm water. Cover the bowl with a cloth and allow the dough to proof until double in size.

When ready to bake, dust a work surface with flour and roll the dough out to about 2-3 cm. Use a doughnut cutter and cut out the doughnuts. Heat the oil in a pot or pan and fry the doughnuts until they are light golden brown. Immediately roll in cinnamon sugar and cool of a cooling rack.

To dip in chocolate:

Break the chocolate into smaller pieces and place in a small bowl that fits over a pot of very slowly boiling water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and then dip the doughnuts in it. Enjoy with a single espresso or a cup of coffee.

Cook’s Note:

If you do not have a doughnut cutter, use a cookie cutter and cut out rounds, use the back end of a wooden spoon to make the holes for the doughnut look.

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