Apple Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts with Brown Butter Glaze

Apple Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts with Brown Butter Glaze

adapted from Doughnuts

makes about 8 doughnuts

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For the Doughnuts:

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter (but we’ll only use 2 tablespoons of browned butter for the recipe)

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup peeled and grated fresh apple

For the Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 to 4 tablespoons whole milk

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a doughnut pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, and brown sugar.  Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt all of the butter (including the butter needed for the glaze).  Butter will begin to crackle and pop as it melts.  That’s the water melting out of the butter.  Once the water has evaporated the butter will quiet down and begin to brown.  Keep an eye on it, it browns quickly.  The butter will begin to smell nutty.  Remove from heat and immediately transfer browned butter (brown bits and all) to a small bowl.

In a small bowl whisk together egg, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.  Measure out 2 tablespoons of browned butter and whisk into the wet ingredients.

Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients.  Add the grated apple. Stir together until no flour bits remain and all of the ingredients are well combined.  Try not to overmix the batter.  That might create rubbery doughnuts.

Use a small spoon to dollop batter into the prepared pan.  Smooth out and fill each doughnut in the pan three-quarters full with batter.

Place in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Keep an eye on them and try not to over-bake them.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

While the doughnuts cool, make the glaze.