pumpkin + pecans

I'm about a week late, but Happy Fall! Autumn is my favorite season. Summer is too hot, winter is too cold, and well, spring is filled with runny noses and allergies, but autumn is just right. 

If you had asked me maybe a year ago to have a slice of pumpkin pie or take a sip of the *holy* pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, I would have said "no, thank you." I don't know what was wrong with me! Recently I've really fallen in love with pumpkin. The scent, the taste, even all of the pumpkins lining the neighbors' sidewalks and comfortably resting next to their front doors; I love it. 

Fall is fabulous. I get to open the windows while I cook, put on comfy socks, wear tights and boots, even long sleeves! There's are endless reasons as to why I love this season, and today I'm going to share one of them with you: pumpkin pecan doughnuts.

These little guys are made of pumpkin spice and everything nice. They're topped with a pumpkin glaze and dipped in toasted brown sugar pecans. I came up with this doughnut on one of the first truly “fall” days of the year. I was so excited for autumn that I just had to make something totally pumpkin! Pumpkins & pecans are a match made in fall heaven, so I decided to combine the two into a delicious crunchy, gooey doughnut. While making these doughnuts, I tried a filled version and a classic hole-in-the-middle doughnut. I definitely preferred the filled doughnuts, it added an entire dimension of pumpkin to the flavor of the doughnut overall. 

Side note: I promise to have more pictures of the process for the next post!

Here's what you'll need:

for the doughnut:

1.5 Cups + 2 tbsp Bread Flour

1.5 Cups +2 tbsp AP Flour

2 Eggs

1 packet yeast

1 cup Milk, warmed

1 tsp vanilla

2 ½ Tbsp sugar

2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

4 tbsp butter – room temp

6 cups of vegetable oil for frying

for the pumpkin glaze:

3 tbsp pumpkin puree

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ c milk

for the pumpkin filling:

3 tbsp milk

½ can of pumpkin puree

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch, tempered

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 ½ tsp allspice

1 ½ tsp nutmeg

for the pecan topping:

1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans

½ cup brown sugar


instructions:

Step 1: Combine bread flour and AP flour in a medium sized bowl, whisk until well mixed throughout.

Step 2: Warm cup of milk for 1 minute on high. Add ½ of a yeast packet and mix until dissolved.

Step 3: Add 1 cup of the flour mixture to the milk and yeast, mix with a paddle attachment in a stand mixer until smooth. Let sit in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Step 4: After 30 minutes, add vanilla, eggs and remaining yeast. Mix until smooth.

Step 5: Add 1 cup flour to the mixture. Mix in the sugar and pumpkin pie spice.

Step 6: Cut up the butter into about 4 pieces and add to the mixture, mix until well combined.

Step 7: Remove paddle attachment and attach dough hook, add remaining flour.

Step 8: Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes covered in plastic wrap in a warm place.

Step 9: While letting the mixture rest, combine the pecans and brown sugar. Spread the mixture on a greased pan and bake at 300 degrees F for about 45 minutes. Set aside until ready for use.

Step 10: After the dough is done resting, press down gently, wrap in plastic wrap then chill for 1 hour.

Step 11: While letting the dough chill, begin cooking the pumpkin filling. Combine milk, pumpkin puree, sugar, cornstarch and spices in a medium sauce pan on medium-high heat. Cook until thickened. Chill until ready for use.

Step 12: After one hour, roll out dough and cut doughnuts. Place on a greased and floured pan to prevent sticking. Cover with a small towel or paper towel for 30 minutes, checking occasionally. Dough should double in size.

Step 13: While waiting for your dough to proof, begin making the pumpkin glaze. Combine pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Mix until smooth, making sure there are no lumps in the glaze.

Step 14: After proofing, place doughnuts in a pot filled with vegetable oil, heated to about 365 degrees. Fry for about 2-3 minutes, flipping half way through. After removing the doughnuts from the oil, place on a cooling rack with a pan underneath to catch the oil.

Step 15: Once doughnuts are cool, fit a pastry bag with a filling tip. Fill the bag with the pumpkin filling mixture. Once all doughnuts are filled, dip the top of the doughnuts in the vanilla pumpkin glaze. While the glaze is still wet, dip the glazed side of the doughnut into the pecan and brown sugar mix. 

If you'd prefer a printable version of the recipe, click here.

There you have it! 'Til next time,