Three Semi-Homemade Donuts for Autumn: Spiced, Sour Apple, and Cinnamon-Sugar

Temperatures are still on the warm side, but the leaves are changing color and that scent of autumn is in the air. I can't even put into words how much I love autumn. So I wanted to make semi-homemade donuts (donuts made from canned biscuit dough) with an autumn flavor. My first choice was cinnamon-sugar--you can't go wrong with cinnamon-sugar. And then I had some mulling spices in my pantry so I thought, why not? Then there was a single packet of apple cider mix sitting on a shelf. I tasted the mix and it had a sour apple flavor. I'm not a big fan of sour but Eric loves it--if you like Sour Patch kids, you'll like the sour apple donuts. I ended up with three delicious autumn donuts (and donut holes!)

Ingredients:
1 tube of refrigerated biscuits
vegetable oil
cinnamon-sugar
mulling spice mix (I used Aspen Mulling Spices)
apple cider mix powder (I used Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Mix)

Directions:
Separate your biscuits and lay them out on your work space. Rinse out an empty soda pop bottle. The size of the bottle doesn't matter. Remove the cap and press the opening of bottle into the center the biscuit to make the hole in the center. To get the dough out of the bottle opening, just squeeze the sides of the bottle; it'll pop right out and you'll have donut holes. Repeat with the rest of the biscuits.

Pour your vegetable oil in a large sauce pan, enough so that the donuts can be submerged. Heat the oil over med-hi heat to between 360 and 375 degrees. (I don't use a candy thermometer; I just wing it.) With tongs put your biscuit into the oil and cook until the perfect golden brown on each side. Place on a plate lined with paper towel.

Place the cinnamon-sugar in a shallow dish. The mulling spices in a second dish. And the apple cider mix in a third dish. Coat your donuts and donut holes in the desired seasonings.

Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Fall Dessert Recipes:
Acorn Donuts
Apple Rings!
Homemade Candy Corn 
Peanut Butter Baked Apples
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispie Treats

Glazed Blueberry Donuts

Whenever I make Pillsbury biscuits or crescent rolls, I always save some of the raw dough to make into donuts. I love cooking from scratch, but I also love doing the semi-homemade thing: doctoring up cake mixes or turning biscuits into donuts. Last time at the grocery store I saw blueberry biscuits on sale for a buck and decided to try them. I love blueberry pancakes, muffins, and donuts. Now I could make my own! As biscuits, I wasn't overly impressed with them. Glad I tried them, but wouldn't buy them again. However, as glazed donuts, these things are amazing.

Ingredients:
Donuts
Pillsbury biscuits
vegetable oil

Glaze
1/8 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Donuts
Now you can make these one of two ways. If you want regular donuts, use an empty pop bottle to make a hole in the middle of each biscuit (then pop the dough out of the bottle and make donut holes!) Or if you are lazy like I was when I made this, flatten them to desired width so they're like elephant ears (I came out with a cross between a donut and elephant ear).

Pour your vegetable oil in a large sauce pan, enough so that the donuts can be submerged. Heat the oil over med-hi heat to between 360 and 375 degrees. (I don't use a candy thermometer; I just wing it.) With tongs put your biscuit into the oil and cook until the perfect golden brown on each side. Place on a plate lined with paper towel.

Glaze
In a small sauce pan, heat the milk and vanilla over low heat until warm. Sift in powdered sugar into the pan. Slowly whisk the sugar in until well combined. Remove from heat. Dunk donuts into the glaze, one at a time, and set on a rack. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving. (Recipe from here.)

Every time I make donuts, Eric want me to make a glaze. I've resisted all this time because secretly I like cinnamon-sugar donuts the best so that what I usually make. But I decided to give it a whirl this time because I didn't think cinnamon-sugar or a frosting would compliment the blueberry donuts. I'm glad I glazed them and Eric was absolutely thrilled.

Enjoy!

~Krissy