makes about 36 mini doughnuts

Ingredients

Doughnuts

3 cups flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

zest of one orange

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup blackstrap molasses

3 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup buttermilk

About 3 cups canola oil, for frying

Cranberry Glaze

1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)

¼ cup beet juice (you could use water or cranberry juice instead, but the beet juice will give the glaze a gorgeous red color)

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup or golden syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

Tools required

Spider strainer

Candy thermometer

Mini Doughnut Cutter (or 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter & Pastry tip w/ 1 inch opening)

Rolling pin

Directions

Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg,cloves, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a KitchenAid Artisan® Mini Mixer fit with a paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add the orange zest, vanilla and molasses and beat until well combined, about 1 more minute.

With the mixer on low, beat in the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the butter and buttermilk. You should start and end with the flour. Do not over mix.

Add the doughnut batter to a lightly floured surface, and let rest for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. Combine the cranberries and juice (or water) in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until you can easily mash the berries with the back of a fork. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl. Slowly whisk the powdered sugar into the cranberry mixture, then add corn syrup, vanilla and salt. If glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time until you reach desired consistency. If the glaze is too thick, add more juice or water 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.

When dough has rested, dust surface, dough and rolling pin with flour, then roll dough into a large rectangle that’s about 1/4 inch thick. Use the doughnut cutter (or the biscuit cutter & back of pastry tip if you don't have a doughnut cutter) to cut out as many doughnuts as possible. Add doughnuts to a parchment-lined baking tray, and re-roll the dough scraps, repeating the process until all (or most) of dough has been used. Let doughnuts rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes while you heat the oil.

Add the oil to a deep, heavy-bottomed dutch oven (the oil should be about 2 inches deep). Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and heat oil over medium-high heat to 375˚F. If you don’t have a thermometer, heating the oil should take about 20 minutes, depending on your stove top. You can test if it’s ready by adding a small dough scrap to the oil, if it bubbles up and browns in about 30 seconds, the oil should be ready.

Set up a baking tray lined with paper towels. Carefully add the doughnuts (about 6-8 at a time) to the oil. Cook for about 30-45 seconds on each side, then remove to the paper-towel lined tray with the spider strainer. Repeat this process until all of the doughnuts are fried.

Dip the cooked doughnuts into the glaze and enjoy!

Ginger