Welcome To Mama's Flat Doughnut Shop

I figured that everyone here at the Z-Squad needed a little pick me up after the past few days.  And what better way to do that than with Baked Apple Doughnuts?

My surprise started off beautifully yesterday...Wolverine had to work late so while Ze-Ra and Te-Man ate dinner, I mixed up a batch.  Then, I woke up extra early so that I could get a few made for Ze-Ra before she went off to school.  I made a few more the rest of us that would be ready once Wolverine and Te-Man woke up, and I could get some other things done in between (but more about that later).

I don't really like it when people put their commentary into a recipe, but today, I feel like a must, so I'll try to keep it to a minimum and as captions so if you want to copy paste around it, you can. ;)

What's In It:
Doughnuts:
3/4 c lukewarm water
2 t yeast
2 t salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c apples **note this is important, do not use 2 apples like I did
3 3/4 c All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 sticks (3/4c) melted butter

Cinnamon Sugar:
1/2 c sugar
1 T cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Glaze:
1 c powdered sugar
1 T Milk
1 T Maple Syrup (I didn't have any so I used Molasses)
1 t Vanilla Extract

What To Do With It:
Peel your apples if desired and finely chop them.  Mix together doughnut ingredients and allow to sit on the counter for 2 hours.  Then put the dough in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 5 days.  After this three hours - five day refrigeration, the dough is ready to be used.  

Pull a 3oz piece from the dough and form it into a ball.  Pull the center of the dough apart to make a hole, about 3 inches around.  Combine the cinnamon and sugar and coat each doughnut in the mixture.

I don't follow directions well.  The is one of Ze-Ra's doughnuts, and that hole is clearly NOT 3" 

That's closer to 3"

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat.  Allow to rest on the baking mat for 30 min.

While waiting, enjoy a beautiful sunrise!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake for about 18 min or until golden.

Allow to cool on cooking racks.  While the doughnuts are cooling, mix together the glaze.  Once cooled, drizzle over top of the doughnuts and allow to "set up" or if you are like us and have no self control, devour immediately.   

So these are Ze-Ra's "Flat Doughnuts" as she calls them.  Please excuse the puddle of glaze.  She was in a hurry to eat and be out the door before the school bus.  Anyway, these do not look anything like the original picture! :(  I thought the dough was super sticky when I was making them, but thought I'd give it a shot.  No matter to Ze-Ra, she promptly announced, "You should open a doughnut shop named Mama's Flat Doughnuts!  These are the best flat doughnuts I've ever had!!"  So the best huh,  not the only flat doughnuts? :)  She's a sweetheart!

I added more flour (about a cup) to the dough after Ze-Ra's flat doughnuts were well, flat.  I left it on the counter for 30 minutes and then in fridge for 30 before I pulled it out to make ours.  This is the result.  

Slightly less flat that Ze-Ra's, but still not a doughnut in any sense of the word.  

I didn't use all of the dough, in fact, I don't think I even used half.  Guess I'll be adding some more flour and then giving it another shot, it's too bad we have to eat all of these tasty "mistakes" while I experiment.  

Oh well, Mama's Flat Doughnuts weren't very pretty, but they were absolutely DELICIOUS!