Glazed Cranberry Orange Baked Doughnuts

 

 

We always have jellied cranberries leftover.  I think we buy it because we feel obligated, but not many people eat it at our holiday table.  So, there’s always leftover cranberry sauce or jellied cranberries.  One of the two.  This recipe allows you to take those leftovers and turn them into a delicious breakfast or brunch item to whip up the next morning.  The cranberry sauce and one orange with some pantry ingredients turn into deliciously light, sweet tart baked doughnuts for your family.

 

What is the difference between doughnut batter and quick bread batter?

 

I often wondered if I could just take a regular quick bread recipe and turn it into a baked doughnut recipe.  I tried it once and it sort of worked and sort of didn’t work.  The quick bread batter can be too thick.  It was almost too thick to spread into the doughnut pan.  I even tried piping it into the pan.  That didn’t go very well, either.

 

 

If you want to use your favorite banana bread recipe or other quick bread recipe, you will need to add additional liquid.  This will make the batter thinner so it will spread into the pan easier.  You can add some milk or juice to thin the batter enough to fill the pan.  Or a little water if you don’t have either of those readily available.  You could also add an additional egg to help thin the batter, too.  That will make for a richer doughnut.

 

How do you top doughnuts?

 

One of the defining features of a delicious doughnut is its topping.  If you like to go the easy route, you can toss your doughnuts in a combination of cinnamon and sugar.  Or you can toss them with some powdered sugar.  These added extra sweetness and flavor to your doughnuts. 

 

 

Glaze is the typical coating for a doughnut.  It’s typically a thin, glossy coating made from powdered sugar and a liquid like milk or juice.  Sometimes the doughnut is completely dipped in the glaze.  It can also be that the top of the doughnut is dipped in the glaze.  The glaze can also be drizzled on top of the doughnut creating a decorative top.

 

Frosting is a thicker and creamier topping made from powdered sugar, butter, and other flavors like chocolate, maple, or vanilla. It’s similar to a cupcake frosting, but it’s a little different in that the surface will harden with doughnut frosting.  You can also decorate frosting with sprinkles or quins for more festive doughnuts.

 

 

Can you make these doughnuts ahead of time?

 

If you’re planning to serve these delicious glazed cranberry orange baked doughnuts for a holiday gathering or brunch, you may be wondering if you can make them ahead of time. The good news is that you can! These doughnuts are best enjoyed fresh, but you can bake them the day before and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Or you can store them in the fridge to 2 to 3 days.  When you’re ready to serve them, bring refrigerated doughnuts to room temperature and simply glaze them for that perfect finishing touch.

 

Ingredients needed for these doughnuts

 

To create these delectable cranberry orange baked doughnuts, you will need simple and easily accessible ingredients that you probably have in your pantry or fridge.

Pantry – whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, cranberry jelly

Fridge – eggs, butter, cream, orange zest, milk

 

 

Instructions for these cranberry orange baked doughnuts

 

First, preheat the oven so it’s ready when you are.  Then combine all the dry ingredients minus the sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir with a whisk to break up any clumps.  Next, whisk together the wet ingredients (eggs, sugars, butter, cream) with the half of the orange zest.  Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir until most of the flour clumps are combined but not all.  Let the batter sit for 5 minutes and then stir once more. 

 

Coat a doughnut pan with oil or cooking spray.  Fill the wells 2/3 full.  If you over fill them then you can make thumbprint style doughnuts like these banana thumbprint donuts.  Bake at 350 F for 18 to 20 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

 

While the doughnuts are cooling, combine the milk with the cranberry jelly, remaining orange zest, and powdered sugar to make the glaze.  Drizzle the glaze over the doughnuts before serving.  To add a more festive touch, sprinkle some chopped dried cranberries or additional orange zest over the doughnuts before serving.

 

Can you store the leftovers?

 

To store any leftover doughnuts, place them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. If you need to keep them for longer, store them in the refrigerator for up to a week. To reheat the doughnuts, simply pop them in the microwave for a few seconds or warm them in the oven at a low temperature. 

 

 

The glaze may not stay on the doughnut if you reheat it, so I would make a little more glaze if you plan to have leftovers.  You can easily replace the glaze with fresh glaze to make the doughnuts taste just as delicious as the first time.

 

What do these glazed cranberry orange baked doughnuts taste like?

 

They’re moist and have a nutty flavor from the whole wheat pastry flour.  The pastry flour makes them lighter than regular whole wheat flour.  If you can’t find whole wheat, then you can use regular pastry flour.  It keeps these doughnuts light and airy.