Once upon a time, there was a little girl who very much looked forward to the annual show held in her town.
The show took part in a park just footsteps from the little girl’s home and as the big day approached – it was always at the end of November – she watched in excitement as the show took shape.
One of her favourite stalls was run by the local boy scouts, who made and sold hot doughnuts. In today’s overly cautious world it is hard to imagine a group of rambunctious boys and a huge pot of boiling oil, but back then it was fine.
The doughnuts produced by the scouts were always misshapen and each customer had to wait an age to order.
But biting into these strangely shaped, piping hot doughnuts were an annual treat worth the wait.
Funnily enough, that little girl was me. I am no longer a fried doughnut fan, although the amazing doughnut I recently had at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler was the best I had eaten since the aforementioned Scout doughnuts.
I do, however, love baking (and eating) doughnuts. These baked caramel doughnuts require neither boiling oil nor Scouts but they are very delicious.
GATHER:
1 cup plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups sifted icing sugar
Enough water to make a glaze consistency
LET’S GET TO IT:
Spray a doughnut pan thoroughly with non-stick spray and preheat oven to 180C.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir with a spoon until combined.
Place milk, butter, egg and vanilla in a medium saucepan over a medium heat, stirring all the while, until the butter melts.
Remove from heat and pour into the flour mixture and gently stir until combined.
Fill a large ziplock bag with the mixture, snip off one corner and pipe into doughnut pan until each cavity is two thirds full.
Depending on size of cavity for between 9 & 13 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Gently remove from pan and cool on rack.
When cold make a glaze by sifting the icing sugar into a bowl and adding a smidge of water at a time until it becomes a thick glaze. Pour over doughnuts and serve.
the hungry mum 
What a charming childhood rememberance, Hungry Mum. Yummy ! I can almost taste and smell those misshapen but scrumptious boy scout made doughnuts myself. not to mention the greasy brown paper bags they came in. I will be trying your 2016 baked recipe very soon.
yes! the super greasy bag through which the doughnuts would fall if you weren’t careful 🙂
delicious!
Thanks Gloria 🙂
I cannot resist doughnuts and although baked ones are popular I have never tried one. i can sop totally see the appeal tough and would not say no if you offered me one of these
Baked doughnuts are great – there’s less calories in them so that means you can eat more 🙂
OMG yes!!!! Caramel and doughnuts together!! Does it get any better!!??
Is a match made in culinary heaven 🙂
I’m no longer much of a fried donut fan these days but, I have to admit, I would change my mind if said donut was served fresh from the fryer. No wonder you looked forward to that annual show. On the other hand, your donuts are much more to my liking. Quite simply, they’d disappear around here. It’s also a benefit that no scouts were injured during their manufacture. 🙂