Homemade Donuts - Auntie Annes Style!

H-A-P-P-Y F-R-I-D-A-Y!!!! I hate saying goodbye to a week, but I love saying hello to the weekend!! Sorry I teased you guys with my donut pan photos and made you wait until now to finally see what I created!!

I am happy to report everyone at work loved these donuts I made for my boss' birthday! She is just too sweet so I had to make her a sweet treat! I searched high and low for the perfect recipe. I wanted to challenge myself a little, but if you are looking for something a little simpler try Oh She Glow's Baked Doughnut's recipe or Fashion Fitness Foodie's Healthy Donuts recipe.

These donuts tasted just like Auntie Anne's cinnamon-sugar pretzels... sooo good and the smell filled my kitchen for hours! Thank god I packed these up and took them to work or I would have had lots of miles to run!

Baked Donuts - Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups warm milk - {I used vanilla soy milk}
1 packet active dry yeast
2 tablespoons butter - {I used vegan butter}
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
5 cups all-purpose flour - {I used white because I thought the color and texture would be best}
A pinch or two of nutmeg, freshly grated - {substituted cinnamon}
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Topping Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted - {I used vegan butter}
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:
Place 1/3 cup of the warm {soy} milk in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the yeast and set aside for five minutes or so. Be sure your milk isn't too hot or it will kill the yeast. Stir the butter and sugar into the remaining cup of warm milk and add it to the yeast mixture. With a fork, stir in the eggs, flour, nutmeg, and salt - just until the flour is incorporated. With the dough hook attachment of your mixer beat the dough for a few minutes at medium speed. {I don't have a fancy machine, you can incorporate with a spoon just fine} This is where you are going to need to make adjustments - if your dough is overly sticky, add flour a few tablespoons at a time. Too dry? Add more milk a bit at a time. You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl and eventually become supple and smooth. Turn it out onto a floured counter-top, knead a few times (the dough should be barely sticky), and shape into a ball.

Transfer the dough to a buttered (or oiled) bowl, cover, put in a warm place (I turn on the oven at this point and set the bowl on top), and let rise for an hour or until the dough has roughly doubled in size.

Punch down the dough and roll it out 1/2-inch thick on your floured countertop. Most people (like myself) don't have a doughnut cutter, instead I use a 2-3 inch cookie cutter to stamp out circles. Transfer the circles to a parchment-lined baking sheet and stamp out the smaller inner circles using a smaller cutter. If you cut the inner holes out any earlier, they become distorted when you attempt to move them. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise for another 45 minutes.

Bake in a 375 degree oven until the bottoms are just golden, 8 to 10 minutes - start checking around 8. While the doughnuts are baking, place the butter in a medium bowl. Place the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl.

Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let cool for just a minute or two. Dip each one in the melted butter and a quick toss in the sugar bowl. Eat immediately if not sooner. {I stored in a tupperware container and brought to work, microwave them for 10 seconds and they are still delicious}

Makes 1 1/2 - 2 dozen medium doughnuts.
 
FYI: If you missed Bess' post for Janae, a bunch of us bloggers sent virtual hugs in support of her being unable to participate in the Boston Marathon due to a stress fracture. She is always upbeat and cares so much for her readers! Send her some of your hugs!

Things I am lovin' on lately:

• ALL my new followers! Seriously I swore I only had 23 yesterday and today when I looked there were 27! Thank you - that totally made my day!
• The sunshine coming out the past two days - the sun's gorgeous rays really do make you feel so much better and is a mood lifter! Get out and take a walk during your lunch break - totally makes you more productive!
• How amazing the blogger network is - I loved seeing how many girls sent hugs to Janae! What's your good deed of the day?
• The Annapolis-Baltimore trail. I am so glad my girl Stacey introduced me to this trail because it is perfect for a flat run, bike ride or great view to take your dogs for a walk! 13 miles of awesome scenery! 
• The fact that it is FRIDAY and the weekend is here! We have family stuff planned for tomorrow, but Sunday I am venturing out in DC all day! Packing a picnic and some flats for walking around the city!
• Peanut Butter and Co.'s Cinnamon Raisin Swirl and White Chocolate flavors - our PR department at work was sent a variety 6 pack! Love it!
• Our interactive department won TWO ADDY awards yesterday! I had goosebumps when I heard my name being called as the Interactive Project Manager! 

and...

I received three bags of Love Grown Foods granola last night! 

Which can only mean it's an occasion for my first giveaway! I'll be giving away the Cocoa Goodness Granola bag to a lucky winner. Sorry - but only US residents are eligible. Maybe I'll add an extra sweet surprise in the delivery ;-)

Here are 3 easy ways to enter:

1. "Like" Chic Meets Healthy on Facebook here

2. Tweet about this giveaway... @caramundy is having a @lovegrownfoods giveaway! enter at http://tinyurl.com/6kxvu2p

3. Become a Follower of Chic Meets Healthy

Leave a comment for each entry and one lucky winner will be picked randomly at 10 pm on Tuesday 4/26! Good Luck!!!