Chai Spiced Baked Doughnuts

Food photography friends...I had to break out the artificial light for the first time this fall, and it nearly broke my tiny heart. Darkness is coming. Take this time to be thankful for the light, for it is precious. 

---

Todd requested a dessert for a party being thrown for a co-worker friend who is moving jobs. He always gets to bring the raddest vegan desserts to his work. Remember the pumpkin cinnamon rolls from last year? He requested them again because everyone loved them, but I told him that we had to make something new!

I reckon some readers are tired of pumpkin this and pumpkin that. Oh, what a life these people must lead that their biggest frustration is an acute obsession with a delicious, orange winter squash. Boo hoo. Who are these people!? I don't know. Honestly, I didn't make them pumpkin doughnuts because Todd is convinced he doesn't like the stuff. Although, I'd like to remind him that he was the one who requested the pumpkin cinnamon rolls again. He's a closet pumpkin lover. 

“Rule your mind or it will rule you.”

— Buddha

These baked donuts are infused with chai spice in the batter and the crunchy glaze.  A unique doughnut that’s easy to make and sure to be a big hit. The taste is a bit like snickerdoodles.

print recipe

Chai Spiced Baked Doughnuts

by Katie @ Produce On Parade October-3-2014

These baked donuts are infused with chai spice in the batter and the crunchy glaze. A unique doughnut that’s easy to make and sure to be a big hit. The taste is a bit like snickerdoodles. NOTES: For an extra chai kick, try using chai tea by steeping one tea bag in ¾ cup water. Or, just plain water can be used. If you need a chai spice mix recipe, I like the one from Fit Foodie Finds.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup chai tea or water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup vegan sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. chai spice
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• -- Glaze --
• 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 tsp. chai spice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour through and including the salt for the doughnuts. Make a well in the center with a large spoon.In a small bowl, whisk together the tea or water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour into the dry well, while stirring. Stir until just combined.Scoop the batter into a regular doughnut pan coated with a nonstick cooking spray. The wells should be filled about ¾ the way full. Too full and the doughnut hole will close in, not filled full enough and the doughnut will have a huge hole in the center. If you have a six doughnut pan like me, you will bake them in batches. If you have a twelve doughnut pan, you can do them all at once, just be sure they are cooled for about 20 minutes before glazing. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for a minute. Then, run a butter knife blade around each doughnut to loosen it from the pan. Tip the pan upside-down to remove the doughnuts. Place them on a wire cooling rack. Repeat with remaining batter.Once the second batch of donuts is done baking and has cooled for about 5 minutes, it’s time to make the glaze. Whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat for several minutes until runny. Then, immediately dip the doughnuts face-first into the glaze one by one and set back on the cooling rack. Then repeat again for a second glaze dip. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if you like and allow to dry on the rack. It will take a few hours for the glaze to set and be somewhat hard.Store in an airtight container.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 35 mins Yield: 12 doughnuts

"Hey, give me some of those doughnuts, or else!"

Still need more doughnuts? You'll probably enjoy these Cookie Dough Doughnuts too!

Dutch Word of The Day

Doughnut --> Berlinerbol

Good Deed of The Day

Did you see the news recently? Do you know what the photo below is of? That's a mass of 35,000 walruses that have come ashore at Point Lay, Alaska because their ice caps that they normally go to have melted. Scary is an understatement.  I think we should all tell our senators that we need immediate, strong climate action in order to save the grand walrus and many other beautiful, threatened species. 

Photo from NBC News. Link above. 

Creamy Chai Banana-Avo Smoothie

Frozen avocados in smoothies are the best thing ever. I'm notorious for letting my avocados get pretty darn sad. I buy them with the best intentions but for some reason I just forget about them and then, sadness. Usually, I can rescue these avocados by cutting them into quarters and freezing them. They're just delightful when frozen and thrown in smoothies. Frozen bananas are, of course, popular to throw in smoothies. However, I rarely have any bananas in my freezer. I just use them up too quickly, I think. However, I always have some frozen avocado on hand! Try it out next time you've got one that's unfortunately gotten a little...err...past it's prime. 

This smoothie is rich, smooth, and chilled from the addition of frozen avocado. The banana lends a luxurious creamy quality, flavored by a homemade chai spice mix, and sweetened by fresh dates with a little flax thrown in for good measure. 

Creamy Chai Banana-Avo Smoothie

Serves 1 (small serving)

• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used a coconut-almond blend)
• 1 banana, not frozen
• 1/4 avocado, frozen
• 1 date, pitted
• 1 tsp. whole flax seeds (or 1/2 ground)
• 1/2 tsp. chai spice blend (I make my own, here)
• pinch of salt

Throw everything in the blender, starting with the milk first.

Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Serve cold. 

So delicious! Who says you can't have a smoothie for dinner?

Listening to: Our Hen House podcast. You should listen to!

German word of the day: Banana --> Banane (pronounced: bahnon-eh) It sounds kind of how you'd imagine a Brit to say banana. 

Good deed of the day: Even if you do eat meat and wear leather, you can certainly stand behind and sign this petition to stop Tell Craigslist to Help Stop Violence Against Pets. It only takes 5 seconds. I promise. 

[yumprint-recipe id='86']

Spiced Chai French Toast

This perfectly vegan fluffy french toast is scented with chai spice and deliciously decadent. If you think you need eggs for the best french toast ever, you are mistaken. I'm sorry, I'm just the messenger. Have you had vegan french toast? No? Better get on it! Gosh, I'm sooo bossy today.

Ooooo, I am so excited to share today's recipe with you! This is the most delightful breakfast ever.  When I worked up at Hatcher Pass Lodge (see cool photos here), I was a french toast making extraordinaire. I learned how to make the most splendid and lavish french toast.

And I have to tell you, if you're making french toast with regular ol' sammy bread...you're doing it wrong. Just STOP. No more, I forbid it. Once you make french toast with actual french bread (well, french "style" bread)...oh gosh, just...if you haven't, you need to. This is not The Depression. Make it with french bread, not sandwich bread. Sandwich bread is for sandwiches and french bread is obviously for, well, french toast. 

Also, you have to wear your fancy pants when you eat these.

Oh, also...we slathered ours with birch syrup. If you're in Alaska (like me) and have a small fortune to squander (unlike me), it's time to get yo'self some birch syrup. I think it's, please excuse my contrived snootiness here, richer and way more complex than maple syrup. It's has so much more going on. It's darker and more caramelly (it's a word, I checked). If you get the chance to try it, please do!

Spiced Chai French Toast

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

This perfectly vegan fluffy french toast is scented with chai spice and deliciously decadent. If you think you need eggs for the best french toast ever, you are mistaken.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened plain plant milk (I use oat milk)
• 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 2 tsp. chai spice
• 1/2 tsp. ground flaxseed or ground psyllium husk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1 lb of french bread, about 6 1 inch thick slices

Ingredients

1. In a liquid measuring cup whisk together all the ingredients except for the bread then transfer to a shallow rimmed dish, like a pie dish.
2. Coat a large frying pan with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Dip each slice of bread in the french toast liquid for about 5-10 seconds on each side. The bread should feel slightly heavier but not soaked completely through. That's the trick!
3. Cook the slices for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until deep golden brown.
4. Serve hot; drench with maple (or birch!) syrup, vegan butter, and topped with powdered sugar and strawberries, or whatever your favorite toppings are!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10
Total time: 15
Yield: 3-4 servings

This french toast means business. 

Listening to Electric Guest – This Head I Hold