We’re bringing this awesome recipe back because it’s pumpkin season again and these little gems are totally worth making, especially for a party or get together. We basically took some of our favorite desserts and smooshed them together. Our two favorite things about this dessert is 1) the fact that they are bite-sized and you can just pop them into your mouth whole AND 2) when you do just pop them in your mouth whole, the crunch from the caramelized sugar crust against the silky soft pumpkin custard creates a texture paradise in yo mouth! The end! :) Enjoy! 
You know how people have ‘spirit animals’? I think doughnuts are my spirit food. Well doughnuts and cured meats…and pickled/fermented things. I’ve always proclaimed myself a savory tooth, over a sweet tooth but when it comes to doughnuts, no contest. I think it was ever since I was a little girl getting carpooled to middle school. My best friend’s mom (yes the same mom that makes phenomenal shepherd’s pie) would always take us to Dunkin’ Donuts in the morning so she could get her coffee fix on and we could get our doughnut noshing on! It was so much fun, especially at 10 years old!
These days doughnuts seem to be ‘all the craze’ and for the last 5 or 6 years shops with classic as well as adventurous and unique doughnuts having been popping up EVERYWHERE and I absolutely love it. I’m sure many of you have been to Doughnut Plant in New York. I went for the first time about 5-6 years ago and kind of didn’t want to leave. I ordered and ate WAY too much, but the sugar coma was worth it. Plus, when I’m in a new doughnut shop (especially one with so many awesome and interesting flavors) I can’t not order at least 8 or a dozen doughnuts. I just want to try them all!
Anyway, one of the doughnuts that really stuck out to me was their crème brûlée doughnut. It was incredible. The doughnut itself was light and airy, the custard filling was perfectly creamy and sweet and the crunch from the sugar shell top was the best part! we have our own version here today, but with a pumpkin custard filling instead… because duh. I also decided to use our no-yeast doughnut recipe for these because while these doughnuts are delicious there are a couple of components going on so cutting out the yeast and rise makes these doughnuts much faster/easier to make! I also recommend not actually bruleeing the tops of the doughnut until you’re ready to serve them, just the same as standard crème brûlée to ensure your sugar shell stays nice and hard.We’ve also made our pumpkin crème brûlée doughnuts quite small so they’re more bite sized, but feel free to use a bigger circle cutter (round cookie cutter) if you want big, fat doughnuts! If you’re looking to make something just a little bit different this holiday season (especially with thanksgiving just right around the corner) make these doughnuts. Seriously. Your friends and family will love you for it. Enjoy! xx, Jenny
Pumpkin Crème Brulee Doughnuts
Makes 36 to 40
Ingredients:
pumpkin pudding:
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
doughnuts:
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
½ cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup whole milk
peanut oil (or a 50/50 peanut and vegetable oil blend)
1/4 cup honey
1 cup turbinado sugar
Directions:
1. Fill a deep skillet with 2 inches of oil and preheat to 350°F.
2. For Pudding: Place milk, sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Once mixture has thickened, quickly whisk 1/3 cup of the mixture into the lightly beaten egg, then whisk the mixture back into the saucepan. Lower heat to low and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
3. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Place mixture over an ice bath and allow pudding to cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate until ready to use.
4. For Doughnuts: Whisk together the shortening, sugar and egg yolk until well combined.
5. In another bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the yolk mixture until dough has just formed.
6. Turn dough onto a clean surface and knead until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.
Lightly flour the surface and roll dough until ½ inch thick. Use a 2 inch circle cutter to cut out doughnuts
7. Carefully drop 4 to 5 doughnuts at a time into the oil and fry for 1 ½ to 2 minutes, flipping the doughnuts after a minute.
8. Drain on paper towels and repeat until all the doughnuts have been made. (at this time you can re-roll the scraps to make more doughnuts)
9. To assemble: Scoop Pudding into a piping bag fitting with a small piping tip. Insert the piping tip into the side of each doughnut and fill with about 1 tablespoon of pudding. Repeat until all doughnuts have been filled.
10. Spread sugar onto a flat plate or baking sheet, in a thin layer. Brush the tops of each doughnut with a thin layer of honey then press into the turbinado sugar.
11. Carefully brulee the tops of each doughnut, cool and serve.
I think doughnuts are my spirit food too! And what a concept. These look perfect.
Finally, a view of the inside! THIS I will try!
Oh my!!!! Seriously!?!?!? Seriously?!?!? These look amazing!!!
FoodNerd x
http://www.foodnerd4life.com
THESE LOOK LIKE HEAVEN. And skipping the yeast makes me 50% more likely to try them (although I’m still afraid of deep frying them so I’m not quite at 100% yet) – Good call on brulee-ing at the last minute. I picked up a creme brulee donut from Donut Shop in San Diego and the next morning it was no longer crispy on top (although I assumed it’s because SD operated at 150% humidity) :)
this looks sooo good!
Doughnuts are totally one of my spirit foods (along with anything fermented or chocolate)! We have a 24 hour donut factory fairly close to home and I’m only slightly embarrassed to admit we went once and gorged ourselves to the brim lol.
These homemade pumpkin donut holes look amazeballs – like little bites of pure heaven! I’m pinning this to aid me in indulging in my doughnut fever later :D
These look amazing! Cannot wait to try this recipe out myself!
-Miss Sennnaa
BLOG: http://miss-sennnaa.blogspot.com
i’m so excited to try this recipe! great idea.
http://csconfetti.blogspot.com
I love the bright colour of the dough! The creme brulee sounds unreal too!
This looks amazing!! I need to add it to my list of stuff to try.
Yes!! We have been to the doughnut plant in NY and of course right after eating a mile high pastrami at Katz. We’re still dreaming of their PB&J doughnut…mmm… This looks incredible!!
Holy. These doughnuts! They’re kind of perfect. I also love these pictures – stunning! Pinned.
Wow, there is some genius action going on here. You could’ve stopped at pumpkin pudding and I would’ve been satisfied, but add doughnuts to the mix?!!! Impressive.
oh my gosh, I’m wondering if I would know when to quit eating these!
Yum!
PINGBACK: this week's happiness xvi | punctuated with food
how did you get the dough to be that pumpkin color?
What a deangerous thing! Oh my goodness I could eat them all and I want to!!!
I am a fan of everything pumpkin….sooooo)))) It’s just for me))
xo
can this be baked?
Unfortunately this one should really be fried. We do have a handful of baked doughnut recipes though…one being a pumpkin/chai doughnut :)