Simple Baked Spelt and Cinnamon Doughnuts

Recipe extract from our new cookbook, BOOSTING YOUR BASICS published by Penguin Random House Australia, 2019.

It’s hard to go past the smell of freshly baked cinnamon doughnuts and these homemade delights are no exception! We’ve created this recipe so you and your kids can enjoy them knowing they’ve had a nutritional boost. 

{If you love these you will also love our No-Beef Burgers which also feature in our book.}

BOOST YOUR BASICS: Whereas doughnuts are usually deep-fried, baking your own removes a lot of the oil – plus you can choose to use your preferred flours and sugars. This recipe uses spelt flour and rapadura sugar for something different. While it’s still a sugar and therefore best reserved for treats, rapadura sugar is unrefined and imparts a slightly caramel flavour and golden colour to baked goods.

ALLERGIES/INTOLERANCES: Gluten/wheat: use gluten- or wheat- free flour Dairy: replace the buttermilk with the same amount of your preferred dairy-free milk with 3 teaspoons of lemon juice added. Use coconut oil or olive oil instead of the butter, but note this will slightly change the flavour and texture of the doughnuts. Egg: substitute a ‘chia egg’ (see page 5) or your preferred egg replacer.

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Ingredients

• 50 g butter, softened
• 1 cup (150 g) rapadura (or brown) sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 1⁄4 cups (170 g) spelt flour
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup (125 ml) buttermilk
• 50 g extra butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Grease a 6-hole doughnut tin. -

Step 2

Place the butter and half the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat
until light and creamy. Add the vanilla and egg and mix until well combined. -

Step 3

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and add half to the butter mixture. Mix gently until just combined. Follow with the buttermilk and then the remaining flour mix, being careful not to overmix. -

Step 4

Fill a piping bag or zip-lock bag with the batter, snip off a corner and pipe mixture into the doughnut holes so they are half full. -

Step 5

Bake for 10 minutes or until the doughnuts spring back to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes. -

Step 6

Meanwhile, combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon on a plate. While the doughnuts are still warm, dip the tops first in the melted butter and then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Best enjoyed warm with seasonal fresh fruit. -

Step 7

STORAGE: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. -