Women's Weekend and Pumpkin Spiced Donuts

I'm back from another semiannual Women's Wine Weekend (notice there is no H in Wine)...

As usual, a good time was had by all.

Over the years our weekend get-togethers have changed. Just like us.

This is how it should be.

We all change.

Our lives change and the circumstances surrounding our lives change.

The one thing that hasn't changed is the women.

We are a group of women from different backgrounds sharing a lifetime bond of friendship and shared memories.

We laughed, we drank wine, we toasted each other's successes and sympathized with our perceived failures. We made new memories and rehashed some old ones. We once again affirmed our connection to each other.

And of course we made plans for our next Women's Wine Weekend (notice there is no H in wine).

To all the women in my life:

I love you.

I admire you for your place in this world.

You are my strength, my idols, my sisters, my confidantes.

Is there any one woman (or more) in your life whom you just can't imagine life without?

I am making these donuts because they remind me of the women of WWW - they are sweet, a little bit spicy, and I dare only visit them about twice a year...

Pumpkin Spiced Donuts with Maple Cream Frosting: (makes about a dozen plus holes)

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk (if you don't have it readily available, make your own with 1/2 cup milk and 2 teaspoons vinegar - white or apple cider vinegar - let stand 5 minutes

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon each: nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cloves (or use 2 teas. pumpkin pie spice)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups flour* plus more for cutting donuts and dusting pan

vegetable oil for frying

Whisk egg and egg yolk together, then add pumpkin, sugars, buttermilk, and butter, whisking after each addition.

Stir in spices and baking powder, salt and baking soda.

Whisk in flour 1 cup at a time to form a sticky dough.

Cover and freeze for 15 minutes.

Pour about 2 inches vegetable oil in frying pan and heat to about 350 degrees.

Turn half of the donut dough out on floured board and pat out with your floured hands to about 1/2 inch thick. With floured round cookie cutter (about 3 inches) cut donuts out. Go back, and using a 1 inch round cutter, cut out holes.

Transfer with floured spatula to floured cookie sheet.

Repeat with remaining dough.

Fry for about 3-4 minuts, turning once. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Repeat with all the "holes"

Toppings:

While donuts are still hot:

Sugar and Cinnamon

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Place sugar and cinnamon in a bag and shake 6 donuts and all the donut holes in bag. Do a few at a time.

Maple Cream Frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

drizzle of milk

Whisk together until thick, but able to "dip" donuts in. When donuts are cool, dip the rest of the donuts into the frosting. Place donuts on a rack on top of a cookie sheet and allow to set.

Arrange all the donuts and holes on a platter and start dreaming of your next women's getaway...

A Cook's Notes: Have any of you discovered this great flour from Bob's Red Mill? Whole Wheat Pastry Flour - it acts just like white flour but packs a nutritional and fiber punch you can live with. The best part? The fussy eaters in your life won't have a clue it's whole wheat....

Don't forget to comment on the Autumn Giveaway Post for a chance to win the Yogotherm and enough cheesemaking supplies to make 70 pounds of soft cheeses - tell your blogging friends!!