Caramel Glazed Apple Donuts

Fall is my season.  Not in a creepy, delusional, possessive way like I think I actually own fall.  I mean, if I owned fall, I would also own 37 Birkins.  Ugh, I need to figure out how that's going to work out.  Boo?

I really love fall because of the cashmere/boots/leather jackets/layering bounty of produce that's readily available.  I can get my paws on so many goodies.  Including...apples! Honeycrisp, gala, jazz, granny smith.  Apples are easily one of my favorite fruits. 

As a newly minted Registered Dietitian, I am eager to provide Boo with healthy, balanced meals.  Enter: donuts.  Here's my rationale...the ratio of batter to apples greatly favors the apples.  So, really -- we are eating fruit for a snack!  Fabulosity. Obviously totally kidding.  These are a treat, not a serving of fruit.  But come on, live a little! 

These donuts are like a softer version of candy apples (which were always my treat of choice when we would go to fairs).  Others opted for fried dough with confectioners' sugar.  But when this lady Wolf was a cub, she would make a bee line for the candy apple stall -- caramel version...I couldn't stand the red candy apples.  Tangent, sorry again. 

Ingredients for 12 donuts:
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder 
1 tsp cinnamon 
1/2 tsp kosher salt 
1 whole egg
1/2C milk (I used skim) 
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla 
2 apples, peeled diced (I used granny smith) 

Directions:
1. Combine dry ingredients 
2. Combine wet ingredients
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
4. Peel and dice apples
5. Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients, then fold in apples
6. Grease the donut pan 
7. Gently pour the apple batter into each donut cavity, being careful not to over-fill them (clean the center piece if there is overrun) 
8. Bake for 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the side of the donut comes out clean
9. Invert donuts onto a cooling rack, and repeat steps 6-8 until all the batter has been used
10. Glaze the donuts with caramel sauce, eat immediately 

Donut pan:

Glazed and ready to go:

Dig in:

Breakfast of champions:

No fork necessary:

Side note: Good non-stick pans are worth their weight in gold/diamonds/Redskins RG III gear/however you measure worth.  Mediocre non-stick pans, while cheap, don't even come close to high-quality pans.  Trust me, invest in this Wilton brand pan if you want to make donuts.  The donuts bake crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. And just popped right out of the pan, it is so slick! Works really well.  And it's coupon eligible at Bed Bath and Beyond.  Yeehaw! 

I'd love to hear from you if you make these donuts!  Did you also make yesterday's caramel sauce?  How did you serve them?  Hope you enjoy...

xx,
The Future Mrs. Wolf