Cinnamon Bun Doughnuts

After running a Twitter poll, the Internet told me that I should either bake cinnamon buns or doughnuts on the weekend. Not am I always only going to make all important decisions via Twitter polls from this point forward, it's also reassuring to see that, like me, many people can't choose between the two. They both had pretty much the same number of votes.

I mean, cinnamon buns or doughnuts? How can you possibly choose between the two?

And so, like many other fully fledged adults, I chose the sensible, responsible answer. That answer being trying my very hardest to combine the two. Life is about balance and compromise afterall.

Without further ado, I present to you...cinnamon bun doughnuts.

Soft cinnamon baked doughnuts covered in a cinnamon glaze, cinnamon crumbs and maple vanilla drizzle.

Whilst cinnamon buns are still pretty fancy, I'm kind of sold on the idea that you can make baked doughnuts in under 30 minutes. No folding and overnight proving required here.

C I N N A M O N   B U N   D O U G H N U T S
(Makes 6 regular or 12 mini doughnuts)

Cinnamon doughnuts:

175g plain flour

2tbsp corn flour

1tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

75g caster sugar

1tsp ground cinnamon

80ml buttermilk

1 egg

1tbsp butter, melted

Cinnamon crumbs:

1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Cinnamon icing:

240g icing sugar

2tbsp milk

1tsp cinnamon

Maple vanilla icing:

240g icing sugar

1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Heat the oven to 180 degrees and thoroughly grease a doughnut pan.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl to remove any lumps. Set aside.
3. In another, smaller bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg and melted butter until bubbly.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk together until smooth.
5. Pour the batter into a piping bag, snip off the end and fill the doughnut pan, about two thirds full.
6. Bake in the oven for 7-9 minutes, until the doughnuts have puffed up and start to turn golden.
7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 2 minutes for the doughnuts to firm up. Then tip onto a wire rack to cool fully.
8. To make the cinnamon crumbs, combine the ingredients and rub between your fingers until the mix comes together into a breadcrumb type form.
9. For the cinnamon icing, sift the icing sugar and cinnamon into a bowl before whisking in the milk.
10. For the maple vanilla icing, again, sift the icing sugar into a bowl before whisking in the maple syrup and vanilla. Pour into a piping bag ready for drizzling.

To assemble:

Dip the cooled doughnuts into the cinnamon icing and sprinkle over cinnamon crumbs to stick. Leave for 15 minutes for the icing to set before finishing with a good drizzle of the maple vanilla icing. 

These doughnuts are best served fresh, but at a push can be made the day before and assembled on the day needed.

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