I love French pastries. The French make nearly every lovely, tasty confection that the world has to offer.
With a notable exception: DOUGHNUTS. You find the occasional attempt, but they just aren't right.
As a southern girl, I was weaned on Krispy Kremes. Our Sunday tradition in my family was to pick up a dozen or three on the way home from church. Sure, it has probably shortened my life by a few years, but it was worth it.
So, French pastries aside, I miss doughnuts. You may remeber that I’ve taken to making them myself in my new friteuse, or deep-fat fryer. Then the other day I came across a recipe for ‘doughnut muffins’, which I immediately had to try. Surprise, they DID taste like doughnuts, but they were round and fat, which would never do. So while visiting the states I ordered a couple of doughnut pan
Here’s the best part. Not only do they taste really good, but we can almost call them HEALTHY. I use about a third whole wheat flour, and they’re made with canola oil, not butter. Oh and they’re super easy to make too, like, well, a muffin. So my latest party trick is to serve them to guests, an indulgent low-fat, light dessert (-ish; there is sugar involved here).
The surprise ingredient, which you will recognize as a cake doughnut flavor when you taste them, is nutmeg.
RECIPE: Almost Healthy Baked Doughnuts
(Attribution note: when I copied the muffin recipe, I neglected to copy the link. There are lots of very similar recipes, but no amount of Googling will now turn up this particular one. I’ve tweaked it quite a bit, but nevertheless, my apologies to that lost person who inspired it).
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup low-fat milk
Toppings: recipe below
Makes a dozen
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180C) and butter a muffin tin or two Doughnut Pans
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Combine oil, sugar, egg and milk in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients and stir just to combine. All dry ingredients should be blended in, though.
Bake at for 15-20 minutes. Tops will not get completely brown, but the bottoms will; it won't matter, you'll be glazing them. While muffins are baking, prepare toppings.
Remove muffins or doughnuts carefully from pan while hot. Dip tops and bottoms quickly in the melted butter and then into the sugar and cinnamon mixture, if using. If glazing, let them cool first.
Toppings
If you’re making both the chocolate and vanilla glazes, start with the vanilla, dip some of the doughnuts, then stir the chocolate into the remaining glaze. Easy! Do try the cinnamon-sugar, I like that the best.
Vanilla Coconut. (This will glaze at least 6 doughnuts)
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- milk or water
In a small bowl, add vanilla to sugar with a teaspoon of milk, stir, then keep stirring milk in, in small amounts, until you have a thick glaze. Dip doughnuts in glaze, then in a small bowl of coconut.
Chocolate Pecan
Make vanilla glaze as above. Stir in 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (cut it to two if you've used some of the vanilla glaze), and additional milk as needed. Sprinkle with chopped pecans or other nuts.
Cinnamon Sugar
- ¼ cup light or canola oil butter, melted
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Dip top and bottom of doughnut quickly in butter, then dip in cinnamon sugar mixture.
Favorite Reads: Who could resist a book with this title? All You Need to Be Impossibly French: A Witty Investigation into the Lives, Lusts, and Little Secrets of French Women
In the Comments: Suggestions for our up and coming ebook on the best way to learn a language keep coming in, merci! Lucy and Virginia Darlin', doncha know the French think a southern accent is charming, thank the Lord. Georges teaches French on-line. And we have lots of pimento cheese fans, and opinions!
Our Reader's Blogs: Those francophile travelers Heather and Kent at Unexcused Absenses are back in snow country. Read their he said/she said posts about skiiing at their blog. Check out the Morvan Muse just north of us in Burgundy at her blog, Ma Coeur est Dans la Campagne. She's pulling out her summer produce out of the freezer for a winter treat, and she's got some good freezing tips.
12 thoughts on “The Missing French Pastry”
We need something like doughnuts to keep our spirits up here in the Clunysois.
There is a cough and cold doing the rounds which is almost the worse that we have known. Stay away for the time being is my advice!!
This looks and sounds like a ‘must try’… Thanks Lynn.
LOL I haven’t ever lived out of the country but just my years in NY made me miss Krispy Kremes! Now I am blessed to live in a town that boast 3 (yes…3) KK and 1 Dunkin Donuts and a wonderful local bakery that does great ones as well!
Yours look devine!
Whenever I’m in Paris I make a beeline for the Boulangerie Julien on the rue St. Dominique, close to the intersection of the rue Amelie (7th arr.). They make beignet nature–whole wheat doughnut holes. With the exception of crullers from the Bay Bakery in Milwaukee, these creations cannot be beat. I’ve been known to choose accommodations as close to that boulangerie as possible just to have easy access to the beignets. Additionally, the other products of Boulangerie Julien are some of the best in Paris.
You had me a guilt free pastry! I’m pinning this recipe so I keep track of it. :~)
I was just introduced to Southern Fried French by Kristin Espinasse’s blog French-Word-a-Day. Reading through all the archives I discovered the mention of the resto L’Auberge de Jack and his gratin dauphinois recipe.I made those pommes de terre for dinner last night. They are perhaps the best potatoes I have ever consumed, and my husband says he has fallen in love with me all over again because of them!I cannot thank you enough for the great introduction to your blog! Mille mercis!
Nutmeg is my favorite spice!!! Love this recipe!
How fun…thanks for posting this yummy looking recipe!
Your timing on this recipe could not have been more
appropriate! Ali and I had just discussed stopping for a Krispy Kreme while shopping but our driver was in control so we’ll have to stop another day. They sound soooo good. We will have to try your recipe when Monty and Ali come up for a stay here. Hope you are enjoying your stay in the states. Connie
You’ve got that right, the French just can’t make donuts! How I would love to make my own but I’m terrible at that sort of thing so I will settle for oogling yours (and my waistline will thank me for it!).
Girl, you are very clever to do this but with all the fab pastries in France I could get over doughnuts in a heartbeat! Give me a buttery pain au chocolat any day.
V
Oh, Lynn, I love this! I’ve never even heard of a doughnut pan but now I’m going to have to get one. My son loves Krispy Kremes…can down half a dozen as a snack. Of course, he’s a long, tall bean-pole who can use the calories. I’m delighted to have a slightly less caloric version for those of us whose metabolism has slowed. Enjoy your stay!