Mini Baked Vanilla Doughnuts w/ Maple Glaze & Candied Bacon

I try to control myself around doughnuts.  It’s very difficult.  These doughnuts were even harder to control myself around.  I tried to rationalize .. “Oh, these are mini doughnuts so I can have 8!” or, “Hmm, these are baked, not fried so go ahead and finish off the dozen!”  Needless to say, between my husband {a huge bacon fan} and I, these doughnuts didn’t last very long in my house!

The most difficult part of the recipe is figuring out how much to fill up the doughnut pan with batter -- too little creates a flat doughnut and too much will cause overflow.  It’s really about trial and error -- I found that if I filled the pan a teeny bit more than 2/3rds full, it produced the doughnut I was looking for.

Baked Mini Cake Doughnuts with Candied Bacon and Maple Glaze

adapted from Glorious Treats

Candied Bacon

5 slices thick cut maple bacon

1/4 c. brown sugar

1. Preheat broiler.  Lay out bacon strips on broiler pan and sprinkle with brown sugar
2. Broil bacon strips until crispy and sizzling {be careful not to burn bacon...it can happen quickly}
3. Cool bacon completely then crumble.

For the Doughnuts

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 425. Spray mini doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add buttermilk, egg, and butter and stir until just combined.
3. Scoop batter into a large ziplock bag, or a large piping bag and snip off the tip to fill doughnut pan.  Fill each cup 2/3rds full.  Bake 4 to 6 minutes ur until the top of the doughnuts spring back when touched.  Cool in pan 1 to 2 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.

Maple Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar

2 tbsp milk

1 to 1 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup extract

1. Combine all ingredients and use immediately to glaze doughnuts.  Dip each doughnut in glaze then set on plate or baking sheet.  Sprinkle with candied bacon and enjoy!