Experiment with baked donuts...

So it wasn't a fail... but not a success either. However, as always, I used the recipe on the tins for the first try. I did substitute some whole wheat flour in, but I don't think that was the whole problem. They were just... not great. Not bad, but definitely not great.

I would really like to make a good baked, yeast-less donut. Yes, I know it will be more dense. But in the morning who has time for yeast donuts?! (I am open to the possibility that a good yeast-less baked donut can't exist, but I'm going to work on it awhile before admitting the error of my ways.)  And I'm definitely not frying them. I live 2 miles from Krispy Kreme - if I have to fry them, I might as well go there!

Problems with these donuts were:

*  Not enough flavor oomph. (Yes, that's a technical term...) The whole wheat flour might have overpowered the nutmeg and cinnamon, but I also brushed on some melted butter and dipped in cinnamon sugar, so there was a definite surfeit of flavors here.

* Not enough fat in the donut. The recipe only called for 1 tbsp of fat - I used butter, although it called for shortening. While I love good lower fat foods, recipes do need some for flavor and that certain delicious texture that butter (especially) gives. So more fat! (Yay!)

* Less whole wheat. I did the typical 1/2 and 1/2 substitution, but it didn't work. I want to get some whole grains in there... but 1/2 of the total flour is too much. It made for a bit of a strange texture, I think.

I will keep trying, although it may go the way of the strawberry muffins... Now THAT was an epic fail. (Many thanks to my poor husband who kept trying them!)