Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes = Heaven

I love fall.  It is my favorite season of the year.  The gorgeous leaves, the brisk air, the anticipation of snow--I love it.  Sadly, fall up here lasts for about a week total.  We woke up to snow in the yard on Saturday???!!!!...(I don't know which to use).  I also love fall because of the flavors--apples, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, caramel, cranberries, cloves, nutmeg, squash, dark chocolate, and so much more.  Delicious.

Fall baking in this house was kicked off two weeks ago with the pumpkin brownies.  As a thank you for all of the love I received for my fall birthday, I decided to make these baked pumpkin donuts.  Two bites of heaven per donut hole.  Since I just turned 30, I decided that I needed to have about 30 slices of heaven; that's how good these little donuts were.  They were the perfect combination of doughy and flaky, with just the perfect amount of pumpkin, and covered with a light layer of cinnamon and sugar.  An added bonus, they made the house smell like a decadent bakery.

These little guys were the perfect thing to ring in fall, my birthday, and a new decade.

Baked Pumpkin Donuts:
Adapted from this recipe.

For the Donut Holes...

• 1 3/4 cups flour (next time I am going to use wheat flour--I think it would be great!)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• a heaping 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• a heaping 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin 
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk

For the Coating...

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cups of granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of cinnamon

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees. 
2. Spray two mini-muffin tins with cooking spray and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves. 
4. In a separate, large bowl whisk together the oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk until smooth. 
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. 
7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. While the muffins bake, melt butter in one bowl and combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. 
9. Remove the muffins from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 2 minutes. 
10. Dip each muffin in the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat. 
11. CELEBRATE FALL!