Pumpkin and Cinnamon Donuts

To prepare the pumpkin and cinnamon mini donuts, start with the preparation of the pumpkin: cut it in half and remove the seeds and internal filaments 1. Then divide it into smaller slices that you will place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper 2. Bake in a preheated static oven at 392°F for 60 minutes (if using a convection oven, 356°F for about 50 minutes will suffice) 3.

After the cooking time, remove the baking sheet 4, let it cool slightly, and peel off the outer skin 5. Then, using a potato masher, turn it into puree 6; you should get about 7 oz. Set it aside for now.

Proceed by melting the butter in a saucepan; once melted, let it cool. Then sift the flour into a large bowl 7. Now add the dry yeast 8 and, using a fine-mesh strainer and a spoon, also sift the pumpkin into the bowl 9.

Flavor by grating the untreated zest of a lemon. Then add the cinnamon 10, the now-cooled melted butter 11, and the condensed milk 12.

Work the dough vigorously by hand until you obtain a homogeneous mixture 13: it should be compact. Shape it into a sphere and let it rest in a bowl covered with clear plastic wrap 14; let it rise at room temperature for about 2 hours. After this time, the dough should have doubled in volume 15.

Place it on a lightly floured surface and roll it out with a rolling pin 16 until you obtain a disc about 0.2 inches thick. Cut it with a round cutter with a diameter of about 2.75 inches 17. Repeat the operation for the entire dough, and then internally cut each disk with a round cutter with a diameter of about 1.2 inches 18 to get the classic donut shape with a central hole. You can proceed with the rest of the dough and knead the scraps again to let them rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling and cutting again.

As you create the donuts, place them one by one on a tray lined with parchment paper 19: make sure to place them well spaced from each other. This operation is necessary because you will need to let the mini donuts rise again at room temperature for another hour: so spaced, you will avoid them sticking to each other. After the rising time, heat the oil and bring it to a temperature of 338°F (we suggest measuring the correct temperature with a kitchen thermometer). Immerse the mini donuts 20, at most 2 at a time so as not to lower the oil temperature. Let them fry for about 2-3 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking with a fork or slotted spoon until they get a golden color on both sides 21.

Then, using a slotted spoon, drain the excess oil from the donuts by lifting them slightly from the pan and transfer them to a tray lined with kitchen paper to dry 22. If you prefer, you can roll the still-warm mini donuts in granulated sugar 23 until they are well covered on the entire surface. Your pumpkin and cinnamon mini donuts are then ready to be enjoyed 34!