Jam Filled Baked Cinnamon Donuts

 

I don't think anyone can accuse me of not getting any use out of my donut baking pans! I am using them pretty regularly. In  fact I like baked donuts so much that I purchased a second one so that I don't have to wash my pan in between bakings and I can now bake 12 at a time!

 

I am really enjoying experimenting with baked donuts.  Today I thought why not try a jam filled baked donut.   We all love jam filled donuts I think.  Well, it's true in this house at any rate!  It it has jam in it . . . we LOVE it!



I know jam filled donuts are not usually the ones with a hole in the middle, but I wasn't going to let a small technicality like that hold me back.   I decided that if I warmed the jam a little bit, and piped a small stream of it in the centre of the donuts . . . then they would be filled with jam.

 

The first two pans I made, I filled the donut holes half filled with the batter, piped in the jam, and then covered them with more batter.   They baked up beautifully . . . but the jam did sink to the bottom of the pan . . . thankfully not enough to make them stick.   They ain't pretty . . . but, a little bit of softened icing covers it all up.



I decided with the last pan to fill them with all of the batter and then pipe a thin strip of jam on the top of the donuts . . . then when it sunk . . . it would be in the centre of the donuts.  And I was right.   It worked perfectly . . . well, you can still kind of see on the tops of the bottoms where the jam was . . . but why quibble.   They're delicious no matter what.



Those ones I dipped in butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar.  Scrummo!!  We had company stop by shortly after I had baked and decorated them . . . and so I had our guests do a taste test them for me, along with Todd.   I wanted honest opinions.

 

Tony liked the ones with the icing on top best, and was rather fond of the slight chewiness of some of the jam bits.  He liked the other ones too.



Tina liked the ones with the jam in the middle and the butter/cinnamon coating, the best . . . although she said the others were rather good as well.



Todd just happily sat there eating both kinds.   He was happy.  Donuts.  Jam.   Whatever.   He loved it all.
I was rather fond of both as well.   I had thought that the sunken jam ones were a bit of a failure . . . but a rather tasty failure all the same . . .

 

And the butter/cinnamon coated ones?   Scrummo!!   I have created a monster.   A delectably tasty monster.

 

Oh my . . . I am enjoying this wonderful journey.  If you don't have a donut baking pan, you really must get one.   Seriously.   Put it one or two on your wish list.  You won't be sorry.



*Jam Filled Baked Cinnamon Donuts*
Makes 18
Printable Recipe

I like to think these are a lot healthier than the regular fried ones.  In any case they are a fabulously tasty experiment.   You decide which way you want yours to turn out.

Nonstick cooking spray
200g plain flour (2 cups)
287g of caster sugar (1 1/2 cups)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1  large free range egg, beaten
300ml of whole milk (1 1/4 cups)
2 TBS butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract

To fill:
4 dessertspoons of strawberry jam, heated gently

For the coating:
8 TBS butter, melted
95g of caster sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Optional:
purchased icing, warmed to drizzle



Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Spray your donut pans well with nonstick cooking spray. 

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a large bowl.   Whisk the egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla together in a beaker.  Add all at once to the dry ingredients and stir together just to combine.

Spoon the batter into the baking pans, filling each one a little more than three-quarters full.  Using a small teaspoon, drizzle some of the heated jam, in a thin line around the centre of the donuts, taking care not to touch the edges.

 

Bake for 17 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched.  Allow to cool in the pan for five minutes, before tipping out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.  Allow to cool completely before proceeding.

Place the melted butter into a shallow bowl.   Stir the cinnamon and sugar together in another bowl.   Dip the tops of the donuts into the melted butter and then into the cinnamon sugar.

Alternately, if you prefer a bit of crunch, you can fill the tins 1/3 full.  Drizzle the heated jam around the centres and then top with the remaining batter.   Bake as above.  The jam will sink more or less to the bottom, which gives a uniquely different texture, which is quite tasty as well.   Drizzle the tops with heated icing when cooled.

I know I promised you Home Baked Digestive Biscuits today . . . but, I just couldn't wait to show you these donuts!!  Patience has never been one of my virtues! Never fear, I'll tell you all about the Digestive Biscuits tomorrow!  Oh so tasty!