Maple Spice Donuts & Fall Challenge #1

Last week I came across a wonderful Fall Challenge at the Women Living Well blog- Making Your Home a Haven 31 Fall Challenge. Having a safe, happy, healthy, inviting and comforting home is always a priority of mine. I would encourage everyone to check out the link below the picture and join me in this challenge. The thing I really enjoyed about this challenge is that it isn't just about getting things cleaned up or having the best decor- it is about being a spiritually balanced homemaker.

Making Your Home A Haven Fall Challenge

The Week #1 Challenge (which has a wonderful description of a well balanced home & homemaker vs. one that isn't. ) encourages the homemaker to light a nice candle in a prominent place that you will pass by throughout the day- and each time the candle catches your eye, say a prayer for your family and home.

I have loved this part of the challenge, I love candles, and have plenty of yummy smelling and beautiful ones throughout my home. I like to light a jar candle behind my kitchen sink, this location is a pretty central point in our home, and I pass by it often, also, this spot is very safe for a candle because it is away from anything that could catch fire (I am pretty big on candle safety).

I love how the candle light reminds me to pray multiple times throughout the day for my home and family. When you are praying about your home and family it becomes more natural to stay on task doing the things for your home and family rather than getting distracted by this and that. I am a very easily distracted person and I am often amazed at how I let a day pass by getting very little done, staying on task has definitely been included in my prayers :)

Here is the candle I am burning.

This weeks challenge also gave us this wonderful verse to think and pray on:

The wise women builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Proverbs 14:1 (NIV)

I am looking forward to taking part in this challenge throughout October.

Today we are having a very rainy fall day, being a born and bred Oregonian, I love these cozy rainy days. I wanted to make a nice treat for the hubby and kids to have this afternoon, so I decided to pull out my doughnut pans and bake up some yummy Maple Spice Doughnuts.

My Grandma gave me these pans at Christmas quite a few years back, and I love them. With these pans you can very quickly whip up baked doughnuts, without having to bother with rising dough or frying in oil. For the most part I just modify a muffin batter for the dough.

Here is my doughnut pan, I have two of them, so you can make a dozen all at once.

Here is the recipe I used today-

Applesauce Spice Doughnuts

6 Tablespoons melted butter

1 egg

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix melted butter into brown sugar and sugar, then add egg, applesauce, sour cream, and milk, mix until combined. Then add dry ingredients and spices, mix until combined. Carefully scoop into doughnut pans that have been sprayed with non stick cooking spray.

Bake at 350 F. for about 14-15 minutes or until slightly browned and knife inserted in doughnut comes out clean.

Set on cooling rack to cool.

Maple Glaze- Mix together Milk , 1-2 cups powdered sugar , and about 1/2 teaspoon of maple flavoring (a little more if needed). Mix together until it reaches a desired glaze consistency, I don't use a recipe for this, I just add in a tiny bit of milk, and keep adding it until it reaches the right consistency.

Here is the Maple flavoring I use.

When doughnuts are cool, dunk the top half in the glaze, and set back on cooling rack until glaze is set.


Serve with a nice hot cup of tea or cider! Perfect snack for a beautiful cozy fall day!

P.S. There is still time left to enter my Giveaway for The Knight and The Dragon children's story book by Tomie dePaola, Giveaway ends Friday, October 7th at Midnight.