Bite-sized foods are irresistible. These mini beauties are packed with flavor and powered with protein. Enjoy one (a couple) (a few) today!

In short order, our COVID-19 status in the small village of Newhalen went from “mindfully wash your hands” and “don’t touch your face” to a full-on “shelter in place.” We could take this mandate like pouty kids who are grounded. Or we can view it as a golden opportunity. Outside, it’s slick, icy, and chilly: -10° F (-23° C) this morning. So going out for runs or hikes isn’t very appealing. Lately, our preferred together activity has been spending time cuddling up with a bowl of popcorn and watching favorite movies and new documentaries. Moving on to independent activities, Jack has been mastering more tunes on his guitar, while my solo fun, as you might have guessed, has been getting creative in my personal home bakery.

Most recently, several containers of puréed pumpkin and a cute mini donut pan was my “shut in” entertainment. There is something appealing about making diminutive treats. It reminds me of tea parties and Easy Bake ovens in an imagined perfect childhood. Really, the ingredients are pretty healthy. If you’re like me, it’s hard to stop at one, so, eating four of these is not a terrible thing. So go ahead and eat a few – they are a great protein-packed snack to power up for a long run, to refuel after a hard run, or just to get up from the sofa and start a new movie.

How are you keeping yourself occupied these day? What are you baking? Stay healthy everyone!

Mini Maple Pumpkin Donuts

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour, or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch ground ginger
• pinch nutmeg, or mace
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp pumpkin purée
• splash vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp pecans, chopped

Glaze

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• drizzle of water if glaze needs to be thinned

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together sugars, egg, pumpkin, vanilla, and oil.
4. Stir wet ingredients into dry.
5. Fold in chopped pecans.
6. Spoon mixture into donut pans. Fill them about 3/4 full.
7. Bake 10 minutes. A wooden pick inserted into thickest part of donut should come out clean.
8. Invert donuts onto a wire rack to cool.
9. Mix glaze ingredients together.
10. Drizzle glaze over cooled donuts.
11. Serve immediately with a piping hot cup of French roast.