My sweet friend Katrina sent me a recipe for pumpkin doughnuts last week, just days after I’d purchased my first doughnut pan.  It was kismet, I tell you.

I’ve been craving something pumpkin — and even though there’s still a week left of summer and the weather is warm and sunny, I sure am ready for fall: jackets, scarves, apples, pumpkins, crisp air, and crunchy leaves.  It’s my favorite season and it’s so beautiful here in the Midwest.  The trees turn a bright red, orange, and yellow — the landscape floods with fiery color.  I love it.

So to kick off the “pre-season,” here’s an easy and delicious recipe for pumpkin doughnuts.  Tastes like fall to me (insert sigh of contentment here).

Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts With Maple Syrup Glaze

Recipe adapted from Blue Eyed Bakers

Makes 12 doughnuts

For the doughnuts, you will need:

1 and 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 and 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. allspice

Pinch ground cloves

1/3 c. canola oil

1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 and 1/2 t. vanilla

3/4 c. pumpkin puree

1/2 c. milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 6-cavity doughnut pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon,nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.

3. In  a large bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment), mix together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk.

4. Slowly add flour mixture to wet mixture, until no flour bits remain.  Careful not to over-mix.

5. Using a pastry bag or plastic freezer bag (simply fill with batter, then cut off a corner), pipe mixture into prepared doughnut pan and fill about 2/3 full.

6. Bake 11 to 13 minutes, or until doughnuts spring back when gently pressed.

7. Turn doughnuts out onto a cooling rack or kitchen towel, and allow to cool slightly before glazing.

8. Spray the pan with cooking spray again and repeat steps 5 through 7 for the second batch of doughnuts.

To make the glaze, you will need:

2 c. powdered sugar

2 T. pure maple syrup

1 to 2 T. of milk

1. In a large bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and syrup.

2. Add in milk until desired consistency is reached.

3. Dip the top of slightly cooled doughnuts in glaze.  Place on a rack (or on parchment paper or plastic wrap) to dry and let glaze set.

Note: If you’re not going to serve the donuts immediately, you can bake them up to a day in advance and store them in an airtight container.  Do not coat them in the glaze until just before serving or they may get soggy.

Doughnuts will keep, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.