Pumpkin Ale Butterscotch Donuts Recipe
Halloween takes me back to high school.
I’m not really sure why. For some reason I always seem to think about my friends, Nick and Alex. They were brothers. They drove a VW bus and had a cocker spaniel that they took everywhere. The bus was adorned with curtains covered in mushrooms, the license plate was attached wtih a ginormous safety (think diaper) pin, and there was a bumper sticker that said, “Because I’m the Mommy, that’s why.”
I’m sure you can understand why I can’t remember the dog’s name or the color of the bus.
Where am I going with this? Beats me. I was just thinking about Halloween and with that my memory always goes back to a time when things were simple. Even though at the time it all seemed complicated. Around Halloween, I always think about a fall day when Nick and Alex (and aforementioned cocker spaniel who I cannot remember the name) rolled into my driveway in their VW bus. They wanted to ride up to the mountains and look at the foliage. Did I want to go? Sure!
Who woudn’t? We picked up a few friends, a few beverages (yes – the boozy kind even though we were in high school – sorry Mom!), and a pack or two of cigarettes – sorry about that too, Mom. No worries – I don’t smoke anymore. Virginia Slims 120’s lost some stock value and I was a lot cooler in 1988.
I can still remember how colorful the trees looked in the distance. I feel the breeze ruffle the leaves and blow my hair as I jumped into that VW bus. I grabbed a smoke and a beer while greeting the dog and I didn’t have a single care in the world. We were off to the mountains in the way of the young in a cloud of innocence.
I’ll never forget it. I’ll always miss it.
Pumpkin Ale Butterscotch Donuts Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs room temperature and lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/4 cup pumpkin ale beer
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350
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Whisk together flour, brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice
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In another bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and beer
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Add wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine
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Coat 2 donut pans with cooking spray
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Spoon donut batter into the pans until not quite full
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Bake 16 - 18 minutes or until golden brown
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Cool in pans on wire rack for 5 - 6 minutes then turn out onto the rack to cool completely
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Combine butterscotch chips and heavy cream in a bowl and microwave for 30 second intervals until smooth and combined without lumps stirring in between
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Coat donuts with butterscotch by either dunking them in the bowl or spooning it over the tops
NOTES:
- Be careful not to burn your fingers when glazing the donuts as ganache will be hot
- You will also want to work quickly because ganache will get thick and harden when it cools, but you can reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds at a time until it warms up again
- If the donuts stick to the pan, just use a rubber spatula to go around the edges and they’ll release
- This recipe made 24 donuts
- This recipe contains alcohol and shouldn’t be served to minors
