Butterbeer Donuts

I did manage to make one thing for Harry Potter’s birthday, however! I’ve been going through a donut phase lately. Mostly because I have a handy dandy donut pan to bake them in. It’s so much easier than frying donuts, and I think it they taste better too. I know donuts are more of an American thing than British, but I’m sure Harry wouldn’t turn this down! After getting obsessed with Butterbeer too, I knew I had to combine the two.

BUTTERBEER DONUTS 
Donut recipe makes 12; glaze makes enough for 6 donuts

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 ¼ cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 8 ounces butterscotch chips
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray your donut pan well. Ina Garten (this recipe is based on her donuts) uses two pans, but I only bought 1, so I just used it again after baking the first round.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir in the wet ingredients with the dry until just combined.
3. Spoon the batter into the baking pans until they’re about three quarters full.
4. Bake for 12-17 minutes on the middle rack, or until toothpick comes out clean. My timing was in the middle range of that, so I would just start checking the oven once it gets close to the 12-14 minute mark.
5. Allow the donuts to cool for 5 minutes, then gently tap out the donuts onto another pan, plate, paper towel, etc. I removed the donuts from the pan and allowed them to completely cool down on wire cooling racks.
6. While the donuts are cooling, heat the heavy cream in a quart-sized, microwavable container and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes on high, or until it just begins to simmer; be careful not to allow cream to boil over.
7. Place the butterscotch chips and the instant coffee granules into a food processor. Pour the cream over the chips and let stand for 2 minutes.
8. Blend them together by pulsing several times until the mixture is smooth. Use as is for glazing, by dipping the donuts upside down into the glaze.

It’s such a simple and easy recipe! The coffee granules keep it from getting too sweet but I think it is reminiscent of butterbeer. The drink uses both a heavy whipping cream for its thick foam and has cream soda and butterscotch in it as well. It combines the essential. flavors into the donut. I’m super happy with how these turned out!

The props used in these pictures are from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The Gryffindor scarf is my sister’s since she’s been sorted into Gryffindor (I’m a Slytherin, heh). I bought Hermione’s interactive wand, which lets you do spells all over the park! My friend had also bought me a hand carved wand in Seattle for my birthday, so that is also in the photo as well. And of course, a butterbeer mug.