Okay, okay, another carrot recipe, I know. But going with the whole Easter theme and heading into a weekend, why not make up some doughnuts for breakfast?

I used to serve a variation of these doughnuts at the restaurant. They were tossed in cinnamon sugar hot out of the fryer, and served with carrot walnut butter and raisin jam. Earthy harvest flavors on a plate.

People will always order doughnuts off of a dessert menu, but I think the fact that these are a variation of cake was all the more enticing. They were a hit.

I adapted this recipe to include carrot puree and ground walnuts. Doughnuts are fried for such a relatively short period of time (compared to baking a cake), that I opted not to use grated carrots. They simply wouldn’t provide the right texture.

Once the carrot puree is made, these come together quickly. Like all doughnuts, serve them within 2 hours of frying, for the best taste.

How to make this high altitude recipe:

Carrot Cake Doughnuts (adapted from Cannelle et Vanille)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup carrot puree (see note)
1.4 oz milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 oz melted butter

For the the carrot puree: Cut about 4 medium-sized carrots into 1/2 inch pieces. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 30-40 minutes until the carrots are very soft and can easily be “smushed” with a fork. Drain off water and puree in a food processor until smooth. You may have slightly more than a half cup.

For the doughnuts: In a bowl, combine the flour, ground walnuts, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the carrot puree, milk, sugar, egg, and melted butter. Add the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula to create a soft dough.

If the dough is super sticky, add a tiny bit more flour. Spray a sheet of parchment paper with baking spray and dump the dough out onto it. Fold the parchment over so it is sandwiching the dough. Pat or roll the dough out to about a 1/2-inch thickness. Peel back the parchment paper and cut out your shapes. The whole point of greasing the parchment paper and using it to roll the dough is because it is a quick and easy method with very little mess or fuss.

Heat 2 inches of canola oil to 325 F. Drop the doughnuts into the pot, only a few a time, and fry until puffed and a light brown color. Remove from oil and let drain on paper towels. Once the doughnuts are slightly cooled, dip them in the glaze. Alternatively, the doughnuts can be tossed in sugar directly after being fried when still hot.

Cream Cheese Glaze

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup milk

Melt the butter and cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and honey. Adjust the consistency with the milk.