Gingered Grapefruit Donuts (Gluten-Free and Vegan)

I went a little overboard with the grapefruits last week. Shocker. I never go overboard with fruit.

(Why do I always feel compelled to point out my shortcomings?)

The grapefruit were so bittersweet and juicy, it really wasn’t a shame to have them fragrant on my counter. Hiding the smell of dog pee.

(Won’t you come over? The milk is safe to drink)

But I wanted to do something exciting with those lovely globes, other than greedily slurp them over the sink and later leave sticky fingerprints all over the kitchen. I also wanted to make a springy dessert. In case you forgot or didn’t get the memo about April arriving.

Lastly, my donut pan – the one with all the miles on it – it was all sad-face and pouting in the utensils drawer. I really wasn’t in the mood for a childish tantrum, so I was all, “FINE, I’ll make donuts for lunch.”

(Lunch? Really?)

Since I’ve been on a winning run of tweakdom with my Babycakes cookbooks, I thought I’d try to keep up the streak. Seriously, every single recipe from those cookbooks in which I don’t follow the directions – turns out great. When I follow the ingredients list, I’m better off saving a few precious hours of mixing, pouring, swearing and cleaning and just putting those ingredients straight into the trash.

(That’s me complaining, again. I think I’m genetically pre-disposed to such things.)

I knew by the look and smell of things that these donuts would be pretty decent but when I tasted one of these completed, all iced and sprinkled, my tastebuds said, “Slippity slap on the woogety woo!”

(Whatever that means.)

Let me just tell you, the tastebuds were happy, and so was I. Fresh off the conveyer belt of my kitchen, these donuts have both a delicate crumb and flavor, with an essence of citrus and ginger that’s just all around pleasant. You keep taking bite after bite, trying to decide what you like most about the donut.

The one bummer about these donuts is that they’re definitely best the day they’re made. The next day? The flavor is still there and just as pleasant, but the texture and weight of these donuts will resemble a horseshoe.

So, the day you make them – keep taking bites until you’ve made all gone. It won’t be that difficult.

Gingered Grapefruit Donuts
(Adapted from Babycakes Covers the Classics)

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup arrowroot
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon xanthan
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
3/4 cup agave syrup
6 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspooons grapefruit zest
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Grapefruit Glaze:
1/4 teaspoon grapefruit zest
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
3 tablespoons grapefruit juice
1 – 2 tablespoon almond milk
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Various sprinkles for decorating

Preheat the oven to 325. Spray the wells of a donut pan with nonstick spray or brush with additional coconut oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, sorgum, potato starch, arrowroot, salt, baking soda, xanthan gum, baking powder.

In a medium bowl, combine the coconut oil, agave, applesauce, vanilla, grapefruit zest and ginger.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Fill the wells of the prepared donut pan 2/3 full and bake for approximately 15 minutes, until light golden brown. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan completely before gently removing them.

For the glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, grapefruit zest, grated ginger. Stir in the grapfruit juice. Slowly stir in the almond milk, a little bit at a time, until your desired glaze consistency is achieved.

To finish the donuts, arrange a cooling rack over a sheet pan. Dip the top of the donuts in the glaze and set the donuts, glazed side up, on the cooling rack, allowing the excess glaze to drip down. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Allow the glaze to harden before eating.