I had a former boss who routinely brought in to work boxes of "Munchkin" donut holes. He noted that at the Pentagon, where he used to work, the "Munchkins" were called "gut busters." Yup. I can understand that. Sourdough Puffs aren't "gut busters." They are reasonably nutritious and far less fat and sugar laden than donuts. The puffs also taste really good. I left some puffs out cooling on the stove last night, intending to give them a sugar and cinnamon coating. That didn't happen. I discovered that my husband had one on his plate and another that he had crammed into his mouth, whole. Picking up the second puff, he said, "these are really good" and asked, "what are they?" They are eggy little puffs that are moist, only a little sweet, and flavored with a bit of cinnamon and vanilla. Think of them as better for you Munchkins. The puffs are baked in a muffin pan, not fried, and are quite fine "as is." If you'd like them a little sweeter and more donut-like, give them a cinnamon and sugar coating. Even with the extra sugar, you'll have a treat that's far more nutritious than the gut busting "Munchkins."
Sourdough Donut Puffs -- Makes 12
3 eggs
1 cup of sourdough discard/starter
1 tablespoon of canola oil or melted butter
1/2 cup of low-fat milk
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
Coating
1 cup of confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and coat the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, starter, oil, milk, sugars, and vanilla well. Whisk in the flour, salt, and cinnamon until fully incorporated. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin wells. Bake the puffs for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving them plain. Alternatively, let them cool about 5 minutes and them place them in a large plastic bag with 1 cup of confectioner's sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Shake the bag until the puffs are coated with the sugar mixture. If you plan to store the coated puffs, be aware that, because of the moisture in the puffs, you may have to dust them with more confectioner's sugar later if you want them to appear white.
