Siiri Sampson 2011Fall brings about all sorts of changes, new behaviors, and nuances that you just don’t get with the warmer months. One thing that doesn’t change, however, is the need to be in the kitchen, cooking and sharing meals with those wonderful people around you. But rather than white sangria and grilled salmon, it’s roasted chicken, caramelized onions, and anything baked. What is it about the crispness in the air that makes you just want to layer on a cozy sweater, turn the music up, and whip up a batch of oatmeal cookies or whatever you’ve suddenly started to crave?With the turning leaves, random rain showers, and blustery Sunday mornings, it’s high time to turn on the oven, crack open your favorite cookbook, and make something from scratch. This week is dedicated to to baked goods–more specifically, baked cake doughnuts. Ordinarily, we’d work with an ingredient, but doughnuts are like an ingredient because you can do so very many fabulous things with them! Using one basic recipe (that makes enough to feed a small army), we’ll create decadent, healthy, and quick options that will have you saying, “ohhhh yes” to Fall.Siiri Sampson 2011Decadent:

Double Chocolate Glazed with PistachiosAll three of these doughnuts work off a common recipe which yields a light, toasty cake doughnut you can eat in two bites. This version gets a rich twist with two types of chocolate, a glossy chocolate glaze, and some crunchy pistachios:Basic Recipe:• 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour• 2 tsp. baking powder• 1 tsp. baking soda• 1 cup sugar• 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter• ¾ C. nonfat Greek yogurt• ¼ C. milk• 3 eggs• 1 tbs. maple syrup• ¼ C. waterTo add that decadent kick, add ½ C. chocolate chips and ½ C. grated Mexican chocolate. Pipe your doughnut cups half full at most, as these rise quite a bit. Bake at 400 for 7 minutes, and let cool completely before dipping in a chocolate glaze (or just buy your favorite frosting, and then dunk in chopped pistachios for a little salty kick.Siiri Sampson 2011Healthy: Ginger with Orange and CoconutHow healthy can a doughnut really be? It’s not like this goes on record as actually being good for you, but truth be told, if you’re craving something sweet, you could do a lot worse. Using the same basic recipe above, and replacing the butter with either apple sauce or fat-free sour cream, you can keep the cake-like moistness without losing flavor or gaining calories:To the basic recipe above, add these bold flavors that pack a punch on the taste buds, but not your backside:• 1 tsp. nutmeg• 1/2 tsp. ground clove• 2 tsp. cinnamon• 1-1/2 tsp. ground ginger• 2 tsp. freshly grated gingerSame baking steps as above, 400 degrees for 6-7 minutes. If you can’t stop there, and just eat them naked, out of the oven, then add a little vitamin C and lauric acid (a healthy fatty acid found in coconut oil) with an orange-juice-based glaze and a sprinkling of coconut. Who said healthy can’t taste good?Siiri Sampson 2011Quick Fix:

Honey Lavender with Cream Cheese and Brown Sugar FrostingIf you’re in a bind for a crowd-pleasing sweet that takes less than 15 minutes, then get your oven preheated to 400 and mix the basic batter above, adding these mild and aromatic flavors:• 2 Tbsp honey• 2 Tbsp crushed lavenderWith the added bit of sugar and a lightweight batter, these cook up in exactly 5 minutes and come out perfectly browned. While they’re baking, make your glaze from 1/2 C. warm cream cheese and 1/4 C. brown sugar. Simply dip the warm doughnuts face down and sprinkle with dried or fresh lavender. In 15 minutes, you can have hot, homemade treats with a fraction of the cost or calories–not to mention you don’t have to leave the house, let alone feel the shame of having eaten a Krispy Kreme.Follow Voracious on Twitter and Facebook.