Peach Buttermilk Glazed Donuts {gluten-free}

As much as I strive for out of the box thinking I will admit I have befallen a good marketing campaign, or perhaps ‘the obvious’ from time to time. For instance when last week I came upon Donut Peaches at my local market, my first thought was that I should make donuts with them. Not a huge leap into the great abyss of creativity as they look like donuts already. Almost like the produce guy wound me up, pointed me in the right direction to see if I’d connect the dots.

Regardless of how inspired or not, it really felt like genius. Have you ever seen a Donut Peach? They are fantastically novel looking, a bit like an elephant sat on them. The fruit bears a beautifully white flesh laced with sunset-hued undertones. They are very sweet, in flavor and appearance, at 4 inches diameter and a scant inch tall.

Officially Donut Peaches are called Saturn peaches for their resemblance to the rings of their namesake planet. They are a freestone variety providing the pit releases easily from the fruit. Unlike regular peaches, the skin of the Donut Peach is not fuzzy so it doesn’t need to be peeled unless you choose to do so.

Armed with a new knowledge of this intriguing peach I set forth to adapt it into a donut recipe. I decided to use as a guide a recipe for Apple Cider Donuts I’d made last fall. Instead of frying the donuts I baked them (though I’m sure they would be great fried). They were as light as a feather; not a heavy donut by any means. They are a light touch of summer, perfect to partner with morning coffee or for an afternoon treat.  Though I used Donut Peaches any peaches will work for the recipe.

A Gluten-Free baking Tip: I generally do not use gums when I bake. Though they are intended to help bind baked goods that gluten does naturally, I note the difference in texture in an undesirable way. I have found when baking gluten-free the cooling time is key to allow the baked item to fully compose itself. Hurrying removal from a pan or the cooling rack often leads to baked goods that fall apart. This recipe is no different. The donuts sit briefly in the pan once out of the oven and then cool fully on a rack.

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Glazed Buttermilk Peach Donuts {gluten-free}

Inspired by the Donut or Saturn Peach, these baked gluten-free donuts are a nod to the relaxed spirit of summer. Light, airy and filled with peach and buttermilk flavors. Gluten option.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Author Toni Dash

Ingredients

Buttermilk Peach Donut ingredients:

• • 1 ½ cup of naturally flavored/sweetened Peach Nectar , boiled down to ¼ cup; cooled to room temperature
• • 1 cup Peaches; peeled , pitted, cut into chunks
• • 8 tablespoons unsalted Butter , room temperature
• • 1 cup granulated Sugar
• • 2 eggs , room temperature
• • 1/4 cup Buttermilk
• • 3 ½ cups all purpose Gluten Free Flour blend* (or regular flour)
• • 2 teaspoons baking powder
• • 1 teaspoon baking soda
• • 1/4 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
• • ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• *I used King Arthur’s Gluten Free Flour Blend for this recipe

Buttermilk Peach Glaze ingredients:

• 1 cup Confectioner’s Sugar
• 1 cup naturally flavored/sweetened Peach Nectar boiled down to ¼ cup
• 1 tablespoon Buttermilk
• Supplies:
• 1-2 standard size donut shape baking pan (s)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large bowl cream the butter with a mixer. Add granulated sugar and cream together.
3. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix to combine.
4. In a blender combine the peaches and the ¼ cup reduced peach nectar. Blend into a puree. Add the ¼ cup buttermilk and blend to fully combine. Add to the butter-sugar-egg mixture, and mix fully to combine.
5. In a separate bowl sift together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, Chinese five spice, and salt.
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients using a mixer to ensure they are fully combined.
7. Prepare donut pans with cooking spray or if non-stick grease with butter. Fill the donut cavities no more than 2/3 full. Place in the oven for 7-9 minutes until donuts spring back to the touch.
8. Remove donuts and allow to sit in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
9. While the donuts are cooling combine the confectioner’s sugar, 1 tablespoon of buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of the ¼ cup reduced peach nectar specified for the glaze. Using a mixer, mix the ingredients until fully combine. Continue to add more reduced peach nectar until desired consistency is achieved (I ended up using the full 4 tablespoons in the batch illustrated here).
10. Place a baking sheet underneath the cooling rack with the donuts. Drizzle the glaze over the donuts and allow the glaze to harden before eating.

Recipe Notes

*I used King Arthur’s Gluten Free Flour Blend for this recipe