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Baked Rhubarb Orange Glazed Donuts: soft and fluffy rhubarb donuts flavored with orange and dipped in a tangy rhubarb glaze!
I associate rhubarb with my paternal grandfather. At our house in Nova Scotia, he tended a huge garden filled with zucchini, tomatoes, peas, red and green lettuce, kale, swiss chard, carrots, herbs, fennel (duh), and rhubarb. We would get most of our produce from his abundant garden, and it always tasted amazing.
I remember picking english peas from the vines, eating one pod for every two a put in my bag. I remember zucchinis the size of eggplants and the most colorful rainbow swiss chard I’ve ever seen. I remember the electric fence he installed around the garden’s perimeter to keep out the pesky deer. And when that didn’t work, I remember he’d shoot them with his BB gun.
My grandfather never considered himself a baker, but he did consider himself an expert when it came to strawberry rhubarb pie. Every summer he’d make his pie, and we’d happily eat it with melting scoops of vanilla ice cream. I’d never seen him so passionate about baking as when he was making his strawberry rhubarb pie.
And he knew it was good, too. He was proud of it, as he should be. It had a perfect tang from the rhubarb, balanced with sweet strawberries and a slight kick of citrus. The crust was latticed and golden brown every time. It was a winner.
Though today’s recipe doesn’t have strawberries, it sure does have a lot of rhubarb. It’s cooked into the donut and whisked into the glaze. It’s a blend of earthy- and fruity-ness that is perfectly accentuated by orange zest. And don’t get me started on the color. Peenk!
Though these wouldn’t compare to my grandfather’s pie, I’d certainly hope that he’d approve of their deliciousness all the same. To rhubarb, and to grandpas!
In a small pot, heat the rhubarb, sugar, and 1/2 cup of water on medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until the rhubarb has completely broken down and looks like apple sauce. If the mixture starts to get dry and stick to the bottom of the pot, add a tablespoon of water as necessary. Remove from heat and pulse in a blender until pureed (it should be mostly pureed, but this will get out any strings of rhubarb left). Set aside.
Make the donuts
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a standard sized donut pan and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine egg, buttermilk, vegetable oil, 1/4 cup of the rhubarb puree, vanilla extract, and orange zest. Carefully pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing until just combined. Mixture will be slightly lumpy and thick.
Spoon batter into a large ziplock bag and cut a ½ inch hole in one corner, creating a makeshift piping bag. Pipe the dough into the donut molds, filling ¾ of the way to the top of the molds. Bake for 12 minutes. Allow to cool in fridge for 10 minutes before glazing.
To make the glaze, combine powdered sugar, 1/4 cup rhubarb puree, and whole milk in a small bowl, whisking until smooth. The consistency should be thick but still thin enough to form ribbons when you scoop it from the bowl and back down. Stir in 1-2 drops of red food coloring, depending on how pink you want your donuts.
Dip each donut into the glaze and garnish a corner with orange zest. Serve!
1. I LOVE that shot of the overhead donut with a bite out of it. 2. We JUST discovered that we have a family of deer hanging out in our backyard regularly (we live in a city…) and they’ve mowed down the weeds but left the rainbow chard standing tall (we spent a good while considering whether deer hate rainbow chard hahaha). 3. I’ve still never made anything with rhubarb, but the way you describe it is inspiring me to change that asap!
1. Thank you! 2. No WAY! Ours ate EVERYTHING. They’re seriously an invasive species on our islands. 3. You MUST! Rhubarb pie is just wonderful. And rhubarb jam? Mmmm!
That’s such an awesome memory of your grandfather and rhubarb. This doughnut is just too much for me. I love rhubarb and I started growing my own last year. When I am able to harvest, I will have to give this a try!
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[…] Baked Rhubarb Orange Glazed Donuts: soft and fluffy rhubarb donuts flavored with orange and dipped in a tangy rhubarb glaze! https://bromabakery.com/2015/05/rhubarb-orange-glazed-donuts-recipe.html […]
1. I LOVE that shot of the overhead donut with a bite out of it. 2. We JUST discovered that we have a family of deer hanging out in our backyard regularly (we live in a city…) and they’ve mowed down the weeds but left the rainbow chard standing tall (we spent a good while considering whether deer hate rainbow chard hahaha). 3. I’ve still never made anything with rhubarb, but the way you describe it is inspiring me to change that asap!
1. Thank you! 2. No WAY! Ours ate EVERYTHING. They’re seriously an invasive species on our islands. 3. You MUST! Rhubarb pie is just wonderful. And rhubarb jam? Mmmm!
I love that these donuts give rhubarb its chance in the spotlight!! I love it with or without strawberry…and certainly in these donuts!
They do deserve the spotlight, they’re so under-rated! Glad you agree 🙂
Love the rhubarb orange combination and so pretty!
Thank you Jennifer!
That’s such an awesome memory of your grandfather and rhubarb. This doughnut is just too much for me. I love rhubarb and I started growing my own last year. When I am able to harvest, I will have to give this a try!
Ooooh, how great! Jealous that you have a garden. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!