Sweet Potato Oatmeal Brulee Donuts

February is National Sweet Potato month. Haaaaaaay!

Betcha’ didn’t know that.

Neither did I. Which is why I’m busting out the sweet potatoes on February 27th. Whatevs.

Actually, that isn’t why I’m telling you about sweet potato donuts today. This is.

That torch there has been in my hopes, dreams, and fantasies for several years. Too many years. I’m don’t know why I couldn’t bring myself to spring $35 on a kitchen torch but have no problem springing, oh, a few bits more on another pair of Frye boots. I think I should like to open a store.

More about that another day. Today, it’s all about my torch and how I can’t find enough things to singe, er, sear.

I hope I’ll get as much use out of it as I get out of my donut pan.

Would it be really wrong to say that my donut pan has more miles on it than Lindsay Lohan’s bedsprings?

Sorry, Lilo. Doesn’t mean I’m not rooting for you to turn it around, girlfriend.

But, really, back to these donuts – they’re commemorative aaaand they’re healthy because they contain oatmeal. The oatmeal slows down the absorption of all that glazed and torched sugar on top of the donuts, right? The oatmeal also makes these donuts all wholesome and whatnot.

You’ll be happy to have these plump beauties on the countertop, with their gentle, comforting spices mingling with that moist sweet potato, tangled with those nutty oats under a crispy, toasty, burnt sugar shell.

Of course you don’t NEED a torch to get these all crispy – a quick run under the broiler will bring you that same toasty effect. And probably make your whole house smell like burnt sugar. Which is always, always a good thing.

Sweet Potato Oatmeal Brulee Donuts

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup sweet potato puree
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 400.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the sweet potato puree, 3/4 cup brown sugar, oil, sour cream, egg and 1 tablespoon vanilla until well blended.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold until the mixture combined. Don’t overmix. Spoon the batter into a greased donut pan, filling the wells 2/3 full.

Bake 12 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool the donuts completely before removing them from the pan and glazing them.

For the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, powdered sugar and milk until a thick but drippy glaze is formed.

For the burnt sugar topping: Place the 1/4 cup brown sugar in a small, shallow dish.

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. Allow the glaze to harden one minute.

Dip the glazed donuts, glazed side down, into the remaining brown sugar. Run the sugared donuts under the broiler or fire them with a torch until the glaze begins to brown and bubble. Allow the glaze to cool and harden before eating the donuts.