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Spiced Pear Mummy Donuts

Perfect for spooky season, these mummy donuts are filled with cozy fall flavors with a spooky finish. The batter is bursting with brown butter flavor, and is speckled with juicy pears and rivers of caramelized chai spice brown sugar. The brown butter frosting on top adds the perfect burst of sweetness and creaminess.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 10 donuts
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Pears
  • 2 large ripe brown pears peeled and sliced into small cubes
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 ½ chai spice mix
Donuts
  • ½ cup salted butter
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup chunky unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon chai spice mix
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup whole milk
Brown Butter Frosting
  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • large candy eyes

Method
 

Make the donuts
  1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and grease a 10 count donut pan with butter. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, toss together the pears, brown sugar, and chai spice. Let the mixture sit at room temperature while we make the rest of the batter.
  3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, continue to cook and the butter will start to sizzle and foam. Keep cooking, stirring frequently and the butter will start to brown. Once it has turned a deep caramel brown, remove the pan from the heat. Let the butter cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
  4. Pour the slightly cooled brown butter into a large mixing bowl. Add the granulated sugar and mix until combined. Whisk in the eggs until smooth followed by the applesauce and vanilla extract. Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, chai spice, and salt and whisk to combine. Whisk in the milk and you should have a smooth batter. Finally, using a large spatula, fold in the pear mixture (including the juice in the bowl). The batter will be smooth and pourable.
  5. Spoon the batter into the previously prepared donut pan, filling each to just bellow the top. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until browned on top and the donut bounces back when lightly poked. Let the donuts cool for 40 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting
  1. Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Once melted the butter will start to sizzle and foam before it begins to turn an amber brown color. Pour the brown butter into a large mixing bowl and chill for 30-40 minutes or until the brown butter reaches the consistency of room temperature butter.
  2. Once the brown butter has solidified, use a hand or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip the butter on high speed for 3 minutes. Add in the confectioners sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to get it combined before turning the speed up to high to whip the frosting. It should be smooth and a little thin.
Decorate
  1. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 10 A piping tip. Pipe lines of frosting going in different directions on top of the donut before topping with candy eyes. Donuts last up to 3 days in the refrigerator, sealed in an airtight container.