I have been dying to get a donut pan, and it finally happened this passed weekend! I gave in at Target and bought the Wilton donut pan. I have been wanting to try some baked donut recipes and decided on Red Velvet Donuts! I used the recipe from Gingerbread Bagels, but used Red Velvet Cake mix instead of Funfetti. I have to admit though…Funfetti is the next flavor to be made….and then strawberry, and then chocolate, and then triple chocolate fudge, and then golden vanilla, and then coconut…YES! I am in a baked donut making mood! These donuts were amazing and the butter cream icing with sprinkled topped them off just perfectly!

Baked Red Velvet Donuts

2 cups Red Velvet Cake Mix
1/2 cup  flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Betty Crocker Whipped Buttercream Frosting

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. Add in the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract. Mix with a spatula. There will be some lumps.
3. Spray a donut pan with nonstick spray.
4. Fill the donut pan with the batter. When filling the donut pan, do not fill each cavity up too much.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes.

What is your favorite flavor donut?

It is a snow day here in Dallas! The morning started out with really cold rain and turned into really big flakes. We don’t get snow very often in Texas, so snow is an exciting event for us Texans. With the cold weather outside, I was craving something warm and fresh out of the oven for breakfast. I remember seeing ideas for cinnamon sugar biscuits in the past, so I thought I would give the idea a try. I always have Pillsbury Grands Jr. Layers Flaky Biscuits in the refrigerator, so I dipped those on all sides in cinnamon sugar and baked them according to the package directions. I have always loved the layers of these biscuits, but add cinnamon sugar….and the result is DELICIOUS! Why have I never tried this before? What an easy twist on a breakfast favorite! I see may more cinnamon sugar biscuits in my future.

Gizmo didn’t get to enjoy any of the tasty biscuits, but he sure enjoyed his adventures out in the snow! I had to give him a nice warm bath after playing in the snow because he was covered in little snowballs.

Hi Megan Munchies readers! I’m Ashley, and I blog over at healthy ashley about striving for a healthy, happy life while training for my first full marathon. Part of my healthy, happy life is my Pop-Tart-loving boyfriend David. I’m not sure if you’ve checked out the stats for Pop-Tarts, but I’ll give you the run-down: it’s just about the worst thing you could start your day with!

I tried cutting David off from Pop-Tarts cold turkey, hoping maybe he’d fall in love with oats or a wholesome cereal. Nope. The HFCS Pop-Tarts kept sneaking back in.

So I was thrilled when I found these Nature’s Path Organic Toaster Pastries. At my Costco, they were only about $.50 more than regular Pop-Tarts.

The nutritional stats don’t necessary give us a healthy or even lower-calorie breakfast treat, but the Nature’s Path Organic Toaster Pastries do keep out partially hydrogenated oils, HFCS and gelatin. They might not be great, but it’s certainly a step up!

But what about the taste? (Nature’s Path Strawberry on the Left, Pop-Tarts Strawberry on the Right)

My in-house Pop-Tart-eater said the Pop-Tarts are fake-tasting while the Nature’s Path version is just as sweet, but a little more “healthy tasting” in the crust. Overall, David said he really enjoyed the healthier version and is ready to make the switch permanently!

Do you have any habits that you’ve found a healthier substitution for?