Candied Orange Donuts

The combination of chocolate and orange is often found in holiday baking, and oranges have quite a history when it comes to being a staple in most Christmas traditions. Candied Orange Donuts is the dessert you didn’t know you needed this Christmas!

There is something about the flavour of oranges at Christmastime that makes me feel very comfortable. Do you know why oranges are so symbolic of Christmas?  I used to receive an orange in my stocking at Christmastime every year.  Even though the thought brings back fond memories, I think I’d rather get a stocking full of these Candied Orange Donuts! The stockings that my parents would pack for us back in the 80s and 90s were quite different.

I remember stockings not being a big deal at all. And, I can’t remember our stockings being stockings, but being fashioned more like a bag.  I can’t remember the earlier years, but I can remember our stockings being Christmas-themed gift bags.  Truth be told, I loved those, because mom and dad could fit more into them!

DO YOU PACK A STOCKING ON CHRISTMAS EVE?

Every single time I pack a stocking I always think back on the stockings I would open on Christmas morning.  I stuff stockings with gift cards, chocolates, and smaller items like a DVD or a magazine, etc. My childhood stocking never consisted of gift cards or presents of any kind.  Our stockings were mostly food.  I remember there being a can of Pringles.  There would always be a can of Cott or RC Cola.  A Toblerone bar was quite common, as well as an oversized candy cane.

Without fail, there would be pretzels and a box of Neilson chocolates. There was always a bunch of grapes wrapped in aluminum foil. There would be hard Christmas candy, an apple, a banana, and always, that one familiar orange right at the bottom!

The only food item I include in a stocking is chocolate of some type. I like to include a roll of lifesavers or even a package of breath mints.  Oh, and I did mention that they are all wrapped.  Every single item, no matter how big or how small, no matter how cheap or how expensive, etc., each and every item in the stocking is wrapped in Christmas paper.

It’s become a tradition. And, once all of the presents under the tree are opened, we take turns opening one item at a time from our stocking.  But, looking back on my adult years, not once have I packed an orange in a stocking. You can read about our family traditions here.

I’m going to tell you all about this donut recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re just kicking off the holiday season, but I have a lot of Christmas-themed recipes to share with you this year, so I’ve had to get started early.

This is my first holiday recipe series for this year, called Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Donuts. As you may know, I have several themes following their own series each holiday season! I hope you’ll join me over the next 12 weeks or so as I share over 70 brand-new Christmas recipes. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any of them! So, before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for this recipe, let me tell you about this series and more!

LORD BYRON’S 12 CHRISTMAS DONUT SERIES

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to the first of my annual holiday recipe series for this season! I’m calling this one Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Donuts. This series will focus on easy-to-make donuts that you can make at home.  Not only are they delicious, but they’re also quite festive!

I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy too. Unlike most of the donuts from donut shops, all my donut recipes are baked and not fried.  But don’t let that fool you into thinking they are not super moist and scrumptious!  I promise that they won’t be too complex and that you can’t whip them up as a holiday treat for your family. 

Just like every other holiday series that I’ve shared over the years, this series will see a new recipe shared every day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Donuts series! Even though this is the first series for this holiday season, you can always take a look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

EVERYONE LOVES DONUTS!

If there is one thing in life that one should never live without, it has to be donuts! Am I right? This is precisely why I have opted to prepare 12 back-to-back donut recipes, starting with these Candied Orange Donuts. The question is, can you handle it? To be honest, any excuse I can find to break out my donut pans, I’m going to find it!

Now, for some of you, making donuts at home might seem daunting. But, it shouldn’t be. These donuts are baked, not fried, so there’s much less mess. And, the recipe is quite easy too. The only thing you might need is donut pans.

Baking the donuts makes them super healthy, right?  Oh, if only that were true!  In fact, baked is better than fried in terms of health-conscious eating. So, these donuts are indeed healthier, so at least we have that going for us!

DONUT PANS – A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR THE AVID BAKER

When I first thought about the possibility of making donuts at home, I thought long and hard about purchasing donut pans. After all, how often will one make donuts at home?  Did I really need to spend money on a set of donut-baking pans? Would I use them more than just twice a year?  Then, I’d convince myself that I didn’t have much storage room and eventually, I’d leave the store without them.

Ever since I broke down and purchased a set of donut baking pans, I can’t stop thinking about making donuts.  Truthfully, Dear Reader, I will try to find any excuse I can to whip up a batch. I try not to do that, though. If I can limit them to special occasions only, I won’t feel so guilty for eating so many of them.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

To Make the Donut:

• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda 
• Salt – This is a common ingredient in baking and cooking.  In baking it helps to enhance and balance sweetness. 
• Sugar – Sugar will caramelize when baked, which will help to brown the batter as it bakes.
• Candied Orange Peel
• Orange Zest
• Milk – Use whole milk.
• Sour Cream – Baking with sour cream is a great way to keep baked goods moist while adding texture and richness.
• Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
• Butter – To be perfectly honest, I have made these with both salted and unsalted butter and there’s no difference in taste or appearance once all is said and done. Use what you have on hand.
• Vegetable Oil
• Orange Extract – The orange extract can be substituted with vanilla extract if you prefer. Also, you can use freshly squeezed orange juice, however, the recipe can only work with two teaspoons which will not provide enough orange flavour. That is why I opted for the extract.

For the Glaze:

• Confectioner’s Sugar 
• Cocoa Powder
• Orange Extract – Again, you can substitute this with vanilla extract.
• Milk
• Candied Orange Slices – These are optional and used only as decoration.
• Orange Zest – For garnish and decoration.

CANDIED ORANGE PEEL

The best place to find candied fruit is the Paradise Fruit Company. The company is located in Florida, but you can buy the products online. Whenever I bake with candied fruits or peels, I use Paradise products.

You can find candied cherries in grocery stores and baking supply shops, and I used to do that too. But the quality of the fruit, and especially the colour and taste, is so much better at Paradise. For this particular recipe, I used the candied orange peel.

HOW TO MAKE CANDIED ORANGE DONUTS

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray a donut pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the milk, sour cream, and eggs. Next, beat in the butter, vegetable oil, and orange extract. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, candied orange, and orange zest. Beat into the wet ingredients.

Dump the entire batter into a large Ziploc bag. Cut one of the lower corners off the bag, and in a circular pattern, fill the donut pan about 3/4 way full. Tap the pan firmly on the kitchen counter to get the batter to settle into the pan.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool.

When the donuts have fully cooled, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, cocoa, orange extract, and milk until the icing is smooth and consistent. Dip the donut, top side down, into the icing. Lightly shake the excess icing off the donut, or gently drag the iced part of the donut over the rim of the icing bowl. Place the glazed donut onto a wire cooling rack and place a quartered candied orange slice in the middle. Allow the glaze to firm. Sprinkle with orange zest just before serving.

SO, WHY ORANGES?

So, why are oranges such a popular stocking stuffer in the first place?  Once upon a time, oranges were quite expensive and were only afforded by the wealthy.  In traditional Christmas fashion, it’s a time of year of indulgence, so many not-so-wealthy individuals would splurge and purchase oranges for their children.  It was a sign of prosperity and good things to come to partake in a fresh orange on Christmas morning.

Another reason is that oranges symbolize the season of giving.  Since oranges are so easily divided because of the sections, the orange was the perfect food for sharing with friends and family.  If only one orange could be purchased, then everyone could get a section or two at least.

One particular reason stems from an old fable from years ago.  As the story goes, a man had three daughters that he could not marry because he was too poor to afford a dowry.  St. Nicolas tossed three bags of gold down the chimney, which happened to land in each of the girl’s stockings.  With the bags of gold, (balls of orange) the three daughters were married and lived happily ever after.

Hmmmm… does that mean if I put an orange in McKenna’s stocking this year she’ll think I’m trying to marry her off early?

STORING, PACKAGING, AND FREEZING

These donuts will stay fresh for about 3 days in a covered container. I like to pile them all onto a cake stand with a domed cover. They look great on your countertop! But, if you plan to freeze these donuts, use a food-safe container that can be frozen. You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. (I use these quite often when freezing baked goods.) I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that donut freshness locked in!

You can freeze these donuts for up to three months. They will come out of the freezer looking just like they did when you put them in there. Once you thaw them, they will taste just as fresh, and be just as soft, as the day you first baked them! If you don’t finish all of the donuts in the first 3 days they will become a little stale. To breathe new life back into them, wrap one in a paper towel and microwave on medium power for 10 seconds!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!