I am overwhelmed by readers' responses to last week's post about celebrating being alive. Thank you so much for all of your kind words. My heart was so incredibly warmed. I loved that some of you shared your own stories of your personal brushes with death. It was so inspiring and so beautiful to hear others' stories of learning to love their lives. It really makes you realize that all of those "huge" things we worry about on a daily basis are in actuality so minuscule and insignificant. They're not even worth the energy that we spend on them. I am far from innocent in this matter. Every time I do realize that I've built something up to be bigger than it actually is, however, I try to focus on one of the little awesome things that I take for granted and celebrate them.
One of the things that I absolutely love about my life is just to be able to share a little treat with my husband over cups of tea or coffee.
This is a little ritual that Chris got me into. Before Chris, I would almost never have a treat with my coffee. Chris, however, loves to have a little coffee cake/muffin/scone/doughnut/cookie/etc. with his coffee. Anything sweet, really. In fact, he used to have coffee with his dessert in the evening just because he likes this ritual so much. So I started having a little bite of whatever treat he was having while we had our coffee. One bite soon grew to multiple bites until we were sharing the whole thing.
I now drink tea instead of coffee, but I still enjoy a little something sweet. If I'm alone, it might be something as simple as a rice cake with some jam on it. If Chris is around, though, I'm more likely to indulge. That's how these doughnuts came to be.
I felt like having something nice and light with my tea and I had several peaches in my refrigerator so the peaches and cream doughnut was born. It came together remarkably fast. I just chopped up a couple tiny peaches and placed them in the wells of my donut pan, covered the juicy peach bits with a very simple vanilla batter, and popped the pan into the oven for just over ten minutes. The creamy vanilla glaze comes together in about 3 seconds so you can ice them right when they come out of the oven or let them cool a bit first. By the time the water for tea was done boiling, I had beautiful little doughnuts waiting to be devoured.
We sat down at the table with our tea and our creamy, peachy doughnuts and while I was waiting for my tea to cool, I took a little nibble of my doughnut. It was so moist and cakey and delicious, I forgot I had a cup of tea waiting there for me and quickly took another bite! Every bite was filled with bright and sweet peach chunks mixed with vanilla cake and creamy glaze. We each had had our own doughnut but we had to split another one before we finished our tea.
It's little moments like these that we enjoy as they're happening, but are quickly forgotten. We take for granted how blessed we are to actually be there doing something that we love. We forget that these moments are actually little gifts that we've been given. They are not promised to us. Let's celebrate them every chance we can!
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or gluten-free flour blend)
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large peach or 2 donut peaches, diced small
- for the glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered xylitol or sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-3 tablespoons almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease or spray a donut pan with oil.
- Mix the almond milk and apple cider vinegar together and let curdle for about 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix together the curdled almond milk with the other wet ingredients. Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix until just combined.
- Evenly sprinkle the diced peach bits in the wells of the donut pan. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fixed with a wide tip or a large plastic bag with the corner cut off. Squeeze the batter into each of the donut forms, covering the peach pieces. Fill each form to about 2/3 of the way full.
- There will be leftover batter. You can either use it on a second pan (I made mini donuts with the leftover batter), save it and reuse the first pan, or mix in more diced peaches and pour into a muffin tin and bake as muffins. Your choice.
- Bake the donuts in the preheated oven for 10-14 minutes (depending on your oven) or until they are a light golden brown while still soft and springy. Let them rest in the donut pan for about 3-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- While the donuts are cooling, make your glaze. Mix together the powdered xylitol/sugar with the vanilla in a bowl. Add the almond milk in 1/2 tablespoon increments until your desired consistency is reached. Once the donuts are cool, dip the tops (the part with the donut chunks) lightly into the glaze, one by one.
- Alternatively, you can drizzle the glaze over the tops. Sprinkle pistachio pieces over the tops, if you'd like. Serve and enjoy!
What are your favorite life moments?
Emily - It Comes Naturally
It was my birthday yesterday, and every moment felt like a gift. It felt a bit self-indulgent but I had to blog about it - like writing a diary, I wanted to capture and remember even the smallest things that add up to a great day!
keepinitkind
I know what you mean, Emily. It seems self-indulgent, but it's not at all- you're just celebrating how wonderful each and every moment was! Happy Birthday!
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan
Your words are so so true! Little, unplanned moments are the absolute best. Also, yes to these donuts!!
keepinitkind
Thank you, Abby! 🙂
Caitlin
i completely agree with your sentiments. when i look back at my favorite memories, so often they are extremely "insignificant", meaning tiny little snippets of life rather than some grand event. little things with dayv, like this ritual you have with chris, is really what life is all about. savoring the little things.
i love how simple these lovely treats came together. i can almost taste them. they look delicious.
keepinitkind
Thank you. The little snippets are my favorite too. 🙂
slywlf
Wow! Somehow I had missed the 'celebrating life' post, so belatedly thank you for that! My own epiphany came recently, about 1 1/2 years after losing my husband of 30 years, when a friend used tough love to kick start me back into life. It wasn't the loss that had me in my funk, but the realization that I had given up my life for 30 years to a man who was seriously 'damaged' and spent the whole time dragging me down. Now I am on the right track - and on the verge of vegan (not quite there yet). My main goal is to get 'me' back - the colorful, adventurer, artist, writer, dancing me that had all color grayed out and all spirit ground out for too long. My line is long lived, so I am now embarking on what could easily be another 30 years of finally being ME! 😉
These donuts look and sound scrumptious, and although I don't own donut forms I may try these as small muffins - yummy flavors 😉
keepinitkind
Wow! Thank you for sharing and congratulations on refinding yourself! That's so huge!
The Vegan Kat
Ooh, yum! Those look great! I've been making a lot of things with fresh peaches this summer too. I made peach pancakes the other day. I bet peach donuts are yummy!
keepinitkind
Thank you! Peach pancakes sound divine!
Stephanie
These are so lovely...and I love the ritual of having tea/coffee with a loved one. My husband is a HUGE coffee snob whereas I'm more interested in the sweets 😉 Thanks for sharing, these donuts look heavenly!
keepinitkind
Thank you, Stephanie! It's funny- I used to be the coffee snob and Chris only did chai lattes. Now I'm the tea drinker and Chris is the bonafide coffee snob. 🙂
Heidi
Could flax or chia be used instead of the ever-g egg replacer? If so how much?
keepinitkind
I would add 1 tablespoon of flaxmeal to the dry ingredients to replace the egg replacer. Hope that helps!
Lindsay
I really want to try making homemade donuts. These look amazing! Donuts are the food I miss the most from my non-vegan days. Do you have any recommendations for a donut pan?
keepinitkind
Thanks, Lindsay! I like Wilton donut pans. Good luck!
Annie
Kel and I almost always drop what we are doing at 3 pm each day to meet in the kitchen to share a cup of tea and something sweet. I look forward to it - slowing down for a bit, talking about what we've been up to - and what's not to love about squeezing more sweetness into one's day?! This recipe makes me want to pull out the doughnut pan!
keepinitkind
I love little rituals like that! Thanks for sharing, Annie! 🙂
Richa
Me and Vivek make it a point to sit together for breakfast with Chai. Evenings dont ever work out as he usually works late. These doughnuts are so pretty with the peaches and
the pistachios on them
keepinitkind
That sounds like such a nice way to start the day. 🙂
lisaiscooking
Peaches are so lovely right now, and I'm always craving doughnuts. These sound great!
keepinitkind
Thanks, Lisa!
Cadry
I love that you used donut peaches to make donuts! Clever! I don't have a donut pan, but it's been on my radar for a while. I need to add one to my wish list!
keepinitkind
Thanks, Cadry! They're fun little pans to have around. 🙂
Claire Suellentrop
So sweet 🙂 And what a great way to make the most of summer produce!
One of my fave life moments is my morning oatmeal ritual. It's "me" time--just me, a cup of coffee and oats with fruit and peanut butter stirred in. Such a happy way to start the day.
keepinitkind
Thanks! I love my morning oats too- it's such a nice way to start the day. 🙂
Gabby @ the veggie nook
It's so important to live in the moment Kristy and really appreciate when you are doing something you love! I have recently been getting back into my yoga routine (and drinking more tea) and it's these moments I am savouring! As well as getting to back in the lovely summer sun! It's the little moments that make a life truly wonderful 🙂
And these peaches are certainly wonderful!
keepinitkind
I couldn't agree more! Thanks for sharing, Gabby, and reminding me that I need to get back to yoga soon too. 🙂
Alexander Willow Harvey
I love having little "treats" with a cuppa with my boyfriend, It breaks up the day and gives us the chance to just sit down together and talk nonsense- wich is lovely- its also a good excuse to bake! I'm going to have to get a doughnut pan for these, they look scruptious!
keepinitkind
I love that! I cherish the times Chris and I get to talk nonsense too. 🙂
Kammie @ Sensual Appeal
Pistachios. Yes.
Peaches. Double Yes.
I am in loveeeee 😉
keepinitkind
Well thank you, Kammie! 🙂
Bex @ Vegan Sparkles
Oh my goodness, they are ADORABLE, as is your tea ritual with your lovebug. 🙂 xx
Heather
You Coffee/Tea ritual reminds me of the Sunday Mornings Justin and I share, along with Sunday mornings we have dinner together every night nad of course Pizza and Movie Friday- these little moments are the ones I look forward to each week. Big trips are nice and all but being able to appreciate one another every week is amazing 🙂 and speaking of amazing, these donuts ARE INCREDIBLE LOOKING!
Kristen Kelley
No one besides me likes peaches in my house (weirdos, right?!) so maybe I'll half this recipe. Or maybe not.
keepinitkind
Well, however many you make, I hope you enjoy them! 🙂
Jenna
Thank you for the beautiful recipe! Here is my interpretation 🙂 - http://helloyounglionsxo.com/2014/02/23/peaches-and-cream-glazed-donuts-vegan/
steph
Great recipe and I cant wait to try it!
I'm just wondering (this might be a stupid question), but what does the egg replacer actually do? Because i dont have it in my pantry as of now and i really want to make them 🙁
Thank you! 🙂
keepinitkind
The egg replacer is used as an emulsifier (helps keep the doughnut from crumbling) but you could definitely try making them without it. Perhaps with a different egg replacer, like a flax or chia "egg." Good luck.