Baked donuts are so popular that they are now their own category of bakeware, claiming shelf space right next to muffin pans. Donut pans – or doughnut pans – allow you to make a beautifully shaped donut without any deep frying, so they are healthier to eat and less mess to make than traditional donuts. I’ve seen standard and mini donut pans before, but Wilton’s Heart Doughnut Pan is one of the first shaped donut pans I’ve seen and it is perfect for Valentine’s Day baking. The nonstick pan has six heart-shaped donut cavities, each about three inches across. To use the pan, you fill the cavities up with your donut batter and, as they rise in the oven, they fill out the other side of the donut to give the hearts a puffy donut-like shape. Once they’re out of the oven, you can roll them in confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon sugar or top them with frosting and sprinkles.
Donut pans like this one come with a recipe for donuts to bake in it, but there are plenty of other recipes out there to choose from. If you simply want the shape, you can even use a favorite muffin or cupcake recipe in the pan. The pan is also shallow enough that you could partially fill it with cookie dough and bake some sweet heart-shaped cookies. My favorite Sugar Donut Muffins are my favorite type of donut to bake, and they are easily adapted to this shape and size of pan.
Madelein - mother to three boys and three girls
February 4, 2014Cool pan!