Doughnut Hole Pumpkins

Ingredients

Pumpkin Spice Doughnut Holes

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour*
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
6-8 cups vegetable oil

Pumpkin Glaze

20 ounces orange candy melts
6 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 1/3 cups Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar
5 tablespoons pumpkin puree
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Decoration

2 ounces dark green candy clay or fondant
1 egg

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Directions

To make doughnut holes - Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
In a separate bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy.Stir in egg, buttermilk, and pumpkin puree until well blended.
Pour in flour mixture and stir just until combined.Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan until it reaches 350°F.
Uncover dough and scoop 1 teaspoon size balls of dough into hot oil.Fry flipping doughnuts over until deep golden brown on all sides and cooked through.
Remove doughnuts from oil and set on paper towels to drain. Repeat, maintaining 350°F, until all doughnuts are fried.
Let donuts cool completely.
Use your fingers to rub any spikes of fried dough off doughnuts making them smooth and round.
Once doughnuts are cool, prepare glaze - Pour orange candy melts and heavy whipping cream into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high power for 1 minute.Let bowl of candy melts rest in microwave for 3 minutes then remove and stir until melted and smooth. If needed, reheat for 10 second increments, stirring after each, until melted.
Stir in powdered sugar, pumpkin puree, and cinnamon until smooth.Let glaze cool until slightly thickened.
Poke a toothpick into a doughnut hole and use it to dip doughnut into glaze.Lift out of glaze allowing excess glaze to fall back into the bowl. Set doughnut down on a cooling rack leaving toothpick in place. Repeat for all doughnut holes.
Let glaze dry completely.
To decorate, use the toothpick to lift up a doughnut. Use your finger to smooth out glaze on bottom.
Using a separate toothpick, create grooves from top to bottom. Repeat this process going around the whole doughnut making it look like a pumpkin.
Remove all toothpicks from doughnut holes.
Pinch off small pieces of green candy clay and shape into pumpkin stems.
Reheat remaining orange glaze on high power for 10 seconds. Stir until smooth.
Dab a bit of orange glaze over toothpick hole attach a green candy clay stem.
Repeat decorating all 58 donuts.