I’m not a picky eater, but I will never understand how someone can prefer cake donuts over raised donuts (fight me on this!). When I want a donut, I want a fluffy, raised donut. I don’t want a dense muffin shaped like a donut. Since I am irrationally scared of hot oil, I wanted to try baking raised donuts. My chronic acid reflux will thank me later. 

I won’t take credit for this recipe. I used Gemma Stafford’s recipe and they turned out better than I hoped! Fresh out of the oven, they were soft with a little bit of a bite. Though I’m sure in a few hours, they’ll turn into bagels.

For the glaze, I mixed together powdered sugar with milk and maple syrup. I candied some thick-cut smoked bacon by cooking it on a wire rack in the oven at 375°F for 20 minutes. Then I brushed each side with a mix of brown sugar, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. I continued to bake for another 10 minutes, repeated the brushing process, and baked for a final 10 minutes. Seriously divine.