Cherry Chocolate Pumpkin DOUGHNUFFINS

To be honest, they are really nothing like a doughnut.But they DO taste like dough.Yet, since you bake them into muffins……you can’t really call them doughballs.I shall call them DOUGHNUFFINS, because I want to.

[Mostly because that's a lot easier to say than Chia Cherry Chocolate Pumpkin Doughy Mini Muffins.]

Although I do love that alliteration.(Cherry Chia Pumpkin also works.)

How did this all come to be? Well, it starts with Cheribundi.I was ever so lucky to be contacted by the 100% pure, not from concentrate, tart cherry juice company to sample any and all of the variety of flavors in their product line.

I, of course, wanted to try them all.

Cherry juice is meant to help aid muscle recovery, reduce your risk of heart disease, and, well, if Dr. Oz thinks it’s good for us, it must be, right?

Ginger Cherry = THE BEST!

Being one who always prefer to eat my calories rather than drink them I thought, “Why not BAKE with it?” My first thought (after that one) was to make Cherry Banana Bread.But my bananas weren’t ripe enough that seemed too ordinary, so instead I turned to the four cans of pumpkin I eeked out from their hiding place in the pantry. Pumpkin and cherry sounded like fun. [Pumpkin and strawberry worked, so why shouldn't this?]And because I couldn’t get over the idea of some fun alliteration, I had to throw in the chia seeds as well.Of course, I didn’t actually use the chia seeds you saw in the photos above, as I already had a jar of ‘em in the pantry, along with some white chia seeds I had stolenborrowed from Mama Smart the last time I was in Pennsylvania.

So we've learned I'm a food hoarder. Deal with it.

I made some chia eggs for the first time–1 Tbsp. chia to 3 Tbsp. water per egg–and after the mixture globulated a bit……I added it to an ever-so-lovely-looking mixture of sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, and cherry juice.But as though it were Stacy and Clinton on What Not To Wear, the whisk performed a magical makeover and turned that mess into something that could at least–if only for one night–confidently step out in public.A mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flour thickened it up–and I would have used all whole wheat pastry flour if I’d had the foresight to check that there was enough––and I threw in some cherry-flavored raisins for kicks.Of course, one of the best alliterative ch- sounds couldn’t be left out of the party. Chocolate just had to make an appearance.Baked for 15 minutes at 375 degrees……I ended up with this muffin doughball hybrid that I really didn’t expect.

But I didn’t expect to eat all but 9 of them in one day either.So there’s that.

 Cherry Chia Chocolate Pumpkin Doughnuffins

[makes about 36 mini muffins]

• 2 Tbsp. chia seeds
• 6 Tbsp. water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup sucanat or other brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup Cheribundi Tru Cherry 100% tart cherry juice
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. cherry-infused raisins, cherry flavored dried cranberries, or dried cherries
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1.  In a small bowl, stir together chia seeds and water. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a mini-muffin pan with cooking spray.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugars and applesauce.
4. Add pumpkin puree and cherry juice to the sugar/applesauce mixture. Pour in chia eggs once they have gelled.
5. Stir all ‘wet’ ingredients vigorously until blended.
6. In a separate bowl, combine flours, baking soda, and spices. Add to ‘wet’ mixture, stirring well to combine.
7. Stir in dried cherries and chocolate.
8. Scoop batter into mini muffin tins. [They will not rise much, so fill 'em all the way up!]
9. Bake for 15 minutes.