Pumpkin Fry Bread

...or is it Fried Pumpkin Bread?  My intention was for this to be a somewhat typical fry bread.  Flatter, chewy, utterly addictive.  I somewhat failed in that department.  Fortunately the bread that I wound up with wasn't an all-around fail.  It was actually entirely delicious in its own right.

But really, can you go wrong with fried dough?  I think  not.

Instead of reminding me of fry bread or an elephant ear, these fried pumpkin breads remind me of a cake doughnut.  They're sort of the same texture.  Like a cross between a doughnut and a muffin.  Have I just made the world's first fried muffin!?  I refuse to google that, for fear that I will be proved wrong.

While I dusted the whole batch of deep orange pillows with a heavy shower of powdered sugar, I'm guessing that icing would be equally fitting.  Or perhaps a quick roll in some cinnamon-sugar directly out of their oil bath.  Mmmm....fried dough.

So what do you think these should be called?  Pumpkin Fry Bread?  Fried Pumpkin Bread?  Fried Pumpkin Doughnut Sticks?  Fried Pumpkin Muffins?  Pumpkin Pillows of Delight?  The tastiest thing to happen to pumpkin since pie?

Pumpkin Fry Bread (Fried Pumpkin Bread)

Sweet fried dough made with pumpkin and spice, and showered with powdered sugar.

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 1 hour (mostly unattended)

Cook Time: ~20 minutes

Keywords: fry bread dessert snack flour pumpkin American Native American fall winter

Ingredients (24 pieces)

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree or a scant 2 cups homemade pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup lukewarm almond milk (110° F)
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten, at room temperature

extras:

• oil, for frying
• powdered sugar, for serving

Instructions

Place the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Make a well in the center.

Combine the wet ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout. Pour into center of dry ingredients and stir, using a wooden spoon until combined, and then switch to your hands. You should have a soft dough that is slightly sticky, but not so much that it will stick to your hands and the counter without releasing. Place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic and set aside for 30-60 minutes.

Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Roll out into a 9-inch x 16-inch rectangle that is about 1/2-inch thick, flouring dough and rolling pin as needed.

Cut the dough in thirds lengthwise, and then into 2-inch strips crosswise (giving you about 24 2"x3" strips). Cut a slit into the center of each strip.

Heat 1-2 inches of oil in a deep pan until it reaches 350°-375° F. Drop the strips in a few at a time, so as not to crowd the pan. Fry until golden brown on both sides, ~2 minutes or so total. Lift out and set on a wire rack that is set over a tray lined with paper towels. Repeat as needed until all of the dough is fried.

Serve warm with powdered sugar sprinkled over the top.