Pumpkin Pie Spice Doughnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1 For the Doughnut Dough, whisk flour, sugar, salt, yeast and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture, mixing until dough comes together. Mix until dough is well blended and begins to pull away from bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes until dough forms a smooth, soft ball.
• 2 Spray large bowl with no stick cooking spray. Place dough ball in bowl. Spray lightly with no stick cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• 3 Meanwhile, for the Pumpkin Pie Spice Filling, whisk all ingredients in medium bowl until well blended. Transfer to piping bag fitted with small tip. Refrigerate until ready to fill doughnuts.
• 4 For the Glaze, whisk all ingredients in small bowl until smooth; set aside. For the Topping, mix all ingredients in separate small bowl; set aside.
• 5 Once dough has doubled in size, transfer to lightly floured surface. Knead 2 minutes to work out any large air bubbles, sprinkling with additional flour as needed if dough is sticky. Roll out dough into large circle, about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out doughnut shapes using a 2-inch round cutter, re-rolling scraps as needed. Place doughnuts on a lightly floured rimmed baking sheet. Spray plastic wrap with no-stick cooking spray and cover doughnuts. Return doughnuts to a warm, draft-free place to rise 30 minutes to 1 hour longer or until dough is proofed and puffy.
• 6 Meanwhile, pour oil into large deep skillet, filling about 2 inches up sides of skillet. Heat oil to 350°F. Working in batches of 4 to 6 at a time, carefully place doughnuts in hot oil. Fry 2 minutes per side, until golden brown and puffed. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon; place on wire rack lined with paper towels. Cool completely.
• 7 To fill doughnuts, use a wooden skewer or small paring knife to poke a hole in the side of each doughnut, being careful not to poke all the way through. Pipe Pumpkin Filling into prepared opening, dividing evenly among doughnuts. Once filled, dip top side of each doughnut in Glaze, allowing excess to drip off, then immediately dip to Pecan Topping. Turn right side up and place on wire rack to set. Serve immediately.
  
  Test Kitchen Tip: To make this recipe in using your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, prepare as directed, but instead of kneading by hand after dough has rested, mix on low speed 6 to 8 minutes or until dough reaches desired texture.