A Lightened-Up Football Feast...Featuring Subway and Baked Spice Donuts with Biscoff Glaze!

The calendar is going to flip to December next weekend...which means that it's time for holiday celebrations. That can mean lots of excess calories along the way. Lucky for you, I'm here to help you save a few calories for any football-watching parties you have coming up! The NFL season is heating up, and college bowl games are on the horizon too. In my circle, football and food go hand in hand. Unfortunately, football-watching food can be hard on the waistline...but it doesn't have to! I teamed up with Subway this month to feature their sandwiches in a lighter menu that doesn't skimp on flavor. I saved time and stress on my end by building the menu around Subway's convenient catering menu. I simply called in my order on Saturday afternoon, then swung by just before kickoff to pick up a sandwich platter full of healthy and delicious Subway sandwiches.

One of the things that I really liked about using Subway's catering menu was the ability to customize the platter for my guests. With up to five choices for sandwiches, I was able to ask guests ahead of time for their preferences for meats, veggies, bread and cheese. This allowed me to provide a veg-friendly option for those who don't eat meat. Subway took care of the rest, cutting the sandwiches into thirds for easy eating. All I had to do was supply the rest of the simple and healthy menu. For those who wanted chips with the sandwiches, I opted for healthier options there too.  Look how fresh and gorgeous these sandwiches are!

The rest of the menu was lower in fat and calories than the typical football-watching party. It featured simple sides and appetizers, and a lighter sweet ending. Since I don't want to miss any important plays in the kitchen, I keep my gameday menus simple and low-fuss. I've learned that you don't have to end up a frazzled hot mess to provide a great spread! 

The rest of my Healthy Football Food Menu includes the following items:

• Baked tortilla chips and chunky salsa
• Light ranch dip with baby carrots, cukes and celery sticks
• A lightened-up version of my popular Posh Pigs In a Blanket by subbing in reduced-fat sausage, cheese and crescent rolls. No one could tell I had lightened the ingredients, because they still tasted great!

For dessert, I made baked donuts using my donut pan. They're still a treat, but you do save calories over the typical fried donut by baking them. These yummy doughnuts are flavored with warm Fall spices, then topped with a sweet Biscoff-infused caramel glaze. These are so good that nobody will guess they're lower in fat than standard donuts!

Baked Spice Donuts with Biscoff Glaze

Donut recipe from 150 Best Donut Recipes

Ingredients for one dozen doughnuts:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon (preferably Vietnamese high-oil cinnamon)
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbs. melted butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup crushed Biscoff cookies

For the glaze:

• 1/3 cup Biscoff spread
• 2 tbs. butter
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 tbs. milk

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 and spray a non-stick donut pan with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients. Whisk together and set aside. Add the wet ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until incorporated. Don't over mix the batter, or your doughnuts will be tough.

Step 2: Carefully spoon the batter into a large freezer bag. Make sure all the air is removed and snip the corner off of the bag. Squeeze the batter into the wells of the donut pan, about 2/3 full. Bake until the donuts spring back when touched -- about 10-14 minutes. Turn the pan halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking and browning. Repeat the process to make a dozen doughnuts.

Step 3: While the donuts bake, make the Biscoff glaze. Add 1/3 cup Biscoff spread and 2 tbs. butter to a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Whisk as the spread and the butter melt and are incorporated. Whisk in 1/3 cup powdered sugar...it will look like dough, but don't panic! Add enough milk to reach the desired consistency for dipping. I used 2-3 tbs. for my glaze. Keep the glaze on low heat so the consistency remains think enough to glaze the doughnuts. 

Step 4: Remove the doughnuts from the pan. Let them cool while you bake the remaining batch of doughnuts. After the doughnuts have cooled slightly, dip the tops into the glaze. Place the donuts on a sheet of parchment or foil. While the glaze is still warm, sprinkle the tops of each donut with some of the crumbled Biscoff cookies. Let cool until the glaze is set, about 15 minutes. Try to be patient...it's worth it! 

These donuts bake up pillow-soft, and the Biscoff-infused glaze pairs perfectly with the warm spices in the donut. Because they're baked instead of fried, they're lower in fat...but still full of flavor! Add in the crunchy bits of Biscoff cookies on top, and you've got the perfect sweet ending for a lightened-up football feast...even if your team is on a bit of a losing streak this season!

Disclosure: Subway provided me with a complimentary sandwich tray to facilitate inclusion in this article. I received no further compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

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