Happy Galentine’s Day!

Because Valentine’s Day is meh.

Actually its origins are kind of dark, which is about the only thing that makes it even remotely interesting. So instead of celebrating the martyr of some dude(s) named Valentine, or the ritualistic sacrificing of animals and whipping of women in ancient Rome, gather your girls and go all out on February 13th. Because “ladies celebrating ladies” is something I can get behind.

If you haven’t heard of Galentine’s Day, it was a concept made popular by Amy Poehler’s character, Leslie Knope, on the show Parks and Rec. In her own words, “What’s Galentine’s Day? Oh, it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13, my ladyfriends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas.” It’s become a cultural phenomenon ever since.

So in honor of this festive female celebration of friendship through breakfast food, I decided to make these Lemon Raspberry Donuts by The Sweet and Simple Kitchen (check out more of her recipes that are equal parts stunning and delicious).

This was my first time venturing into the world of homemade donuts, so I made the invaluable purchase of a couple of donut pans. Though I was nervous at first about having difficulties getting them to turn out as beautifully as I hoped (we’ve all been there, #PinterestFails), I was pleasantly surprised at how simple they were to make.

The best part is the lovely pink color is totally natural, coming from the raspberry puree in the icing. It can also be darkened or lightened depending on how much you add to the icing, as long as you don’t mind the extra taste of the raspberry, which I didn’t. The lemony cake of the donut was light and moist, and the tartness paired perfectly with the sweetness of the icing on top.