It’s finally feeling chilly here in NE Ohio and we’re drinking tons of warm apple cider! Carrie takes a mug of it to school almost every day. I enjoy it with a cinnamon stick, splash of bourbon or both. We make our annual trek to Patterson Fruit Farm to get apples, pumpkins, fritters, doughnuts and apple cider. I’m crazy about their apple cider doughnuts and only indulge one time a year. I thought I’d try making my own. I’ve made baked doughnuts many times but never made apple cider doughnuts. What have I been waiting for?
This recipe is super quick and easy. It’s a good one to make on a weekend morning for your family, or get together with friends for brunch OR simply make them for yourself! There’s nothing better than fresh doughnuts!
My vision for this Saturday morning was similar to the spreads you see in food magazines this time of year. You know the ones. The family is hanging out around a little fire in matching plaid shirts, cute winter hats, hands cupped around their warm drinks, smiling because they’re outside among all the changing leaves, eating doughnuts. It’s a nice picture, isn’t it?
My plan: Get up early, write in my gratitude journal, shower, make these doughnuts, take some quick pictures for the blog, pack up the doughnuts along with freshly brewed coffee and steaming hot chocolate and hit a local trail with the family. Get in a brisk walk then reward ourselves with a yummy fall treat. Doesn’t that sound so fun?
It didn’t happen. Carrie woke up complaining of a sore throat and headache which put a real wrench in my plan. Casey just doesn’t eat in the morning and he wasn’t making an exception today. Mama’s gotta roll with it so, we (Carrie and I) enjoyed a more slow-paced breakfast at home. The Apple Cider Doughnuts seemed to help me forget Plan A. That isn’t completely true but I do think they lifted Carrie’s spirits a little and that’s worth way more than cute plaid shirts and morning hikes!
These doughnuts are baked and come out light and fluffy. The ingredients are likely things you already have on hand: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, egg, apple cider, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and plain yogurt. Also, you’ll a donut pan. I love mine from USA Pan.
Step one is to boil the cider to reduce it so it has a more intense flavor. This only takes about 10 minutes and it’s worth it. Once reduced, let it cool. You’ll use this in the dough and the glaze.
Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another larger bowl. Add the dry to the wet and mix just until it all comes together.
I like to use a pastry bag to pipe the batter into the doughnut pan. You could also use a baggie or just spoon it in.
As I was taking the photo above, there was cute Daisy Mae eating her breakfast! This also reveals the high tech photo studio I have in my kitchen! 🙂 I’m just keeping it real and it’s not ideal but I’m working with what I have! See that beagle?
Pipe the batter and bake the doughnuts at 350 for about 8-12 minutes. Transfer from pan to wire rack.
Melt butter and add some of the apple cider reduction. Dunk the doughnuts in the butter cider combo then they get a dusting of cinnamon and sugar. Not great lighting here. There’s no window near my counter.
EAT THEM WHILE THEY’RE STILL WARM!
Apple Cider Doughnuts are a delicious start to the day or weekend. Maybe, you’ll even be eating these outside while wearing a plaid shirt and cute hat, sipping a warm drink! If you’re like me and life doesn’t always go as planned, you’ll appreciate these little pillows of fall flavors even more! Actually, just make a double batch!
From the heart,
Shannon
Apple Cider Doughnuts
Ingredients:
Doughnuts
1 cup apple cider-reduced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 TBSP plain yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Pinch cloves
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
3 TBSP unsalted butter
2 TBSP of the reduced cider
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
Doughnuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 6-cup donut pan.
In a small saucepan, heat the apple cider over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a simmer. Continue to simmer, stirring every minute or two, until it is reduced by about half, around 10 minutes. Take off the heat, whisk in the butter until melted and combined, and set mixture aside for a few minutes to cool. Use 1/2 cup of the reduced cider for the doughnuts, and a couple tablespoons for the glaze.
In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the reduced cider/butter mixture, sugar, egg, yogurt, and vanilla until well-combined.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients – flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, and stir to combine. Do not over mix.
Fill a pastry bag or large size baggie with the batter and snip off the end. Fill each cavity about 2/3 of the way full.
Bake for 8-12 minutes, until risen and browned on the edges. Set aside to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove to a wire rack set over parchment paper or a baking sheet.
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
While the doughnuts are baking, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the reduced cider with 3 tablespoons melted butter in a small bowl (big enough to dip the donuts in). Whisk together sugar and cinnamon in another similar sized bowl.
One by one, dip one side of the warm doughnuts into the butter/cider mixture, then into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Sprinkle extra cinnamon sugar on as you wish!
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