Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Apple Cider Doughnuts

As soon as apple cider appeared this fall, I started thinking about apple cider doughnuts. I'd see them mentioned here and there, crave them more, and hope I could find time to make them the next weekend. I'd never made them before and didn't have a particular recipe in mind, but I was sure there must be some reference to doughnuts made with apple cider in at least one of my books. There wasn't. I found buttermilk cake doughnuts, yeast-risen doughnuts, baked doughnuts, beignets, and nearly every imaginable version of fried dough except apple cider doughnuts. Thankfully, a quick online search led me to The Washington Post and a story from 2004 with the recipe I used here. At that point, so many fall weekends had slipped by it was already Thanksgiving, and I decided a breakfast of apple cider doughnuts would be the best possible way to start the day. Actually, working on these doughnuts while I had several other reasons to be puttering around the kitchen worked out well. It's not exactly a quick-as-can-be kind of process. The apple cider had to be reduced, and then the dough needed to be chilled, and then the cut doughnuts and holes required refrigerator time before being fried. In between each of those steps, I was organizing pots and pans and making sure everything was ready for the big meal later in the day.

So, I warned you this recipe requires a little patience, but one taste of the warm, glazed doughnuts will convince you it was all worthwhile. First, butter needs to come to room temperature. Let that sit on the counter while a cup of apple cider is reduced to one-quarter cup which takes about 30 minutes. Then, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and freshly grated nutmeg in a mixing bowl. With a mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar, and add eggs and mix until incorporated. The reduced and cooled apple cider and some buttermilk should be added next and mixed to combine. Next, the flour mixture is added and mixed just until the dough forms. The recipe instructions guide you very well through the next few steps. You prep two baking sheets with parchment sprinkled heavily with flour. The dough is turned out onto one of those sheets, and the dough is sprinkled with more flour and flattened with your hands to a one-half inch thickness. That sheet pan with dough is then placed in the freezer for 20 minutes. Once chilled, the dough is cut into doughnuts and doughnut holes which are placed on the second prepared baking sheet. That pan with cut shapes is then refrigerated for 20 to 30 minutes. While the cut doughnuts chill, the oil is brought up to 350 degrees F in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan. Frying is the quickest step of all since the doughnuts only require 30 to 60 seconds per side. They're then placed on a sheet pan lined with paper towels to drain, and the glaze is made. Confectioners' sugar and apple cider are whisked together for the glaze, and the warm doughnuts are dipped into it and then devoured.

Doughnuts are always at their very best when freshly made and still warm. But, if you wanted to attempt making these in advance, I suggest waiting to glaze them at the last minute and re-warming them in the oven right before dipping them in the glaze. The thin glaze runs down the sides of the warm doughnuts and leaves just the right amount of coating. These did make for a deliciously sweet start to Thanksgiving day, but I don't think there's ever a bad time for doughnuts.



24 comments:

  1. Magnificent and very tempting!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. Only a creative and talented chef like you can think of apple cider donuts when you see apple cider. I can only think of drinkin' them as-is or at best cook a apple cider chicken stew :)

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  3. I'm pretty sure I would find a way to muster up some patience for these babies. They look amazing!

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  4. Holy Cow. Saw these on another blog and seeing them again here just put me over the edge! Yours are gorgeous! And you're right - there's never ever a bad time to make homemade doughnuts!

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  5. OMG!!!!
    These are so sinfully delicious....
    God I can eat doughnuts all day, everyday.
    And these are really goodlooking babies....

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  6. Sounds like the perfect recipe for this time of the year. Looking forward to trying this recipe out with my daughter.

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  7. That's it! I need to find someone to bake me up some Apple Cider doughnuts. (I'm so baking challenged) Everywhere I go they are begging me to be bitten. Yours look scrumptious! A perfect Thanksgiving Day starter! Hope you had a wonderful Turkey Day, Lisa. There aren't any apple cider doughnuts left by any chance, are there???

    Thank you so much for sharing...

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  8. They make these at a local winter festival and they are amazing. It is nice to have the option to make them at home- thanks!!

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  9. Oh dear, you said (wrote, really) the D word. The problem with doughnuts, especially delicious looking ones like these, is that you (or rather, I) can never eat just one, or two (sometimes I can't help myself and have three). I tucked away a new doughnut recipe to try and had almost forgotten about it. Now you've gone and reminded me :-)

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  10. this is my favorite type of donut, hands down. i don't do a lot of deep frying, but this is worth the risk of searing my flesh with hot oil. :)

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  11. I made the very same doughnuts a few weeks ago! Definitely worth all the time and trouble!

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  12. Do you know, I've never made a donut in my life?! I think it would be a problem because I'd eat them all myself! I remember a cider mill in Michigan...we went there every weekend in the fall and their donuts were hot and fabulous. With the apple cider in these, I bet they'd be even better than those.

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  13. It is a good thing (i guess) i am afraid to deep fry, otherwise i'd totally be making these... like I need more flab on my thighs, eh?
    They look stunning. I bet they are the most amazing treat when they are still nice and hot.
    *kisses* HH

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  14. If only I could eat some, I really wouldn't mind all the time needed to make them. Unfortunately I will only look at them and drool, imagining lots of honey drizzled on top of them.

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  15. Ohh yummy these remind me of apple picking! They sound great!

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  16. DROOL. Are you kidding me? SO hungry right now ;)

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  17. Oh, I am having some donut cutter envy here!!! Very cool! And your donuts look magnificent!!! Worth the wait~

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  18. Drooling here, I am so tempted to try them.

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  19. Lisa! I can't believe it's been so long since I've swung by! Your donuts look AMAZING - love cider and donuts so I'm quite certain that I would love these. Hope all is great with you. Cheers!

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  20. The first click looks really amazing! I want to reach out and grab it!

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  21. Apple Cidar AND Doughnuts?! You sure do know the way to a ladies heart Lisa!

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  22. hello
    why should they put them in the freezer?
    How much cider should be put on hard cider or apple juice
    thank you

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    Replies
    1. lolo2b: The dough and then the cut doughnuts are placed in the freezer because they are very sticky. The dough becomes easier to cut and handle after it has been chilled. The cider used is just fresh, apple cider not hard cider. There's a link to the full recipe in the first paragraph. Hope you enjoy!

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