Back in September Shane and I made a trip to our local orchard and I picked up a ton of apples. Since then I’ve made a number of great recipes using our apples and over the course of the next few days I’m going to share them with you (with the exception of tomorrow, which is posting day for the Martha Stewart Cupcakes group – we’re making pumpkin patch cupcakes!). I hope you’ll check back to see all of the apple goodness!
First up, apple cider doughnuts. I came upon these as I flipped through the October issue of Food Network magazine and immediately flagged them as a possible option for using up some of my apples. I’ve been wanting to try my hand at doughnuts for a while, but deep frying freaks me out. I’ve done it a few times when Shane has asked for wings (he usually gets baked wings when he asks now), but there’s just something about it – maybe it’s the hot, splattering oil, the messy cleanup or that lingering deep fried smell – that intimidates me. I knew I’d eventually put my fear aside and make doughnuts so now seemed as good a time as any!
There are a lot of individual steps to this recipe, but none of them are difficult on their own. The first task is to create an applesauce by reducing apple cider and diced apples. This step took a few minutes longer than the recipe indicates for me but it smelled wonderful so I didn’t mind. The dough comes together easily in a mixer and while it is sticky, I didn’t find it unworkable. I just kept my hands and the parchment well floured as I patted the dough into a rectangle. I only refrigerated my dough for 2 hours, but if you have time, I’d definitely recommend letting the dough sit in the fridge overnight. When I took the dough out to cut it, it warmed up very quickly and once warm, became more difficult to work with. The frying actually went ok and I found that about 1 1/2 minutes per side led to nicely browned doughnuts. I dipped one side of each donut in the cider glaze and then topped that side with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
I’m so glad I gave this recipe a shot and put aside my deep frying fears because these doughnuts were a hit! I gave most of them away and the recipients really enjoyed them. I used the scraps of dough to make a few doughnut holes, which I tasted and liked too. My only complaint is that the apple flavor wasn’t very prominent. The glaze helped, but I think I might add diced apples to the dough when I make these again.
Apple Cider Doughnuts
2 red apples, such as Cortland or Macintosh
2 1/2 cups apple cider
3 1/2 cups all-pourpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Vegetable oil, for frying
Core and coarsely chop the apples (do not peel). Combine with 1 1/2 cups cider in a medium saucepan over medium heat; cover and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until the apples are tender and the cider is almost completely reduced, about 5 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth. Measure the sauce; you should have 1 cup. (Boil to reduce further, if necessary.) Let cool slightly.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
Beat 2/3 cup granulated sugar and the shortening in another bowl with a mixer on medium speed until sandy. Beat in the egg and yolk, then gradually mix in the applesauce, scraping the bowl. Beat in half of the flour mixture, then the buttermilk and vanilla, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix to make a sticky dough; do not overmix.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper and pat into a 7-by-11-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Meanwhile, make the glaze: Simmer the remaining 1 cup cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup. Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth and glossy, then set aside. Mix the remaining 1 cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a shallow bowl; set aside for the topping.
Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Cut the chilled dough into 12 rounds, using a floured 2 1/2- or 3-inch biscuit cutter, then cut out the middles with a 1-inch cutter (or use a doughnut cutter). Slip 2 or 3 doughnuts at a time into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side, adjusting the heat as needed. Transfer to the paper towels to drain.
Dip one side of each doughnut in the cider glaze, letting the excess drip off; dip just the glazed side in the cinnamon-sugar or roll all over in cinnamon-sugar, if desired. Serve warm.
(Visited 195 times, 1 visits today)
How adventurous – These look great. I love cider doughnuts. Perfect for fall with hot cider.
Those look wonderful And frying wasn’t too bad was it?
I saw these in the mag and have them marked. Glad to know they are as good as they look.
Great job.
i definitely have deep-frying fears. but i love this kind of donut.
I’m totally with you…deep frying is not my favority culinary thing to do. Still, these donuts look so delicious, and they sounds like they’re definitely worth the greasy mess.
The doughnuts turned out so pretty! Perfect shape and the cinnamon-sugar topping looks really good.
It is probably a good thing that you don’t like deep-frying. It isn’t my fave thing either, but once in awhile it is worth it to make a tasty treat!
Beautiful pics Tracey!
They look so good. Nothing like a fresh apple cider doughnut along with a hay ride on the pumpkin farm to start the Fall season off in my book:)
Joyce
Holy mother of donuts! That looks so darn good! You are KILLING ME!
That is my next project: donuts!
Next on my list is making doughnuts – Alexander loves them and I really want to try and make them a bit healthier.
Those look absolutely delicious and worth every bite.
With no actual fruit chunks involved, I’m curious, did Shane eat it??
Those look fantastic. I think this would be a really nice Sunday brunch treat for the guys so I am going to have to figure this out. Are you sure none of the steps are that difficult? Hmmmm…I am not a doughnut eater but these look like they are definitely worthy of a bite or two and the guys, I know will plow into them. You and Sarah had me scared to death with all the mess talk!
I made these too. They were amazing! And I thought mine tasted very strongly of apple… moreso than the ones you can get at the apple orchard. My boyfriend and I loved them… and I just saw my family this past weekend and made them again. Everyone gobbled them up. I covered mine with the cinnamon sugar mixture… didn’t have enough restraint to just dip one side! And yours look so perfect. I had trouble getting mine to stay perfectly round.
Go ahead and stick one in the mail for me, okay? They look fantastic.
I, too, have had a fear of deep frying for a while. I guess in some ways it is a good thing because I don’t make fried food… but these doughnuts look like they’re worth putting my fears aside!
Teresa – no donuts for Shane. There weren’t any fruit chunks but he knew I used apples and cider in the recipe so he wasn’t interested!
Kayte – None of the steps are difficult at all. I think working with the sticky dough might be tricky for someone with no dough experience but you’ve got all that bread making expertise so you’ll be fine! Just be prepared for lots of dishes 🙂
Those look so delicious, my mouth started watering when I was reading your post and looking at those pictures. I’m going to have to try this recipe!
The doughnuts look amazing! I share your fear of deep-frying. Do you think there is any way to bake these or should I just get over it for such a yummy treat?
Gorgeous! Love them! I want to make doughnuts again, but I think I’m going to bake them. The frying was too much of an ordeal – not to mention I got hit by a splash of hot oil and burned my hand… My dough was sooo sticky, too. I thought of you when I was making them, because I remembered your recipe called for a stint in the fridge, and I think that would have helped my dough out a lot, but I just didn’t have the time… Yours turned out beautifully!
Way to go!!! I have frying fears too. I’ve been wanting to make doughnuts. These sound so delicious.
These sound quite do-able. They look so appetizing. I want one… or two. Beautifully done!
Apple cider doughnuts are the epitome of October for me! Love to go apple picking and buy apple doughnuts! 🙂
I still want to make these. My one doughnut experience (about a year and a half ago) didn’t go that well, but I know a lot more now than I did then. =) Your doughnuts look really delicious.
I just made four of these (I’m leaving the rest of the dough in the refrigerator as I go), and they were fantastic!!! I dipped them in the glaze on both sides to increase the apple flavor as well as the cinnamon sugar mixture. Next time, I’ll just put the sugar/cinnamon mixture only on one side because I had to brush off some of it. They are still good. I got full off of two of them. Thanks for posting a great recipe.
Your doughnuts look fantastic! So perfect and golden.