Warm Apple Cider Donuts

Warm apple cider donuts are something I look forward to every fall. Whether it be at the apple orchard, or a county fair, there is just something so incredible about them. The aroma that fills the air of tart apple cider dough frying in oil and cinnamon sugar is out of this world. I don’t have to tell you ladies and gents that, though. I’m sure at one point or another, you’ve stood outside a donut shop and that amazing scent of donuts frying wafts by. Ug, and don’t even get me started on the way they taste. Freshly made cider donuts, are so soft and fluffy, that when you bite into it, the dough practically melts in your mouth. Add a thick and generous coating of cinnamon sugar, and you’re living on cloud 9! Heck, I couldn’t even take photos of them without sinking my teeth into one of them! You think they’re good when you eat them somewhere else, try making a batch from scratch! There’s nothing fresher, and it’s a lot easier than you’d think. Let me tell you how:

Warm Apple Cider Donuts

What You’ll Need:

+ 1 cup sugar
+ 5 tablespoons butter, softened
+ 2 eggs
+ 3-1/2 cups flour
+ 1 teaspoon salt
+ 2 teaspoons baking powder
+ 1 teaspoon baking soda
+ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
+ 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
+ 1/2 cup buttermilk
+ 1/3 cup apple cider
+ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
+ Canola oil (for frying)
Cinnamon sugar (1-1/2 cups sugar mixed with 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon)

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugar and butter until mixture is light and fluffy, 4-6 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Pour buttermilk, cider, and vanilla into sugar/butter mixture. Mix well. . Add flour mixture and stir until combined.

Line two baking sheets with waxed paper or parchment paper and dust generously with flour. Turn dough out onto one baking sheet and pat gently into 3/4-inch-thickness. Sprinkle dough with additional flour, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up. Remove dough from the freezer; use a lightly floured 3-inch doughnut cutter (or two concentric biscuit cutters) to cut out about 18 doughnuts with holes. (You may gather the scraps and roll again as needed, but you may need to chill the dough more to firm it up.) Place cut doughnuts on the other baking sheet as you go; then transfer to the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up again.

Line a plate with a few layers of paper towels and set it nearby. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat 3 inches of oil to 370° (test with an instant-read thermometer). Drop 3 or 4 doughnuts into the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook until browned on one side, about 1 minute; then flip and cook until browned on the other side, about 1 minute longer.

Repeat with the remaining dough (if you find that it’s getting too soft as you work your way through the batches, pop it into the freezer again for 10 minutes). When doughnuts are cool enough to handle but still warm, sprinkle all over with cinnamon sugar or confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately.

(Adapted from here)

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