Spiced Apple Cider Doughnuts

Our family recently went out east apple and pumpkin picking at Harbes Farm in Riverhead.  It was a brisk and cloudy fall day with misty rain,  no sun in sight.  But that was OK, because you know what tastes extra good on a day like that?  Warm fresh apple cider and warm freshly made Apple Cider Doughnuts that were just rolled in a generous coating of cinnamon sugar.  Yes, they do it right there in front of you.  They melted in your mouth and warmed you right up.  We all had plans of what to do with the peck of apples that we had picked, from pies to crisps, but top on my list was to try to recreate these doughnuts.  I found a recipe in my "Sweet Home" cookbook that comes close!

 

Recipe

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup apple cider

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 tsps. baking powder

2 tsps. cinnamon

1/2 tsp apple pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup finely diced and peeled apple, such as Honeycrisp or Gala

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Topping

1 cup sugar

2 tsps. cinnamon

Instructions

Make the doughnuts:  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and eggs until thick and creamy.  Add the butter and mix on low until fully incorporated. 

Combine the buttermilk, cider, and vanilla in a small bowl.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, apple pie spice and salt.  Alternately add the flour and buttermilk-cider mixture to the egg batter, combining thoroughly.  Fold in the apples. 

Turn the dough out onto a large piece of parchment or wax paper.  Gold the paper over to cover the dough and place in the freezer for 30 mins.  The dough will be very sticky, but will firm up while freezing.

Meanwhile, make the topping:  mix the sugar and cinnamon in a low wide bowl, set aside

In a large pot with a candy/deep fry thermometer inserted on rim, start heating 3 - 4 inches of oil to  36o degrees.  It will take about 15 mins to heat up. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the firm dough to 1/2" thick.  Cut 2 1/2" circle with 1" center holes, or use a doughnut cutter.  The dough will be soft, which makes light, tender doughnuts when fried.  Let the cut doughnuts rest for 5 min on a cookie sheet.

Fry 3 or 4 doughnuts at a time for about 1 1/2 mins per side, or until golden brown.  Be sure to constantly maintain temperature of the oil by adjusting heat accordingly.  Flip doughnuts to other side, when golden on both sides remove to a rack with paper towels underneath to catch the oil.  While still warm roll doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Serve warm.  Makes about 20 doughnuts plus doughnut holes.

Recipe adapted from Sweet Home ~ over 100 Heritage Desserts and Ideas for Preserving Family Recipes



 

Enjoy!

 

Doughnut cutter available in my store here:

Chttp://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/B00080FQ24

 

Cookbook available here:
http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/1906868654

 

 





Apple Filled Sticky Buns

Who doesn't love an ooey gooey sticky bun?  I sure do, but have been reluctant to make them because of the time it takes with preparing the dough.  This version is a little bit of a shortcut using a Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix.  It's also healthy because I've added apples in the filling (well at least the apple part is healthy), so you have an excuse to eat them.  I made half of the batter with just the cinnamon/brown sugar filling, and 1/2 with the apple filling.  I really liked them with the apple filling. 

 

 

 

1 16 oz package hot roll mix
3 Tbsp butter melted
2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 apple, peeled and finely chopped- I used a gala apple which worked great
Sticky Bun Syrup - whisk together 2/3 cup confectioners sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup and 1 egg white until smooth
Maple Glaze - Prepare when rolls are almost ready: melt 3 Tbsp butter in a small saucepan over med heat, whisk in 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, 2 Tbsp maple syrup, and a pinch of salt until blended.  Add 3 Tbsp milk, bring to a boil, whisking constantly.  Reduce heat to med-low, simmer, whisking constantly, 3-4 mins until golden brown and glossy.  Use immediately

Spoon sticky bun syrup into 2 9" pie or cake pans or 1 large casserole pan.  Prepare roll mix according to box directions, cover the dough and let it stand 5 minutes.  Roll dough on a floured surface into an 18 x 10" rectangle.  Using a pastry brush spread the melted butter over dough.  Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over butter.   Sprinkle apples over cinnamon/sugar.   Roll up the dough tightly, starting at the longest end.  As your rolling brush off excess flour from the dough with a dry pastry brush.  Cut into 18 slices with a serrated knife.  Place 1 in center of each prepared pan and 7 slices around the center.  Cover pans loosely with saran wrap, and let rise in a warm place 85 degrees to proof - double in size.  The way I did this: I set my oven to 170 degrees (the lowest setting) once it hit this I shut it off and put the buns in the oven for 35 mins until doubled in size.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees, uncover rolls and bake for 15 to 20 mins or until golden brown and done all the way through.  Cool in pans for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile prepare the glaze and brush over rolls.  Serve immediately.  Cover any remaining rolls with saran wrap, these can be reheated individually in the microwave for about 20 seconds at 50% power to achieve the ooey gooeyness again the next day.
Adapted from Southern Living

Enjoy!

Homemade Doughnuts

I love doughnuts, especially fresh and warm just made kind. We used to get them at our local Krispy Kreme in Riverhead when their light was on indicating they were just made, but they closed down a couple of years ago. While I love Dunkin Donuts for their coffee and the kids like their doughnuts ok, they are not what I would describe as fresh and homemade.

 When doing a search for making  doughnuts at home I stumbled on a link to this great doughnut shop Top Pot Doughnuts, but its all the way in Seattle! They have however recently released a book for the home baker called, Hand-Forged Doughnuts, Secrets and Recipes for the Home Baker. I got my hands on it and tried out their Old- Fashioned Pumpkin Doughnuts with pumpkin glaze.  These are a cake like doughnut that are fried, it was a little bit of a process but they give you step by step easy to follow instructions.  They came out really delicious.  See the yummy cracks - the pumpkin spice glaze just seeps into them and is ultra yum!  I am keeping this recipe and will make them again.  I want to try next their recipe for maple bars, this is a raised doughnut that is slathered with maple icing, yummy! For summer months there is a blueberry cake doughnut and a blackberry fritter recipe.  If you want to make great doughnuts at home pick up a copy of this book at your local library or buy a copy of your own, it is one you'll want to go back to again and again.

http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/1452102120

         
Old Fashioned Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts:
3 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp shortening
2 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin
Canola oil for frying
Pumpkin Glaze:
4 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
2 tsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup hot water
For doughnuts: sift the flour and spices together in a med bowl, set aside.  In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend the sugar and shortening on low speed about 1 minute.  Add the egg yolks and blend together for 1 more minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add the dry ingredients to this mixture in 2 additions alternating with the sour cream and pumpkin.  Mix until combined on low speed, scrape down sides of bowl as needed.  The dough will be sticky.  Transfer the dough to a clean bowl covered in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes.  While cooling, make the glaze:  Add all glaze ingredients except for the hot water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Mix on medium speed and slowly add the hot water, blending till incorporated well, scraping the bowl as needed.  To fry the doughnuts:  Heat oil in a large pot, oil level should be at least 2 inches, and put a candy thermometer to measure the temp, it should heat up to 325 degrees (be careful - this is very hot!)  Roll out your dough on a well floured surface and use a doughnut cutter to cut out as many doughnuts and holes as possible.  Fold and gently reroll the dough to make more holes.  Shake excess flour off and carefully add the to the hot oil a few at a time.  When the doughnuts begin to float, fry for a few more seconds, then gently flip them, continue frying until golden brown and cracked - they fry fast so keep your eye on them, flip over to other side again to a few more seconds until golden if needed.  Transfer doughnuts to a rack set over paper towels or a pan lined with paper towels.  While the doughnuts are still warm dip the side with the most cracks into warm pumpkin glaze, let set on racks, glazed side up.  Then serve and enjoy :)
Adapted from Hand-Forged Doughnuts, Secrets and Recipes for the Home Baker
                           

 

 

Apple Fritters:

I also found this amazing recipe for Apple Fritters, they are also great to do at home and are so good ~with an apple and spice filling and coated in cinnamon and sugar, such a yummy combination .  I can still smell the apple and cinnamon aromas as I type this :)  These are heaven and so good just made-warm.

 

 

This recipe can be found here, originally posted in Bon Appetit October 2010:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Apple-Fritters-with-Bourbon-Ice-Cream-361262