Fall has arrived in full force, giving us small tastes of what came before with its harvest moons and portending what’s to come in dribs and drabs. Not knowing allows for hope and tempers the dread of winter. Though lately, travel and winter sports make the colder months more fun. In this season we can count on the blazing leaves, the gnarled gourds, the apples, oh the apples. Brusque winds, clear breezy blue skies, acorns falling out of deep deciduous oaks, pumpkins and of course, my personal favorite apple cider doughnuts.
For me pumpkin and apple picking aren’t just part of the fall kitsch we all embrace along with scarves, sweaters and giant piles of raked leaves. I grew up in a small town in upstate New York, a contemplative kid full of inward gazes, literature and poetry, all in an attempt to figure out where I fit in. My parents grew up in the housing projects in the Bronx and Brooklyn, city folk through and through, and wholly out of place in the land where they raised us. Cows grazing, the Appalachian trail running through our backyard and acres of fresh berries and open fields were the stuff of horror films to them when they first moved there. But this town is what shaped me. My school bus driver from middle school until the day I got my drivers permit, owned the apple orchard we picked our apples in every year. Her husband was the town plumber. Her father gave my boss from my after school job at the fish store a job fish mongering at the orchard after his business went under. My brother worked in the orchard making wine. And on a random Wednesday, before the encroaching darkness, is when our family could be found, the only people roaming through the orchard, catching all that the trembling tress had to offer before the city folk arrived (aka the me of today). My town is a farming town, a blue collar town, with some city sensibilities. And the narrative of our town is a huge part of who I am. My roots grow firmly in Brooklyn, but stretch to this small upstate hamlet. Tangled deep in my system of veins and arteries, you’ll find them. If you look. And this brings me to these baked cider doughnuts. They represent the purest joy of the season to me, a journey inward through external pleasure.
While all that swelled with summer is still partly in bloom, but the colder winds move in, warm cider doughnuts are where it’s at. I’ve been looking for this recipe forever. Most recipes for cider doughnuts call for lard and frying oil. I just can’t do it. Not with the utter lack of restraint with which I reach for these. And finally, after years of searching and testing, I found the perfect recipe from Melissa, aka the Faux Martha. And trust me on this one. These are GOOOOOD. They only use a small amount of butter, they’re baked and contain no lard. I’d argue that these are not bad for you as far as desserts go, which also doubled as breakfast all week. They have the sweet warmth of sugar and cinnamon, a hint of nutmeg and lots of cider. These are no joke. The difference between these and what you can get at the orchard is minimal. That is huge. As with the orchard cider doughnuts, these are best if eaten immediately, warm and sugary. If you pair with homemade ice cream (as pictured) it’s a heady mix of all that I grew up with and all that symbolizes fall.
I hope you’re all doing well. If you want to do better, make these! Have some hot cider and embrace the present.
BAKED APPLE CIDER DOUGHNUTS
Slightly adapted from the Faux Martha
INGREDIENTS:
For The Batter:
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp. apple cider
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg, fresh
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 large egg
For The Topping:
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 1/4 c. apple cider
- 1/3 c. granulated sugar*
- 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon*
*If you want to coat the whole doughnut, rather than just the top, use 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 3 tsp cinnamon.
DIRECTIONS:
For The Batter:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a small pot, melt butter. Stir in cider, and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, whisk together flours, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Into the cooled butter mixture, whisk in sugar, honey, and egg until evenly combined. Side note, dip honey measuring utensil in the melted butter first for easy honey removal.
Stir together wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Over-mixing will create a tough donut.
Spray doughnut pan. Add batter to a piping bag (or as I always do, put into a ziplog bag and cut off one tip) and pipe evenly into the pan.
Bake for 7 minutes. Allow to cool 1 minute before removing donuts onto a cooling rack.
For The Topping:
Meanwhile, make topping. Melt butter and stir in cider. In a flat-bottomed bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar*.
Quickly dip each doughnut in butter mixture and lightly coat one one side in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
Place back on cooling rack. Best served same day, slightly warmed. If storing leftovers, lightly cover, if at all.
Reheating Them?:
Serve warm the day of. If reheating all of them, set oven to broil. Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet. Place donuts on top and bake for about 1 minute on each side. If reheating 2-4 for yourself, pop into the mircrowave for 12-15 seconds.
Wow, they look quite amazing baked! I have no problem with apple access, in spite of being relatively central in London. There are two apple trees in the garden behind my flat and the farmer I go to at the farmers’ market specialises in heritage apples and pears. I don’t think I’ve knowingly had doughnuts fried in lard, but I’m sure that used to be the traditional frying medium, depending on what was available locally. I bet it’s normal in Spain – it’s very common in Spanish croissants.
I did read something interesting about oils and fats recently, where it was stated that lard is much healthy for frying than vegetable oil – vegetable oils oxidise and become very bad for you when heated:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-33675975
Lard is the new sunflower oil! Who would have thought that? 😉
Ha! I had read something similar as well. I think I’ll avoid that all together in these baked beauties. You have an apple tree behind your flat? That’s so cool. Your farmer’s market Apple guy sounds awesome. Apple season really is fun. I didn’t know that about spanish croissants, but I’m not surprised. Everything is so decadent. Thanks for the article. Very interesting. I’m going to continue to experiment with wonderful fall doughnuts. This recipe would have filled me in a taste test, but for a very slight difference in consistency. Be well, Md. Does one who doesn’t like cake, eat cider doughnuts?
To be honest I think croissants made with butter taste better than with lard. I’m not entirely convinced by the idea of frying doughnuts in lard either, but only because I’m not used to it.
I did like doughnuts as a child and I loved custard ones, which I discovered in my early 20s. I can’t really see me baking doughnuts, but I’d definitely like to try yours 🙂
That makes sense on all fronts. Custard doughnuts are so so good. 🙂
Say no more!
I’m SOLD!
Awesome. So good! Xo
Amazing recipe! I am sooooo going to make these next week when I’m back in England and can buy some gorgeous cider. Love the memories you shared with us too – lovely post 🙂
Thank you, chica. You’ll love these. I saw a great recipe for pumpkin doughnuts today so….luckily they take 30 mins or less.
Nothing says fall like apples and donuts.I liked that these are baked in a donut pan. This is how I make them also. I will have to pick up some apple cider soon, so I can make these.
Thank you, Jovina. I didn’t know you baked doughnuts too. There really great. You must post your favorite recipes!
I bake them when the grandkids visit -using the donut pan so they are healthy.
Totally healthy! Lucky grandkids. Soooo spoiled 🙂
I live in the suburbs (around an hour from the Catskill mountains), so the apple picking and pumpkin roasting that comes with the season is so real here! I love it. Love being surrounded by nature, near such good, fresh food and produce, and being able to really experience the seasons. You’re lucky you grew up in the thick of it! These doughnuts look sooo good! I made apple cider doughnuts a few years ago and dipped them in glaze. Next time, I’m doing glaze AND cinnamon sugar!
Oh you live in such a beautiful place. Those doughnuts sound amazing. Fauxmartha posted pumpkin doughnuts this week. I can’t wait to try them and add a crazy glaze and tons of spice. The last (and only) doughnuts I made were your Valentine’s doughnuts. This may be the beginning of something dangerous. I hear it starts slowly.
Definitely going to make these Amanda. Two weeks ago I baked an apple cider donut cake and it flopped, The recipe (and photo’s) looked amazing and I didn’t miss a beat in following directions, but…it was so heavy, like a rock. Organic raw apple cider isn’t cheap and this recipe called for 2 cups…which was like…$5 worth. Oh well, my son ate it anyway and didn’t complain. Here’s to pumpkins, apples, squash and the beautiful season of autumn! Hope you are doing well. 🙂 Now it looks like I’ll have to pick up a donut pan. And, I’m going to have to check out fauxmartha’s site.
I hate when that happens! It’s happened to me before. This recipe is perfect. You’ll get 12 minis or 6 regular. They are more cake like than fried ones but if eaten writing the first day or two the consistency is perfect. I didn’t want to but a doughnut pen, but the batter won’t hold without a pan. I’m glad to hear you’re making the most of the season. And boys well east anything. Let me know if you like these! Be well.
These look so good and I love the cinnamon/sugar coating Amanda. The pictures are always superb! 🙂
Thank you, Linda. You’ve been putting out such amazing things I think gig need to open up a shop. I’m completely serious. The coating on these is what makes them! Be well!
How funny is this, I’ve got my apple cider already reduced in the fridge, waiting to make some doughnuts for aeons – but where’s the time? Thanks for the push, who could wait any longer now I’ve drooled over your pictures.
Nicole xx
Thanks, Nicole. These are do quick you won’t even need the reduced version. It’s part of what I love about these. No reduction, no fuss just flavor and a few minutes in the oven. Enjoy!!
And they are baked, no crisco! What’s not to love there? I so will enjoy these, I’ve been hankering for some for a while but no energy & time to get out the stuff and fry some doughnuts. Now, I am baking.
You’ll need a doughnut pan and 15 minutes. Totally worth it! And arguable healthy 🙂 xox
And they are baked, no Crisco! What’s not to love there? I so will enjoy these, I’ve been hankering for some for a while but had absolutely no energy & time to get out the stuff and fry some doughnuts. This weekend, I am baking…
I really enjoyed reading about your memories, and how living in a small country town made you closer to all the people living there. These doughnuts look and sound delicious, such perfect comfort food for the chilly fall afternoons. Why don’t I own a doughnut pan yet? I’d love to make these!
Thank you, Darya. There is something great about a small town. There’s also something nice about anonymity. Like anything it cuts both ways. I didn’t own a doughnut pan until February on a whim I decided to see what a baked doughnut would taste like. I’d say my first experience wasn’t great, but these are awesome and I plan to bake my way through some of the other really good looking baked doughnuts on Melissa’s site. Have a great weekend.
Yes, please. (Well, at least on the doughnuts. I couldn’t get away from my own small town fast enough!)
Aww you’d love these! I know how you feel about a small town too. It’s partially what made me move to the city. But now the very things that attracted me to NYC are what make me visit home, slow living and people who know you. Double edged sword i guess. Have a great weekend!
These look and sound amazing!!!
Thanks, Mimi. I’m a little obsessed! xo
Can someone say no for donuts.. Apple with cinnamon and sugar can’t go eat ng this s one perfect example
Thank you. You’re right, saying no to doughnuts is tough!
My dad has always told us about growing up in MI and eating apple cider donuts at the apple orchards. I think I will need to make these for the sake of experience and nostalgia. So delighted to have run across your blog tonight!!
Thanks, Loran! So am I. Your photos are gorgeous. Apple cider doughnuts are such a ritual. I really can’t get enough of this fall wonderfulness. I’m looking forward to reading more from you! Xo
Loved your well written post about living in a small town in New York and your recipe. This is probably the time of the year that I will miss New England and our orchard the most.
Thank you, Karen. I’m sure this is the hardest time to be away, but everything in its own time. My parents moved from that beautiful town last year and have been so happy ever since. Im not ready to let go but they really enjoy less land and less upkeep. Be well!