Ingredients
- 2 red apples, such as Cortland or McIntosh
- 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
Directions
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 degrees. 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.
Photograph by Kate Mathis

Photo: Apple Cider Doughnuts Recipe

















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By sbrbunny
on April 26, 2012
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This recipe was straight-forward and easy to make. I have made the dough-nuts three times and my large family loves them! I do, however, prefer a plain glaze, or a simple cinnamon-sugar coating. Making sure my oil was at the correct temp was the biggest concern.
By Terrisly
on October 17, 2011
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Not sure why these are getting such bad reviews? This was my first time donut venture on a whim, and they came out absolutely perfect. The dough did not fall apart, the dough was definitely sticky as noted below, but if you simply flour your board and the top of the dough as you roll it, you shouldn't have a problem.
It is true that the reduction takes longer than stated in the instructions, but if you're setting out to make donuts, it's going to be a time consuming process anyhow.
All in all, totally worth it, really easy and everything came out great. I have to honestly say I expected to put way much more work into this than I expected. The one thing I changed was how I made the glaze, I wasn't a fan of the glaze here as I like a thicker, more "frosting" than a glaze.
By April C
on October 03, 2011
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Not worth the time, energy, effort and resources. I've been cooking for 25+ years and I just couldn't wait to try this recipe. I prepared the ingredients as indicated and the dough chilled overnight. Thought I'd have some tasty homemade donuts on my day off. It was a total flop...
1. The 8 minute apple and cider reduction took 35 + minutes...I did have about 1 cup of applesauce to eat, though
2. The dough was extremely sticky as other cooks indicated, so I was prepared to fry as donut sticks.
3. When frying time came, the dough just disintegrated. I tried rolling out some dough balls which ended up burning in the pan.
Big thumbs down for this recipe...
Read all 30 reviews