Hello Fall (Hello, Apple Cider Donuts)

Hello, Fall. Hello, fairytale pumpkin on the doorstep. Hello, crisp weather. Hello, cozy bus rides. Hello, going to work without sweating. Hello, cinnamon-scented pine cones from Michaels. Hello, coffee with old friends. Hello, eating squash at every meal. Hello, crunchy leaves. Hello, loafers and boots. Hello, cuddling. Hello, early sunsets. Hello, early bedtime. Hello, renewed sense of purpose. Hello, apple cider donuts.

Dear Readers,

I think this is the best recipe I’ve ever made. I might say that every week, but I mean it this time. Apple Cider Donuts are something special. They are magic. They are the essence of fall and long-weekend feelings. When I was kid, we only got these donuts when we went to Green Bluff in Spokane, Washington and we only took one trip there each fall to pick out pumpkins. I don’t remember caring at all about the hayride or corn maze: it was all about these donuts. The place actually had to limit the number of donuts each family could buy because if everyone had free rein, it would be chaos (or they would just run out of donuts 5 minutes after opening). There was one year my family went on a rainy weekend and drove 2 hours from home just for the donuts. We all sat in the car devouring each precious bite, cinnamon sugar falling on our laps and coating our mouths.

I had never baked donuts before making this recipe, although I had made fried donuts in the past. I got a donut baking pan a few weeks ago and just knew I had to try and make these. I gave a few to my coworker to take home and her 10 year old son called them “God-like.” I can stop baking forever now because that is the best compliment I will ever receive.

I followed the NYT Cooking recipe for Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts pretty closely, and just changed a couple things according to what I had in my kitchen. I have put that recipe (with my small changes) below. Hope you enjoy these and share them with everyone you know! You’re welcome to click the link above for the original recipe.

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Apple Cider Donuts

Ingredients for donut batter:

Nonstick cooking spray

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

10 Tbs. unsalted butter

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup apple cider

Ingredients for topping:

6 Tbs. melted butter

1 tps. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Steps to make:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two donut pans (6 donuts each) or a muffin tin. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and ground allspice.

With an electric mixer, cream together 10 tbs. of softened butter with both the dark brown and granulated sugar. Keep mixing until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add one egg at a time and continue to mix until everything is well combined.

Add the dry ingredients from the other bowl half at a time and mix slowly. Once everything is smooth, add apple cider and continue to mix. You should have a batter of medium thickness (as shown below).

Add the batter to a large plastic Ziplock and cut a hole in the corner for piping. Pipe the batter into each donut receptacle of the pan, filling each 2/3 of the way.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

While the donuts are baking, heat the remaining 6 tbs. of butter in the microwave until melted. Also, whisk 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 cup white sugar together in a separate flat bowl or plate.

When the donuts are done, allow them to cool for at least 5 minutes. Then, brush the tops with melted butter and coat completely with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

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Lastly, enjoy these with a hot beverage or some of your leftover apple cider.

Hope you enjoy these! Have fun with this fall recipe, and read on next week for another one!

-Emily