Apple Cider Donuts

     As a kid, my mom would make donuts with us by deep frying some kind of dough and sometimes even stuffing it with things like chocolate or marshmallows. It was one of my favorite things to make because we'd leave the hot oil on the stove until we had no more dough, and make our donuts whenever we wanted. We would eat them plain, coated in sugar, and with icing. However, our donuts were closer to fried lumpy balls of dough that the traditional donuts you're used to seeing at the store. You know, the perfect circle with the tile in the middle. So growing up I always wanted to figure out how to make "real" donuts.

    As an adult I have tried deep frying over and over but I have realized through trial and error and too many oil burns to count, that its not worth it. I struggle way too much keeping the oil at a consistent temperature so I will be keeping my frying to a minimum. The main other way for making donuts is to make cake donuts. 

    For some reason I always thought donut baking sheets were so expensive so when I saw one at the store for only $10, I broke down and bought one. When I started searching for recipes online I realized that I had to make a fall favorite: Apple cider donuts!

    Any time you go to a pumpkin patch or fall event,  there are almost always apple cider donuts for sale. So when is a better time than October to make them! For some reason I never realized that apple cider donuts actually contained apple cider. As a kid I thought they were called that either because it was fall or because you were supposed to eat them with apple cider. After making them and knowing that they have apple cider I totally taste it. Seriously, how did I never realize this?!

    To start of making these donuts I put apple cider in a pot and simmer until it thickens and has a syrupy texture. While I reduced the apple cider I beat together my egg, sugars, butter, milk, and vanilla using my stand mixer. In a separate bowl I mixed my flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Then, I mixed my wet and dry just until there were no more flour streaks.

    I then preheated the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and greased my donut pan. I spooned my donut batter into my cake pan. However, it would have been much easier, and less messy, to use a piping bag to transfer the batter. However, I am all for less dishes and I only have reusable piping bags. I think if I start making donuts more often I will invest in some disposable piping bags to simplify the process. 

    I baked my donuts for 10 minutes. While they were baking I melted 3/4 stick of butter (I found out that I did not need that much) and I mixed my sugar and spices to coat the donuts. I tipped the donuts out of my pan immediately out of the oven and let cool just until I could handle them. I then brushed on the butter and coated the donuts in my sugar and spice mixture. 

    These donuts were absolutely heavenly warm but they were great cooled too! This recipe makes about 16 donuts. I got less because I was a little messy in the transfer from bowl to pan. Be careful with these suckers, they disappear fast!

    Leave a comment and let me know how this recipe worked for you! What flavor donut should I make next?