The way we see it, if you drive out to an orchard and spend a wholesome afternoon picking apples, you've earned a doughnut at the end of the day. Besides apple cider doughnuts are as seasonal as the apples they're made from, so you should get them while you can - unless, of course, you make them yourself!
Impossible to Resist: Apple Cider Doughnuts
Our favorite cider donuts are dense, cake-y rounds that melt on our tongues. They're tangy and just slightly sweet, with an underlying caramel flavor.
Most of the recipes we found get that ephemeral apple flavor by boiling down cider until it's a concentrated syrup. Not only does this intensify the flavor, but it allows other liquids to come into the mix - like buttermilk, which helps get that tender crumb! Some recipes also add a little apple butter to the batter for some extra apple-y flavor and darker color.
Topping is a matter of personal preference, of course. We like them rolled in cinnamon and sugar like the doughnuts in the picture above. If you can find them super, hot-out-of-the-oil fresh, then try them plain. That's where the apple flavor really shines, we think.
• Apple Cider Donuts from the Washington Post
• Cider Donut Bread Pudding from Edible Boston - if you happen to find yourself with some leftover donuts! (Scroll to the bottom of the page)
Are you a fan of cider doughnuts?
Related: Waste Not! Five Ways to Use Mealy Apples
(Image: Flickr member Ann Gordon licensed under Creative Commons)
Tags
Fall, Baking Products, Breakfast Products, Dessert Products, fall dessert, cider, doughnuts, donuts, cider donuts, cider doughnutsShare
Comments (9)
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fall hasn't started until I've has a cider doughnut! I'm currently experimenting with a baked version.
view lsk's profile
Russel Orchards in Ipswich Ma has the BEST apple cider donuts. I had 2 last weekend and can't wait for next fall to have 2 more :)
view PoppyGirl's profile
We go up to the Northern California area of Apple Hill orchards and wineries twice/year: once to pick apples and pumpkins (we did this last weekend) and again in December to cut down our Christmas tree. But for some reason, we never get the donuts until December. Maybe its because eating a warm donut alongside a steaming cup of coffee is more comforting in the cold December months vs the temperate October month (it's Northern California-we were 100 degrees only 2 weekends ago!) but this is a yearly treat we never pass up!
view rosebud's profile
When you perfect your baked version, lsk, I would love the recipe! I was just thinking about these yesterday and got intimidated by the Washington Post recipe. All that cider-reducing and freezing and cutting and frying, I think I would just rather find them at a bakery or orchard.
view MegP's profile
I buy these at Wilson Farms outside Boston, and I have a ritual that I must eat one in the car before leaving. I went there last night with a friend and was joking about how they would make great bread pudding. He thought I was nuts! Ha!
view Charlotte's profile
Freshly made apple cider doughnuts are so fantastic, you can't help but smile as you bite into them.
The Washington Post recipe is for a dough, not a batter, that's just wrong.
view cara_mia's profile
Apple cider doughnuts are one of the few things left that I still really miss since being diagnosed with celiac disease. I'd love to find a gluten-free recipe that works. (Or better yet, find a gluten-free bakery that has them!)
view laura c's profile
The next time I am at the market, I am buying some. I remember exactly the place with the best I've had in Baltimore.
view wanderingfoodie's profile
The best apple cider doughnuts can be found at Evan's Orchard, near Georgetown, KY. I don't know what they fry them in, and I don't care, but get them while they're hot! I now live in CA and so far, this is one thing that KY has over CA in the fall. Evan's Orchard also has fantastic U-pick apples, a fun bunch of stuff to do around Halloween including a kid friendly corn maze...and really friendly people who work there. Don't miss out on these doughnuts if you're in the area, or even if you have to make a special trip. They are the cinnamon-sugar variety.
view captaindory's profile