Chef notes
Nothing says fall quite like the sweetly spiced taste of freshly made, warm apple cider donuts.
Ingredients
- 2 cups apple cider
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Preparation
1.Boil the cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 3/4 cup. Set aside to cool.
2.In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
3.In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon, beat together the butter, brown sugar and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, egg and yolk and beat until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients, alternating with the reduced apple cider. Refrigerate the mixture for 20-30 minutes.
4.Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375°F or, alternatively, heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan to the same temperature (you can test if the oil is ready by dropping a small blob of dough into it; the dough should bubble and then brown within 30-40 seconds).
5.Stir together the remaining 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon in small bowl.
6.Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1 inch thick (don't worry; it's supposed to be soft). Cut the doughnuts using a 2½-inch doughnut cutter or two comparable different sizes of biscuit cutters (so you get the rings and the holes).
7.Working in 2 batches, fry the donuts (and holes), flipping continuously, until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes.
8.Drain on paper towels. Roll the hot doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar and serve.
Reprinted from "The Lost Kitchen." Copyright © 2017 by Erin French. Photographs copyright © 2017 by Nicole Franzen. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.
