Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts
These light and fluffy doughnuts get extra flavor from finely diced apple folded into the dough. Quickly frying them in a pan after baking gives these doughnuts a crispy exterior without the added fat and helps the cinnamon and sugar coating to stick. These doughnuts are best enjoyed straight out of the pan – they tend to deflate a little after sitting too long.
You can purchase a special doughnut cutter or doughnut pan for neater looking doughnuts, but differently sized cookie cutters will also work. I used a drinking glass to cut my larger circles and a shot glass to cut out the holes.
Servings 9
Ingredients
- ½ cup Apple Cider
- 2 tablespoons Butter softened
- ¼ cup Approx. 2 ounces Sugar
- 1 Egg
- ¼ cup Milk
- 2 cups Approx. 10 ounces All Purpose Flour, plus additional for dusting
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Apple finely diced dice (about 1 cup)
- ¼ cup Oil for frying
- Cinnamon and Sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Pour the apple cider into a small pan set over high heat. Bring to a boil and allow to reduce by half. Set aside to cool.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, then mix in the reduced cider and milk.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Fold in the diced apple, then mix in the remaining flour.
- Generously flour a one-foot square piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil. Turn the dough out onto the paper. Flour the top of the dough and use your hands to press/flatten it into a 1/2-inch thick disk. Chill for 15 minutes to help the dough firm up.
- Heat oven to 425F. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into doughnut shapes using a doughnut cutter, cookie cutters, or a glass. Cut additional “holes” from the scraps of dough left over.
- Carefully transfer each doughnut and the “holes” to a baking sheet likes with parchment or a silpat. Bake at 425F for 10 minutes.
- Optional: For a crispier exterior, heat the oil in shallow frying pan until very hot. Cook doughnuts for 10 seconds on each side, or until lightly browned. Dust with cinnamon and sugar while they are still hot. Enjoy!