Taste Fall With These Apple Cider Doughnuts

About 20 years ago, I moved from the Seattle area all the way across the country to attend graduate school in Western Massachusetts, and it didn't take me long to fall in love with the landscape or the people there. And autumn was what made it happen.

Growing up in the Northwest, I had never experienced a fall like that first one: The weather was crisp but not too cold, the light was somehow sweeter than usual and the leaves everywhere were simply astonishing. And when I ate my first apple cider doughnut, I was convinced that there must be nothing better than fall in New England.

What is it about apple cider doughnuts? It's the freshness of the apple, of course, but also the cinnamon. There's something old-fashioned about them, but not "old-fashioned" in quotes like an old-fashioned doughnut: perhaps the lack of icing makes them feel more wholesome, or possibly the product of orchard and farmhouse.

Whatever it is, to bite into one is autumn, as far as I'm concerned. And with peak foliage starting to hit much of New England this week, now's the perfect time to celebrate the season by making your own batch. Enjoy!

Apple Cider Doughnuts

Ingredients

For the doughnuts:

2 cups apple cider

3½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar, packed

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Vegetable oil for frying

For coating:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

In a small saucepan, bring apple cider to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cider reduces to about ½ cup (about 20-25 minutes). Let cool completely.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add melted butter, buttermilk, and reduced apple cider and mix well.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined. The dough will be sticky. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours until firm.

On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to about ½-inch thickness. Cut out doughnuts using a 3-inch doughnut cutter (or use two round cutters of different sizes).

Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F (175°C). Fry doughnuts in batches, about 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Mix cinnamon and sugar for coating in a shallow bowl. While doughnuts are still warm, toss them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat.

Serve warm for best flavor.

Senior writer Chris DeWeese edits Morning Brief, The Weather Channel’s newsletter.