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Apple Cider Doughnuts With Cider-Caramel Glaze

Four apple cider doughnuts on a blue circle cooling rack with a cup of coffee and whisk next to it. In the left corner...
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
  • Active Time

    45 minutes

  • Total Time

    1 hour, 10 minutes

The classic farmstand treat gets a double dose of cider goodness from a reduced cider "syrup" that is both mixed into the dough and used as the base for the shiny glaze.

Ingredients

Makes 12 doughnuts

For the Cider-Caramel Glaze:

4 cups spiced apple cider
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

For the doughnuts:

1 cup spiced apple cider
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 quarts canola oil (for frying)

Special equipment:

A 3" round cutter, 1" round cutter, deep-fry thermometer
  1. Make the Cider-Caramel Glaze:

    Step 1

    Bring cider to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to about 2 cups, 15–20 minutes. Stir in butter and brown sugar continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 8 minutes more. Remove from heat; glaze will thicken as it sits.

  2. Make the doughnuts:

    Step 2

    Bring cider to a simmer in a medium saucepan and cook until reduced to about 2 Tbsp., 20–30 minutes. Let cool.

    Step 3

    Meanwhile, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

    Step 4

    Beat granulated sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.

    Step 5

    加入鸡蛋,继续打,可控硅aping down sides of bowl as needed, until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and gradually add buttermilk and reserved reduced cider, beating just until combined. Gradually add dry ingredients and beat just until dough comes together.

    Step 6

    Turn out dough onto a large piece of parchment paper and cover with a second sheet of parchment. Using a rolling pin, roll dough between parchment sheets to about 1/3" thick. Transfer dough in parchment to a rimmed baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.

    Step 7

    Peel off top sheet of parchment. Working on bottom sheet, punch out as many rounds as you can with 3" cutter, then use 1" cutter to punch out center of each round. Gather doughnut holes and scraps and re-roll; repeat process 3–4 times until all dough has been used (you should have 12 doughnuts). Place doughnuts on a second parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until slightly chilled, about 5 minutes.

    Step 8

    Pour oil into a heavy-duty pot to a depth of 2" and fit pot with deep-fry thermometer. Heat oil to 375ºF. Working in batches, fry doughnuts until deep golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a wire rack lined with paper towels and let cool 2-3 minutes. Dip warm doughnuts in Cider-Caramel Glaze. Place on rack to let glaze set, about 3 minutes, then dip again.

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  • This is not a good recipe. And definitely not for higher elevations. Dough came out too sticky so I had to try to convert it to a raised doughnuts by adding a yeast sponge. I also needed to restartthe glaze at 1/2 strength & reduce to 1/2 cup. I won't be making this again.

    • dotdash12

    • Las Cruces, NM

    • 11/1/2018

  • Really good recipe. I did substitute with coconut sugar for both glaze and donuts and made with whole grains and they came out great! The glaze needs a lot more cooking time though. I cooked it down to just over a cup (recipe says 1 1/2 cups) and it was still too thin. I think 1 cup or a scant cup would have been perfect. They still tasted delicious! And I liked that there was no waiting overnight like a lot of donut recipes.

    • jenski57

    • Long Island, NY

    • 1/9/2016

  • These were delicious doughnuts, but I wouldn't make the glaze again. I followed the directions to the letter but it did not thicken at all upon cooling. As a result, it kind of soaked into the doughnuts rather than glazing them. Even so, my family gobbled them up pretty quickly! Yum!

    • Anonymous

    • Watertown, MN

    • 11/15/2015

  • Not everyone lives down the street from a fresh apple orchard. How about you make the recipe and then review it for us instead of criticizing the suggested ingredients? We all make substitutions for our own preferences and I enjoy seeing how people personalize a recipe.

    • ljwerner

    • Colorado

    • 11/11/2015

  • "Spiced" apple cider?? hmmm... sounds like something grown in supermarkets and fetched in SUVs... The apple cider we drink comes from an orchard just down the road owned by a family we've known for decades. There's no cinnamon or nutmeg in that orchard, just fruit trees. This recipe sounds good... but I'll make it with REAL apple cider, and make any additions of REAL cinnamon and REAL nutmeg where I see fit.

    • howcool

    • Canada

    • 11/5/2015

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