Baked Apple Cider Donuts

HOOOOO boy do I have the best present for you.

I’d never had a cider donut until I left home for college, when I was introduced to the miracle that is the Clinton Cider Mill.  It’s been many (ugh, too many) years since I had access to their perfect little fried circles of manna, but lucky for me, my parents still go and pick some up every year, so I get to stare at the photos they send me and seethe with jealousy.

Last week, my parents’ cruel photos arrived like clockwork, and a few days later I trekked out to the Delaware border to do some apple picking (some basic things are nice, just embrace it).  While I was hard at work collecting pie supplies, I maaaaaybe also decided to snag a donut or two (or six).  Ever since, I couldn’t stop thinking about making my own, because donuts on demand are ALWAYS better than donuts a 1.5 hour drive away.

You know what makes a cider donut (and also literally everything else) better?  Apple cider syrup.  I just happened to have some lying around (I’m sorry, I know that’s probably an utterly absurd thing to say, but here we are), so I drizzled it on a few of the donuts, and I cannot stress to you enough what an excellent life choice that was.  This cider syrup is maybe the best thing I’ve ever done in my life– I want to use it to make cocktails, drizzle it on every single sweet thing I make for the rest of my days, and maybe bathe in it.  Please do me a favor and make it.  It takes one ingredient and no work (just some patience).  You will not regret it.

Baked donuts are great for several reasons: they bake up in the blink of an eye, you can pretend they’re healthier because they’re not fried, and they’ve got a lovely pillow-soft texture that’ll make you want to curl up in the middle of ’em and take a nap.  They’re the perfect thing to make this weekend for breakfast when you want to feel fancy and autumnal but you also don’t want to crawl out of bed pre-sunrise just to get brunch started.  We all know fall is all about cozy sleeping situations and apple things, so why not hit snooze and have your baked goods too?

Baked Apple Cider Donuts (makes ~13 donuts)

Minimally adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

• 1 1/4 c. Apple Cider
• Cinnamon Stick
• Whole Cloves
• 1 Egg, room temp.
• 2 T. Butter, melted
• 1/2 c. Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/2 c. Sugar
• 1 T. Molasses
• 1/2 c. Buttermilk, room temp. (if you don’t have any, because really who just has buttermilk on hand at all times, just add 2 t. white vinegar or lemon juice to (not skim) milk and let it sit for 5 minutes)
• Splash Vanilla
• 2 c. Flour
• 3/4 t. Baking Powder
• 1 t. Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 t. Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 t. Cloves
• 1/4 t. Salt

Simmer cider, cinnamon stick, and a few cloves for ~20 minutes to reduce and intensify flavor (you will need 1/2 c. of reduced cider).  Set aside to cool.  Preheat oven to 350 and spray donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Whisk together egg, melted butter, sugars, and molasses til smooth, then whisk in buttermilk, vanilla, and cider.  In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  Gently whisk the wet and dry ingredients together, being careful not to overmix (a few remaining lumps is fine).  Spoon batter into a plastic bag, and cut the tip to use it as a piping bag.  Pipe batter into donut pan, filling each well about 2/3 of the way up.  Bake ~9 minutes.  You can definitely eat these plain, but could also top them with either cinnamon sugar or apple cider glaze (see below).

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• 2 T. Butter, melted
• 3/4 c. Sugar
• 2 t. Ground Cinnamon

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.  Dip donuts in butter, then in cinnamon sugar.

Apple Cider Syrup

• 1 gallon Apple Cider

Bring cider to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thickened (this will probably take at least 45 minutes).  You will wind up with around 1 1/2 cups of syrup.  You could also take a page out of my book and add some whiskey to the mix, along with a cinnamon stick and cloves to amplify fall flavors (just be sure to remove these items before the syrup gets too thick).

Honestly, if you’ve read this far and aren’t convinced that these donuts are an excellent idea, I don’t even know what to do with you.  If you don’t eat gluten, just skip the donuts and go straight to eating the syrup by the spoonful.  This is a judgment-free zone.

P.S. If you live in DC and want one of these pls come get them for real because I’m alone in a house full of donuts and apple cider syrup and soon I may not be able to fit through the door.