Apple Cider Donuts

By west757

Make your own apple cider donuts. Invite your friends to help. Set up stations where everyone can get involved and serve hot apple cider to keep the workers happy!

Ingredients

• For Hot Cider:
• 1 gallon of apple cider (for baking and drinking)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ⁄4 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ⁄2 cup buttermilk
• 3 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 ⁄2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 ⁄2 tsp. salt
• 1 ⁄4 tsp. nutmeg
• Vegetable oil or shortening for frying
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 whole cloves
• Whole nutmeg
• 1 ⁄2 orange peel

Details

Adapted from homemadesimple.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Boil 1 cup of apple cider in a small saucepan for 8 to 10 minutes or until cider is reduced to 1/4 cup; let cool.
2. In a large bowl, beat sugar with solid shortening until smooth. Add eggs and mix well, then add buttermilk and cooled cider.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to liquid ingredients; mix ingredients just enough to combine.
4. Set up an area on a flat surface with a lightly floured board for cutting and shaping dough. Place baking pans covered in wax paper or parchment nearby for finished donut shapes.
5. Transfer dough to the lightly floured board and pat to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a 3-inch donut cutter; re-roll the excess donut holes and cut scraps back into the dough.
6. Refrigerate formed donuts on baking sheets for about 20 minutes to help firm the dough prior to frying.
7. Add enough oil or shortening to fill a deep (3-inch) pan; heat to approximately 375°F or until the oil is bubbling.
8. Fry several donuts at a time, turning once or twice until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes.
Remove and place on paper towels for draining and cooling.
9. Put a mix of cinnamon and sugar in a large plastic zip-top bag. Once the donuts have drained and cooled a bit, shake up the donuts in the bag. Finished donuts can be placed on a wire rack to continue cooling.