Apple Cider Donuts

Coating:
1/2 cup freeze dried apples
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Donuts:
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) self rising flour 
1/2 teaspoon Penzey's pie spice 
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup thawed apple juice concentrate 
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 quarts peanut oil for frying 

Place the topping ingredients in a food processor and process until the apples are powdered. Place in a bowl and set aside.

Add self rising flour, sugar, and pie spice to the food processor bowl. Pulse to combine.

Whisk apple juice concentrate, melted butter, buttermilk, and egg in a 2 cup spouted glass measuring cup. Turn the processor to on and pour the liquid through the feed tube. As soon as a ball of dough forms, stop the processor. 

Generously flour the counter and scrape the dough out of the processor onto the counter. Flour the top of the dough and pat into a disk. Roll out to a 10 by 11 inch rectangle, 1/3 inch thick. Use a 3 inch circle to cut donuts and a 1 inch pastry tip to cut the holes. Place cut donuts and donut holes on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment and sprayed with cooking spray. Gather scraps, knead gently, and re-roll just one time. Make extra donut holes from any remaining scraps.

Place donuts and holes in the fridge while the oil heats.

Fill your fryer or a large Dutch oven with the peanut oil and heat to 350.

Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and line with paper towels. 

Fry donuts and donut holes a few at a time for 30 to 60 seconds per side, until golden. Use a wire skimmer to transfer the cooked donuts and holes to the paper towel lined rack. 

When all donuts and holes are done, toss them in the coating and transfer to a serving platter. Serve.

Variation: for baked donuts, heat oven to 350. Spray donut pans with cooking spray. Whisk flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Increase apple juice concentrate to 1 cup and buttermilk to 1/2 cup. Whisk juice, buttermilk, egg, and melted butter together in a liquid measuring cup and pour into the dry ingredients. Whisk just until combined. 

Scrape dough into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip, and pipe dough to fill donut cavities 2/3 full. Bake donuts for 8 to 10 minutes until set. Turn out onto a wire rack and dip into the coating. 

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