A Taste of Fall

Even though October brings fall to most of the country, the valley of the sun hangs on to summer until at least Halloween. (No, it isn't the 120 degree Phoenix summer, but temperatures in the 80's and 90's qualify the weather as summer in many other parts of the country.) Thus, with the bright sun shining outside and the air conditioner still running inside, the only taste of fall we get is the kind we make ourselves. So, today I made apple cider doughnuts from a recipe I found in the September issue of All You magazine.

These cake doughnuts have a taste of autumn in the cinnamon sugar coating and spicy color; however, they do not have much of an apple flavor. The recipe calls for 1.5 cups of apple cider which gets boiled down to half a cup of concentrated apple goodness for the doughnuts. But even that doesn't lend a strong enough apple essence in my book. If I make these again, I think some finely chopped (or perhaps grated) granny smiths might be in order. Don't get me wrong; these are good cake doughnuts - moist, golden rounds screaming for a glass of cold milk. I just think the idea that they are going to taste like apples is a little misleading.

Of course, while we're on the subject of fruit in doughnuts, perhaps using milk instead of the cider would create a richer base for something like mashed bananas in the mix. (Can you imagine that with some peanut butter or chocolate frosting?) I also like dried fruit in cake-type desserts, so I think some chopped apricots and pistachios might be an excellent combination to stir in the basic batter, perhaps substituting a little vanilla for the cinnamon on that choice. If you want to try your hand at these little beauties, here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cinnamon
1.5 cups apple cider
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3.5 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 large eggs plus one egg yolk
vegetable oil for frying

Steps:
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Line another baking sheet or large plate with paper towels. In a paper bag, combine 1 cup sugar and 1 T. cinnamon; shake to mix. Set aside.
2. Bring cider to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced to 1/2 cup (about 20 minutes). Let cool to room temperature.
3. In a large bowl, whisk baking powder, salt, 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 2 t. cinnamon. In a small bowl whisk butter, eggs, yolk, and cooled cider. Add cider mixture to flour mixture; whisk until smooth. Add remaining 2.5 cups flour and mix until just combined. Dough will be sticky. Refrigerate 10 minutes.

4. Pour oil into a large pot and attach a candy thermometer on the side. Heat oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees, adjusting heat as needed to keep oil from becoming too hot. (I use an electric wok with a thermostat for frying. It is generally much easier than trying to regulate the heat on the stove.)

5. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and coat fingers with flour. Pat dough out to 1/2-inch thickness. (My doughnuts came out thinner - and I had more of them - than the ones shown in the magazine at half an inch. Next time, I'd go a little thicker.) Using two round cookie cutters, cut out doughnuts and holes. Transfer to the parchment lined baking sheet. Gather scraps and repat dough until all has been used.

6. Working in batches, slide doughnuts into hot oil. After about a minute, doughnuts will rise to the surface and begin to brown. Turn them over and fry 1-2 minutes longer until golden. Remove doughnuts to towel lined plate or tray and allow to drain and cool for one minute; add to bag with cinnamon sugar and toss to coat. Remove to a clean plate and serve.