Apple Cider Glazed Donut Holes
small bites of fall
One of my very favorite parts of living in “the north” (Minnesota, and now the Tri-State area) is apple picking. This Florida girl is still enamored by the fact I can drive less than 30 minutes and be wandering through apple orchards, sipping on cider, and filling a little bag with so many apples that my arm tires out from carrying them all. And it only took me one season to discover that the very best part of every fall farm is the apple cider donuts.
Usually, these apple cider donuts are small, Entenmann’s mini donut sized, fried, and rolled in cinnamon sugar. They are always served hot, and at one farm we visited, they were even fried to order. I wanted to re-create the magic of those little apple cider donuts from the comfort of my own home this fall.
about the donut holes
Most of the apple cider donuts I’ve had at apple orchards lean more cake-like, but I wanted a true yeast donut for this recipe. I riffed on a Mark Bittman recipe we used in every restaurant kitchen I’ve ever worked in because it’s familiar.
the dough:
For this recipe, I started with a classic yeasted donut recipe, and swapped some of the milk for fresh apple cider. I also incorporated browned butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla paste for a warm, nutty flavor. Very fall-like.
the glaze:
Just hot apple cider and powdered sugar. I wanted the apple cider flavor to really come through in the glaze, so for this recipe, we’re just whisking hot cider into the powdered sugar until it reaches a consistency thin enough to coat our donuts.
the timing:
This recipe, like most enriched dough recipes, is really flexible timing-wise. Because my work hours are currently determined by Marco’s nap schedule, I decided to chunk this recipe into two different days. I made the dough and let it proof for about an hour one afternoon and then popped it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, I cut and fried the donuts and made the glaze. If you want to do it all in one day, just roll/cut/fry the dough after that first countertop proof.
apple cider glazed donut holes
makes about 32 donut holes
Ingredients:
for the donuts:
1/2 cup (113 g) whole milk, warmed
2 tbsp apple cider, warmed
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 large egg
1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter, browned and slightly cooled
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract)
2 tbsp (25 g) brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 1/3 cup (290 g) all purpose flour
vegetable or canola oil, for frying
for the glaze:
1 3/4 cup (235 g) powdered sugar, sifted
1/4-1/3 cup hot apple cider
Procedure:
To brown the butter, place it in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, swirling occasionally, until butter is nutty and fragrant and small browned bits appear on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
In a large measuring cup, combine warm milk, apple cider, and yeast. Let rest for about 5 minutes, until foamy.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon.
Add the egg and vanilla to the measuring cup with the milk and yeast and whisk briefly just to combine.
Pour the liquid into the mixer with the dry ingredients, followed by the cooled browned butter. Begin mixing on low speed for 1-2 minutes, until all of the dry ingredients have been moistened.
Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and knead for about 5 minutes, until a smooth dough forms and gluten development passes the window pane test.
Shape the dough into a round and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let proof at room temperature for about an hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
Punch the dough down, re-cover, and move the bowl to the refrigerator to chill for overnight or for about 12 hours.
When you’re ready to make the donuts, take the bowl out of the refrigerator and let the dough rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes to take the chill off.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and roll it to about 1/2” thickness. Use a 2” round cutter to cut circles out of the dough and place them on a parchment lined sheet tray. Re-roll the dough scraps one time and repeat the cutting process. Cover the tray loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rounds rest for a bit while the oil preheats.
In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat about 4” of oil to 375° F. When the oil is hot, fry donuts in batches of 4-6 donuts. Fry for about 2 minutes, and then flip the donut holes and fry to 1-2 minutes more, until all sides are deeply browned. Use a slotted spoon or spider to remove donut holes from frying oil and place them on a paper towel-lined sheet tray. Repeat with all of the donut holes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 1/4 cup of the apple cider, adding a splash or two more if needed to thin the glaze. Add the hot donut holes to the glaze, a handful at a time, and toss to coat completely. Place the glazed donut holes on a cooling rack set over a sheet tray to drip. Let cool until glaze is set before serving.
