Cider Doughnuts

We've talked about cider doughnuts for a couple of days and some of you have expressed interest in this yummy treat. I dug around in my recipe card files and came up with a recipe to pass along to you. I haven't made doughnuts in many, many years although I still have a vintage aluminum doughnut batter dispenser somewhere in the kitchen cabinets. That's a black hole, let's not go there.

APPLE CIDER DOUGHNUTS
Makes 18 doughnuts and doughnut holes.

1 cup apple cider
1 cup granulated sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk

Put the apple cider into a saucepan and boil until it is reduced to 1/4 cup. (about 30 min.) Allow to cool.
Cream the butter and sugar together in your mixing bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well blended. Add buttermilk and cider the 1/4 cup of reduced cider.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg together in separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to liquid ingredients, stirring just enough to combine.

Transfer the dough to lightly floured work surface and sprinkle the dough with flour. Roll out the dough until it is approximately 1/2 inch thick. If the dough is sticky, work in a bit more flour.

Cut out the doughnuts using a doughnut cutter. Arrange the doughnuts and holes onto a cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Pour cooking oil into a saucepan to a depth of at least 3 inches. Heat the oil to 350 F (check with a frying or candy thermomenter).
Fry doughnuts until golden brown, turning once or twice. It should take about 1-2 minutes per side.

Remove the doughnuts with metal tongs or a slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain.
While still warm, shake a few at a time in a paper bag containing cinnamon sugar.

Cool on a rack OR eat while still warm.

ENJOY!!

Sorry no pictures of hot sugared doughnuts. You don't seriously think I have time to make the doughnuts! Well, not this week anyway.

NOTE: Thanks to all the fabulous blogs that are posting pictures of their fall decorations. My goodness they are beautiful. I'm loving those white, blue and even grey natural pumpkins. Unfortunately you're not going to find anything around here besides a ratty fall wreath on the front door. When the kids are grown and you're plumb out of enthusiasm for that type of thing, it falls by the wayside. Oh well, there's always NEXT YEAR!