KITCHEN STORY: BAKED APPLE CIDER DONUTS

Fall is here. And while I can stomp my feet & pout all I want like a terrible two (or three) that Summer has come and gone, it will not make Summer come back. So I've decided to embrace the colder weather and find joy in the things that make Fall enjoyable. That means indulging on anything containing apple or pumpkin.

For myself, Fall rings in the time to drink a hot cup of apple cider. Yum! I love drinking hot apple cider while spending quality time with the school books & I always add some Biltmore Wassail Spice Blend to the drink. It's so delicious & really adds to the yummy flavor of Fall.

I went to my local grocery store in search of some apple cider and came across some made with Honeycrisp apples. I have to admit, I'm not on the Honeycrisp apple bandwagon. Most of my friends rave about it, but I'm more of a Fuji or Gala girl. To each their own! But I decided to give this cider a chance. It was so yummy and I immediately was reminded of the delicious cider & donuts I had inhaled during my college years at Michigan. (Cider Mill donuts anyone?)

That was it. I had to make myself some donuts! So I went back to my simple & basic Baked Cinnamon Sugar Buttermilk Donut recipe, tweaked it a bit and what happened were apple cider donuts!! Mmm...the taste of Fall...

Ingredients:
Donut:
1 and 1/4 cups apple cider
1 Tbsp Biltmore Wassail Spice Blend or any other spice blend (optional)
2 cups flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cups milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla

Topping:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degF with the donut pan in the oven.

In a small saucepan, boil down the apple cider for 15-20 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup of the cider into the measuring cup and chill in the refrigerator.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. Add the egg, milk, butter and vanilla and mix with a fork.

Once the apple cider is at least at room temperature or cooler, add it to the mixture. Mix the ingredients well. The consistency will be like pancake batter. Pour the batter into a large Ziploc bag or into a large piping bag.

Carefully remove the donut pan from the oven and spray the pan with cooking spray. If you're using a Ziploc bag, cut off a small bottom corner and pipe the batter to fill the donut pan 3/4 full.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the donuts from the pan and let them cool completely.

Mix together the white and brown sugars and cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush melted butter on the donuts and quickly dip the donuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

How delicious do these look? I promise they will be gone in an instant if you share them with friends and family! For the best taste, serve fresh the same day the donuts are made. Enjoy friends! Happy Fall!

PS. DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE J.CREW $250 GIVEAWAY!! It ends 10/17! Enter daily for extra entries and more chances to win!!

Linking up with:
October Linky Party

Munching Mondays | Create Link Inspire
Time To Sparkle

Homemaking Party | Whatever Goes Wednesday | Wednesday Round Up | Wonderfully Creative Wednesdays | Wow Me Wednesday | Recipe Round Up 
Full Plate Thursday | Create It Thursday
DIY Inspired