Apple Cider Donuts and The Great American Past-Time

That’s football, right? I think that’s football.  Or is it just anything with a ball?  Regardless, I made some damn donuts to get us all through the whole televised bonanza.  And I didn’t happen to save one for Tim Tebow.

Great people came over to make jokes about tight-ends and wide receivers over coffee.  Since I couldn’t think of any zingers, I resigned myself to the kitchen to slave over a big pot of oil.  One must know one’s place in life.  How about the recipe for these sweet looking hottie babes?

Apple Cider Donuts

(graciously poached from Herbivore Dinosaur)

So here is what you will need for the dough:
3 1/2 c. flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
4 tbsp Earth Balance or vegan butter substitute
1 cup vegan sugar
2 egg equivalents of Ener-G
1/2 c. soy milk
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 c. apple cider

for frying:
36 oz. of vegan shortening
candy thermometer

Since 1 c. apple cider is too much liquid for a standard recipe, what we are going to do is reduce this cup down to about 1/4 cup apple cider. This way, the flavor is extra concentrated into the smaller, correct amount of liquid. Use a small pot, and on medium heat, let this simmer down to a 1/4 c, this might take somehere around 20 – 30 minutes, so make sure to start this step first. Then, when you have about 10 minutes left, take your 1/2 cup soy milk and add your 1 tbsp vinegar and let sit for the remaining 10 minutes that the apple cider is reducing. The vinegar and soy milk combo creates a liquid similar to buttermilk. I discovered this trick during my research where something said you can use regular milk and vinegar to create “buttermilk” in a pinch. So I thought…hey, why not try it out with soy milk? You will notice that almost right away the soy milk will thicken up quite a lot. While all of this is going on, you can also grab an additional bowl and mix your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.

When you have the apple cider reduced, and you soy “buttermilk” ready, begin to make the batter by mixing your sugar and butter until it is smooth, light and almost a tiny bit fluffy. Add about half of the Ener-G mixture and mix well until incorporated, then add remaining Ener-G mix. At some point you might have to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add your 1/4 c. apple cider, then slowly add your soy “buttermilk,” then turn down the setting on your mixerslowly and carefully add your bowl of dry ingredients to the batter and mix until everything is a nice and smooth dough.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle flour onto it, toss your dough onto the flour coated parchment paper and knead a few times. Add a bit of flour if your dough is still really sticky. Using you hands, press out the dough until it is about a 1/2 inch thick and set in the freezer for about 20 – 30 minutes.

Now for the fun part! Take your flattened out dough out of the freezer and using a circular cookie cutter about 3 inches wide, cut out donuts and place onto another baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly sprinkled with flour. After you have cut out as many donuts as you can get out of your dough, knead it together and flatten back out to a 1/2 inch thick sheet and repeat. Once you have gone through all of your dough and cut out all of your donuts, use a circular cookie cutter that is 1 inch wide, and use it to cut out the center of each of your donuts.

Throw these guys back into the freezer for about 20 minutes. While they are in the freezer, prepare your workspace for frying your donuts. I used about 1 1/2 tubs of vegan shortening, each tub containing 24 oz. I also used a medium sized sauce pan and fried 2 donuts at once. I did it this way, because to get a large pot or pan with enough oil for frying, you would need a huge amount of oil or shortening, and I did not want to go that way, and I found my mini-frying station set up I had worked just fine. Onto the kind of gross part, put your 36 oz of shortening into the pan, and heat until it is liquid and reaches 350 degrees, try to keep your frying liquid at this temp.

Take your donuts out of the freezer and using a slotted metal spoon or sorts, or something that will not melt in hot oil, VERY gently place 2 donuts into the frying liquid. They will sink to the bottom and then slowly float up to the top. After about a minute and a half, flip each donut and let it fry for the same amount of time on the other side.

When done, take your slotted spoon, and place on some paper towels to drain. Repeat with each donut and all of those cute donut holes! I found I could fry about 5-6 donut holes at once without the temp dropping and keeping everything consistant.

I also make a little bit of cinnamon glaze for about half of my donuts by mixing together 1 c. powdered sugar with a few tbsps of soy milk to get it to the thickness of frosting you like, and adding 1 tsp of cinnamon. I poured this onto a plate, and then dipped each donut into the frosting and let them harden up.

Oh my effing G you guys.  These donuts are intense.  Like they might make you yell a little.  Probably the greatest part about them, aside from tasting like autumnal heaven just kicked you in the mouth, is that there is no cholesterol anywhere to be found here!  I stopped eating donuts (and many other things like that) long ago when I discovered that I had high cholesterol levels.  Let it be known that I was a healthy, active teenager (teenager!) at the time.  So, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a donut.  I did get to snag one from Voodoo the last time I was in Portland, but there’s really nothing like a fresh, warm, fluffy, beautiful homemade donut and a cup of coffee.  These made me so happy.  And if you’re like me, you’ll serve them in a bowl, because you’re an idiot.

This recipe made me about a 2 dozen donuts and the same amount of donut holes.  I would recommend that you use 1 cup of soy milk instead of 1/2 cup … not sure if that was a typo, but the dough won’t come together without more liquid.  So try these!  If you’re still snowed in, if you’re hosting brunch,  if you’re breaking someone’s heart, if you’re wooing a senator – all good times for frying dough.