Inside Storey: Apple Doughnuts

Friday, September 11, 2015

Apple Doughnuts

Sweet pieces of apple worked right into the batter round out this spin on traditional cider doughnuts.

Photo © Leigh Beisch Photography, excerpted from The Apple Cookbook

A good breakfast is touted as the best way to start your day, and what better way to add interest and nutrition to your breakfast than with apples? They go into everything from omelets to pancakes, and they taste great alongside bacon, sausage, and ham. Apples also add both flavor and moistness to a wide variety of breakfast breads, coffee cakes, and baked goods.

If you have kids who like to help out in the kitchen, this is a good recipe to get them interested in bread making. Nothing beats eating bready little doughnuts you have made yourself.

Apple Doughnuts

Yield: 20 doughnuts

Ingredients:
2½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg
¼ cup apple juice or cider
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 medium apple (McIntosh, Golden Delicious, Empire), peeled, cored, and finely chopped
2 cups vegetable oil

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Make a well in the center.
In a small bowl, cream the sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add the apple juice, milk, and vanilla, and beat until combined. Pour into the well of the dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Stir the apple into the batter. Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.
Place the dough on a floured board, knead lightly, and roll out to approximately ⅜ inch thick. Cut with a floured 2½-inch doughnut cutter. Reroll scraps and cut a few more.
Pour at least 2 inches of oil into a large wok or skillet and heat to 375°F. Without crowding, fry the doughnuts for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Repeat until all the doughnuts have been fried, reheating the oil to temperature as necessary. Drain on paper towels.

Variation
Sift 1 cup confectioners’ sugar with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, and sprinkle over the warm doughnuts.

Text and recipe excerpted from The Apple Cookbook © 1984, 2001, 2015 by Olwen Woodier. Photo © Leigh Beisch Photography. All rights reserved.