Ingredients
3 cups apple cider
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Pour the cider into a 3-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil the mixture until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 22 to 24 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter.
- Combine the flour, 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixture. Mix on low to combine. Add the cider mixture and mix on low until the dry ingredients are moistened. The dough should be slightly sticky. Place in a bowl coated with cooking spray, cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough out to a 1/2-inch thickness. With a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut out as many circles as you can. Reroll the scraps and cut out enough circles to yield 12 to 14 donuts (you might need to reroll the dough a second time). With a 1-inch biscuit cutter, cut out the center of each circle. Reserve the donut centers.
- Fill a 6-quart stockpot with 3-inches of canola or vegetable oil and heat over medium to 365F. While the oil heats, combine the remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar with the remaining 1 tablespoon cinnamon in a bowl.
- Add 2 donuts to the oil and cook until golden brown, about 70 seconds per side. Remove the donuts from the oil, drain and add them to the bowl with the cinnamon sugar and toss gently to coat. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool. Return the oil to temperature and repeat with the remaining donuts. When the donuts are finished return the oil to 365F and add the donut holes; cook until golden brown, turning as needed, about 1 minute 10 seconds. Drain, toss with cinnamon sugar and cool on the wire rack.