APPLE CIDER DOUGHNUTS

Apple Cider Doughnuts image

Todd Gray, the chef and owner of the Equinox Restaurant in Washington, developed these apple cider sufganiyot as a nod to his wife's Jewish heritage (he's Episcopalian), serving them with blueberry-ginger jam at his restaurant during Hanukkah. We like to throw a batch together anytime we crave the taste of autumn.

Provided by Joan Nathan

Time 40m

Yield About 2 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

1 cup apple cider
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, more for rolling dough
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 medium Honeycrisp apple or other tart cooking apple, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
Vegetable oil, for frying
Blueberry ginger jam, for serving (see recipe)

Steps:

Place apple cider in a small saucepan over high heat and reduce to 1/2 cup; remove from heat and reserve. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, mix together the butter, 1 cup granulated sugar and the brown sugar, until creamy. Mix in eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla, buttermilk and reserved cider.
Scrape down bowl and add sifted flour mixture. Mix just until blended. Remove bowl from mixer, add apple, and mix well by hand. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a rough disk about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. Cut dough using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter. Reserve "holes."
Fill a wok or deep fryer with oil and heat to 300 degrees. Putting three or four doughnuts in at a time, fry until deep golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes total. Drain on a platter lined with paper towels. Fry "holes" separately. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar with remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust doughnuts with cinnamon sugar and serve warm. If desired, serve with blueberry ginger jam for dipping or spreading.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 291, UnsaturatedFat 11 grams, Carbohydrate 39 grams, Fat 13 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 117 milligrams, Sugar 17 grams, TransFat 0 grams