Apple Cider Doughnuts

So last week the family and I went apple picking up at Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville. We had a wonderful time hiking on the mountain and picking apples and peaches, all while enjoying the beautiful mountain view. Once you have your fill of all the apple picking, hiking and hay rides, and you are ready to go home. There is a wondrous, mouth watering aroma that intoxicates you as you wait to check out; are the fresh, hot apple cider doughnuts that they have there. 

We bought a dozen, and as soon as week got to the car we dove in. One each for my family of four, to hold us over until we get lunch. All that walking and the smell of those doughnuts made us hungry. There is something about a warm, sugary doughnut that just makes me happy. We were planning on saving the rest for when we get home, but traffic brought on the munchies and we were left with a sad state of affairs, no more doughnuts.

So I went on a search to find a recipe to replicate the doughnut goodness I was missing. Have I told you how much I love Pinterest? Where else is there a greater concentration of anything you need to find. Anyway, I found a recipe from, Will Cook For Friends, that seemed most like what I wanted to make. 

One thing I was worried about when making doughnuts is that most recipes call for them to be fried in shortening, not something I use. So I was relieved that she was able to use canola oil to cook my doughnuts. The recipe is really easy but a lot of waiting, because the dough needs to be chilled. The results were great, everything a doughnut should be. My family, were extremely happy with the outcome as well. 

Apple Cider Doughnuts

adapted from Will Cook For Friends

Makes about 24 doughnuts and doughnut holes

Dough

1 Cup Apple Cider

3 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

Pinch of Ground Cloves

Pinch of Ground Nutmeg

1/2 Stick or 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, room temperature

1/2 Cup Organic Cane Sugar

1/2 Cup Organic Light Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Buttermilk

Oil, for frying

Coating

3/4 Cup Organic Cane Sugar

2 tbsp Ground Cinnamon

Directions

In a medium saucepan bring apple cider to a boil over medium high heat. Then reduce heat to medium low and reduce to about a 1/4 cup. This should take about 25-30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Wisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spice in a bowl. Set aside.

In bowl of mixer with paddle attachment beat butter and sugars until smooth. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Reduce mixer to low and add buttermilk and apple cider. Mix in flour, just until combined and ball starts to form.

Prep to two cookie sheets with parchment paper and dust with flour. Spread dough on cookie sheet, dust with flour and top with parchment paper. Using the second cookie sheet and flatten the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness.

Chill in freezer for 30 minutes. Once dough is chilled use a doughnut cutter or in my case a round cookie cutter and a cake icing tip (you gotta make it work with what you got). Place on second cookie sheet, and re roll any extra dough to continue cutting out doughnuts. When you are done, place back in freezer for another 20-30 minutes. 

At this time heat your oil. You need about 3 inches of oil to ensure that you can flip the doughnuts. Heat oil to 350 degrees using a thermometer to maintain proper heat. Remove doughnuts from the freezer and place wire rack over a towel lined cookie sheet for draining. 

Cook doughnuts 3 or 4 at a time to not lower the temp of the oil. Cook for about 1 minute on the first side and 40-50 second on the second using a chopstick or slotted spoon to turn. Remove form oil with slotted spoon to wire rack to cool for 30 seconds and move to the cinnamon sugar mixture. Turn to coat and move back to wire rack. 

You can let them cool for a minute or two before enjoying to ensure you don't burn your mouth or just dive on in. They are worth the scorched tongue and fingers. I hope enjoy these fall flavored treat with a warm cup of cider and whatever you like to enjoy doughnuts with. Be blessed and enjoy. 

End of Summer Fun at an Apple Orchard

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I know I've been MIA for a while, blame it on crazy busy schedules and lack of inspiration. But I promise I will do better. There will be some changes coming soon, thinking of changing the designs some. With all that being said, I have missed this process. Trying recipes, crafts and writing have always been fun for me so I'm happy to be back at it.

This summer has flown by and I can't believe it is over already. I had a very low key summer; lots of hanging with family and friends. But I am ready to get back into the routine of the school year. September is here and with it brings some of my favorite things football, changing of the season and fall flavors.

To celebrate the end of the summer my family and I went apple picking in the beautiful mountains of Charlottesville, at Carter Mountain Orchard. We had a wonderful day roaming around picking peaches and apples and taking in the sites. We went pretty early in the season for some of the apple varieties, but were still able to get quite a bit of apples. They still even had peaches to pick. My four year old said she could see the whole world from up there.

 Oh, and lets not forget about the apple cider doughnuts. They were so good in fact that they didn't even make it home. I think that I am going have to make some of my own and post for you guys. With all the apples and peaches I want to try my hand at canning and of course some pies. I hope you enjoy what I have planned. Be blessed and enjoy.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Cider Glaze

I love cinnamon rolls, I’ve blogged before about my obsession with Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls. There aren’t many things better than a cinnamon roll with cup of coffee or for me tea. So, with all these great apples and cider around I decided to play with my cinnamon roll recipe a bit. That’s what baking is all about, right? Taking regular recipes and changing them up to make them even better.

Now, when I am baking with apples I like to use McIntosh, Fuji, Honey Crisp, Golden Delicious and of course Granny Smiths. They are great for baking, because they hold up well when baking and don’t turn to mush. You can use whatever you favorite is, these are mine. Also I combined the idea of sticky buns with the caramel in the bottom of the baking dish. And being that I had a jug of apple cider in the fridge, I used that to make the caramel sauce.

 Cinnamon rolls

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

2 eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup butter, melted

4 1/2 cups bread flour

1 teas salt

1/2 cup white sugar

1 pkg yeast (1/4 ounce or 2 ½ tsp if you buy in bulk like me)

For the Filling:

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

2 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 medium to large apples peeled, cored and diced

For the Glaze:

1 cup of powdered sugar

2 tbsp butter, softened

A splash or 2 of apple cider

Apple Cider Caramel Sauce:

2 cups apple cider

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp butter

1tsp vanilla

Directions

Dissolve, yeast in warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour. Mix well. Knead dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour otherwise you will be pick dough off your hands for hours. Put in a bowl and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size. Now here is the great thing about making any kind of dough. If you aren’t ready to use it, go and let out some aggression and punch down the dough. I call it dough therapy. Do this until you are ready to move to the next step.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. And peel and chop apples.

Spray work surface, whatever it may be (counter top or grandma’s antique table) with cooking spray or sprinkle flour on it otherwise get out your chisel to get the dried dough up. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Spread dough with 1/2 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture and pat it down. Then sprinkle on apples.

To make the Apple Cider Caramel Sauce; put apple cider in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Continue to cook until reduced by about half. Add sugar, butter and vanilla. Then cook until thicken. Let cool and pour in the bottom of baking dish.

Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls (or smaller rolls). Place rolls in 9x13 inch glass baking dish with caramel sauce. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled. This should take about 30 minutes. 

                            

Meanwhile, pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls in pre heated oven until golden brown, about 20–30 minutes.

While cinnamon rolls are in the oven make the glaze. Mix butter and powdered sugar together, and then add apple cider until you get a nice yummy glaze. When the cinnamon rolls come out of the oven, drizzle the glaze over the rolls. Be blessed and enjoy.

“Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Red Star Yeast.”

Apple Hand Pies

I will admit that I sometimes make a run through a certain fast food chain for a 2 for $1 apple pie. And I may or may not share with my little crumb snatchers (mostly share, cause since becoming mommy I never enjoy my meal without sharing); they are just so good. Now I always have apples in my fridge, and I had some puff pastry sheets in the freezer so I decided to make my own little version myself. This is a quick, easy way to satisfy that apple pie craving but be careful they are addictive. I first got the idea from Purple Foodie, and just had to give it a try.

I used a combo of Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Gala; I also used my favorite puff pastry sheets that I use for empanadas.  You can certainly use your favorite pie dough if you want to go the fully homemade route; I just chose not to this time. I think this is the simplest apple pie recipe around.

Apple Hand Pies

3 medium sized apples, cored and diced (I used Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Gala)

2 packs puff pastry rounds (I used Goya puff pastry for turnovers)
2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp of dark brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp cloves

1 tsp corn starch

¼ cup apple juice

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray sheet pan with nonstick spray.

In a bowl combine apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, corn starch and salt.

In a pan sauté apple mixture in butter until it starts to soften.

Add apple juice, and boil until sauce starts to thicken.

Remove from heat and let cool.

Lay out puff pastry round on a lightly floured surface.

Place a tablespoon of filling near center of pastry.

Moisten the edge of pastry with water and fold over to seal with fork (or fold over to give decorative edge).

Place on sheet pan and with a knife cut a few slits in tops to let out steam.

With a pastry brush, brush the tops with some of the sauce the apple are in.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Makes about 24 hand pies.

These little hand pies were a nice little ode to the fast food kind, and just as addictive. I hope you try them soon, be blessed and enjoy.

Jewish Apple Cake

This has to be one of my favorite pound cake recipes; it is actually one of the first things I learned to make. When I was younger my Grandmother would make this every holiday season. I remember arriving at her house every Christmas and wait for this to hit the table. She would make several because she would let the families take home half a cake.
But, Christmas is too far away to wait for this yummy cake. This has to be the most requested cake that I make; so much that I keep apples in my fridge at all times. I recently made this for a book club meeting and it was a success.
Now while I have changed the recipe some from the way my Nana made it, it still brings me back to Christmas when I eat it. I have tried almost every type of apple in this recipe to see if it changed the flavor or texture, and they all seem to hold up well. So your favorite baking apple will be fine or mix them up if you like. My grandmother used walnuts in her batter and it does give a flavor and texture, but due to nut allergies among friends I tend to leave them out. Otherwise, the recipe is pretty simple. Just remember to have fun.

Jewish Apple Cake
3 medium apples, peeled cored and diced
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour one 10 inch tube pan.
2. Sprinkle apples with 5 tablespoons white sugar and the ground cinnamon (I could stop here and just eat this by itself). Toss to coat and set aside.
3. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and set aside.
4. In the mixer combine butter, sugar and oil until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time until well blended. Then add orange juice and vanilla.
6. Reduce blender speed to low and add flour. Mix until well combined.
7. Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Place half apple mixture over the batter then pour the remaining batter and sprinkle remaining apples on the top.
8. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60 to 80 minutes. Let cake cool in pan, if you can.

I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do. Enjoy a little piece of my family, be blessed.