Raprager Family Farms in Odessa offers an apple cider doughnut recipe, a northern treat from an Illinois family.
Amanda Raprager laid out the recipe popular at the fall farm festivals of her husband Justin’s childhood memories.
The doughnuts are available there on select dates of their fall festival through Nov. 19.
Ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoon butter (unsalted, softened at room temperature)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
Method
Heat the apple cider: In a large saucepan over medium high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, should take about 10 minutes.
Cream the butter: In a large bowl using a hand-held or standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat together the sugar and the butter until mixture is pale, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and continue beating for another 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Combine wet ingredients: Pour the buttermilk, reduced cider, and vanilla into sugar/butter/egg mixture. Mix well, and don’t worry if the mixture looks a bit curdled; it’ll smooth itself out.
Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients: Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients and combine gently just until fully moistened.
Form the dough: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times until it comes together; form it into a ball. Roll out the dough so that it’s 1/2-inch in thickness. Cut out rounds with a 3-inch cutter doughnut cutter. Don’t discard the doughnut holes, fry those too.
Make cinnamon sugar: In a shallow bowl combine the 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar with the 3 tbsp of ground cinnamon. Set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees fahrenheit.
Fry the donuts: Working in batches, add donuts to the Dutch oven and cook until evenly golden and crispy, 1 minute per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate for 30 seconds; then roll warm doughnuts in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.