Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts

I have often heard about enjoying apple cider doughnuts in the fall, but this California girl had never had that autumnal treat before. From what I gather, farmers markets and apple picking farms offer these delicious baked or fried treats to their patrons in the height of apple season. They are cake doughnuts, instead of my preferred yeast variety, so I've never been that tempted to try. While I'm usually not a fan of cake doughnuts, I do have a doughnut pan to make them because they are my husband's favorite kind. Since we moved to Northern Idaho we have been blessed enough to press our own apple cider from the wild apple trees near us, and there are no words to accurately describe how delicious it is. The fresh cider is the best I've have ever tasted, hands down. So, the idea of putting that concentrated apple flavor into a baked good (and rolling it in cinnamon sugar to boot!)  peaked my interest in actually trying my hand at making these seasonal doughnuts myself.

I researched a lot of recipes, and combined a few to make something new. The results were a light, fluffy baked round of cake, that has more natural apple flavor than I have ever tasted outside of the fruit and juice itself.

There are one or two surprising ingredients, but they really make these doughnuts something special. These are baked, and not fried, and use 100% whole wheat so you can feel a little less guilty about indulging in more than one.

My doughnut pan makes 24 doughnuts, so that is what my recipe is for. If you don't have a group or large family to cook for, then you can divide the recipe as needed. 

The real key to these doughnuts is the apple cider concentrate. You boil down apple cider (or juice, if that is all you have) until it is reduced by half, then add that condensed liquid to the batter. This is where the apple flavor comes from. Yes, a little comes from the applesauce I used (I actually prefer the Costco brand for the price in store), but most of the taste comes from the apple cider concentrate.

As always, I use organic ingredients, and that is what I recommend. However, you can use whatever is available to you.

Here's the recipe:

Adapted from thefauxmartha

Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts

Makes 24 

5 cups organic apple cider

      Boil this down by half to get the apple cider concentrate for the recipe. (This will take about 20 minutes, depending on your pan and stove. Keep an eye on it.) Cool before using.

9 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup organic applesauce 

1 1/3 cups + 1/2 cup apple cider concentrate (see above)

8 cups organic white whole wheat flour 

4 tsp aluminum-free baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt (increase to 1 tsp if using unsalted butter)

1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cardamom 

1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup pure organic maple syrup (or honey)

4 large eggs (pasture raised is best)

Topping

6 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup apple cider concentrate (see above)

1 cup organic sugar

2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small pot, melt butter. Stir in cider concentrate, and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Into the cooled butter/cider mixture, whisk in sugar, maple syrup (or honey if using), and eggs until evenly combined. 

Stir together wet and dry ingredients until just combined.

Spray doughnut pan with non stick spray. Add batter to a piping bag (or zip-top bag with the corner cut off) and pipe evenly into the pan.

Bake for 7 minutes. They will be light golden, not brown. (The color mostly comes from the topping.) Allow to cool 1 minute before removing donuts onto a cooling rack.

Make the topping by melting the butter and whisking in the cider concentrate.  In a separate bowl or dish, mix together cinnamon and sugar.

Quickly dip each doughnut in butter/cider mixture and lightly coat in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place back on cooling rack. Best served same day. Left overs can be kept on the counter uncovered, or in an open paper bag.

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Layered Rigatoni with Bolognese and Parmesan Bechamel

I made up this dish one night when I wanted something like Pasticio, but without the eggplant or Greek seasonings.  I also don't care for the naked noodles in Pasticio. I like my noodles dressed in a coating of sauce to flavor each bite. I never was one for plain pasta. So, I threw this recipe together with what I had on hand and I think it turned out really good!
This dish was actually the first complete dish that my 7 month old ate. (We are doing Baby-Led Weaning. If you are curious what that is, I recommend this book. And if you are pregnant, or have a baby and want to try your hand at it, and need some guidance, this cookbook is a great place to start!) She gobbled this meal up like it was the best thing she's ever had, and her older siblings reacted pretty much the same way. The only person that wasn't over the moon about it was my husband. He likes more flavor, so when I make it again I'll add some red pepper flakes, and more garlic to suit his tastes.
As with all my recipes, please feel free to change up the flavors to your liking.

Before going in the oven.

Because this dish requires 2 sauces (a meat sauce and a white sauce) there is a bit more prep work involved, but it's well worth it.

After it's done baking. 

You can bake it for 15-20 minutes, or you can just pop it under the broiler if you're in a hurry. By the time you layer it in the baking dish, everything is already cooked. You're just looking for that delicious brown color on top.

You can't really see the layers well here, but they are there.

It all comes together into one scrumptious meal.

Organic ingredients are recommended (that's what I use), but not essential.

Here's the recipe:

Layered Rigatoni with Bolognese and Parmesan Bechamel

1 lb Rigatoni Pasta, cooked

Bolognese (Meat Sauce):

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 small to medium onion, diced
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp ground black pepper, plus more to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced 
24 oz pasta sauce

In an extra large skillet, over medium high heat, add the oil and meal to the pan. Break up and cook the ground beef. When it is brown, add in the onions, zucchini, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the garlic, and cook for 1 minute more. Add the pasta sauce and stir to combine. When the sauce boils, turn off the heat and stir together with the cooked rigatoni pasta. Pour the pasta and meat sauce mixture into a 9x13 baking dish, and spread out into an even layer.

Parmesan Bechamel (White Sauce):

1/4 cup salted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk, hot
1 tsp dry basil (optional)
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for top

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pot. Stir in the flour and cook until it bubbles (about 1 minute). Whisk in the hot milk slowly until the sauce is smooth and there are no lumps. Add the dry basil (if using), and nutmeg. Continue to cook the sauce over medium low heat, whisking constantly until it  boils and thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste, whisking and cooking for 2 more minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the grated Parmesan. Pour the sauce evenly over the pasta and meat sauce in the 9x13 baking dish. Top with more grated Parmesan cheese and bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes. If the top is not brown enough for your liking, you can place it under the broiler for a minute or two. (If you're in a rush, you can skip the bake time and just place it under the broiler to get brown.)

It can be served right away, but if you let the dish cool for 20 minutes before serving, you will be able to slice it nicely. (Think of it like lasagna.)





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