Baked Apple Cider Doughnut Holes
Weekend lessons: the best kind of nostalgia is nostalgia paired with something new.
Saturday night Ben and I took our couple friends to my alma mater for their homecoming football game. Oh the sweet memories of walking around campus making fun of alumni that come back to campus to relive their college days.
I hardly felt like a circle peg forcing my way into a square shaped memory, though. The best parts of Saturday night were all the new—the new-to-campus grilled wrap place we ate at (which, coincidentally was a familiar staple to the MSU alums I was with), being in the company of new-since-college friends, and the decision to tip back a few pre-game beers instead of downing a 7/11 Slurpee poisoned with several glugs of Burnett's. Also, we sat through two hail storms during the first half of the game. That certainly was special and new.
I was seeking more of the familiar when I made this baked apple cider doughnut hole recipe. It sounded like the cousin to the apple cider doughnuts available at Michigan cider mills right now. Similar, not the same, mind you. I'm pretty sure if the actual recipe for cider mill doughnuts were to leak, the glue that holds the entire state together would disintegrate.
This version has its differences; the doughnut holes have a little more autumnal spice, and are a little more dense than the cider mill version. But when nuked for 10 seconds and along side a tall glass of cold apple cider, it feels like a cozy new kind of familiar to me. Old with a hint of new; that's some nostalgia I can get on board with.
Baked Apple Cider Doughnut Holes
via Feasties blog
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 large egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup plain yogurt (I used plain Greek)
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, brown sugar, apple butter, vanilla extract, honey, apple cider, yogurt and canola oil. Whisk until combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until combined. Don't over mix! It's ok if the batter is slightly lumpy.
5. Fill muffin tin holes 3/4 of the way full with batter. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Watch 'em carefully that last minute or so.
6. Melt the butter in a small bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon in another. While doughnut holes are still warm, brush the tops with butter and dip them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Serve warm and with apple cider.
Saturday night Ben and I took our couple friends to my alma mater for their homecoming football game. Oh the sweet memories of walking around campus making fun of alumni that come back to campus to relive their college days.
I hardly felt like a circle peg forcing my way into a square shaped memory, though. The best parts of Saturday night were all the new—the new-to-campus grilled wrap place we ate at (which, coincidentally was a familiar staple to the MSU alums I was with), being in the company of new-since-college friends, and the decision to tip back a few pre-game beers instead of downing a 7/11 Slurpee poisoned with several glugs of Burnett's. Also, we sat through two hail storms during the first half of the game. That certainly was special and new.
I was seeking more of the familiar when I made this baked apple cider doughnut hole recipe. It sounded like the cousin to the apple cider doughnuts available at Michigan cider mills right now. Similar, not the same, mind you. I'm pretty sure if the actual recipe for cider mill doughnuts were to leak, the glue that holds the entire state together would disintegrate.
This version has its differences; the doughnut holes have a little more autumnal spice, and are a little more dense than the cider mill version. But when nuked for 10 seconds and along side a tall glass of cold apple cider, it feels like a cozy new kind of familiar to me. Old with a hint of new; that's some nostalgia I can get on board with.
Baked Apple Cider Doughnut Holes
via Feasties blog
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 large egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup plain yogurt (I used plain Greek)
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, brown sugar, apple butter, vanilla extract, honey, apple cider, yogurt and canola oil. Whisk until combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until combined. Don't over mix! It's ok if the batter is slightly lumpy.
5. Fill muffin tin holes 3/4 of the way full with batter. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Watch 'em carefully that last minute or so.
6. Melt the butter in a small bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon in another. While doughnut holes are still warm, brush the tops with butter and dip them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Serve warm and with apple cider.