You know those few select smells or tastes that always bring back to some sort of memory. The kind of food that instantly transports you and makes you feel incredibly happy. That is exactly what one bite (or smell) of an apple cider donut does for me. The sweet crunch of cinnamon sugar atop a perfectly fried apple-scented-springy-dough is like pure bliss for me.

And since I have made the move to Arizona, this pure indulgence of mine has been missing from my life. That is until now.

Plus—I can feel a little less guilty scarfing these donuts down because they are baked! Thanks to a cool new trinket, the donut pan, you can dream up any flavor combo and transform it into an absolutely adorable mini donut. Perfection.

After these little guys came out of the oven, I decided to lightly pan fry them in a teeny bit of butter. I figure they are whole wheat and baked, so why not add a little richness back in! After they crisp up in the butter, throw them in a bowl of cinnamon sugar to coat.

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

makes 24 mini donuts or about 12 muffins

adapted from Vittles and Bits

1 cup apple cider
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour [You could also just use 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour]
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Pour apple cider into a small sauce pan and put over medium-high heat. Once the cider comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium and allow to reduce by half. Mine took about 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool.

In a small bowl, sift flours, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix sugar, oil, applesauce and egg. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Once combined, add the reduced cider in small increments until batter represents pancake batter.

Pour batter into a ziplock bag and snip a corner with scissors. Use your “pastry bag” to fill the donut shapes or muffin tins half way. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until donuts spring back after you touch them. Allow to cool for 3-5 minutes.

In a small sauce span, heat 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Brown each side of the mini donuts, immediately coating them with a cinnamon-sugar mixture. [I Used about 1/4 cup sugar to 1 teaspoon cinnamon.] Eat immediately or store in an air tight container. Sooo good.

**If making muffins, brush melted butter onto the tops and dunk into a cinnamon-sugar mixture.

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