Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts from NYT Cooking

The NYT Cooking columnists, (as wonderful as they are), seem to assume that everyone has a stand mixer and that it is essential for mixing things. Just not the case. A run-of-the-mill electric mixer works just as well here, as would vigorous mixing with a wooden spoon.

I happened to get a doughnut pan for Christmas, cuz' that's what happens when you order your own presents online, but a muffin pan will also work for this recipe.

It turns out that I am no longer reading recipes all the way through these days, but am only giving them a cursory scan. So, I dumped all the cinnamon into the batter, rather than leaving half for the cinnamon sugar. They taste fine. 

Ingredients:

•  nonstick cooking spray
• 1 ¾ cup/225 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup/225 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature (divided)
• ¾ cup/165 grams light brown sugar
• ¾ cup/150 grams granulated sugar (divided)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup/120 milliliters apple cider

Methods:

Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. 

Lightly grease a 12 cavity doughnut pans (or a 12-cup muffin tin) with nonstick spray. 

In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Cream 10 tablespoons of the butter, the brown sugar and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well incorporated after each addition, scraping the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add the apple cider in a slow, steady stream and mix to combine. Scrape the bowl well to make sure the batter is homogeneous.

Spoon the batter into prepared doughnut pans, filling them about 2/3 of the way. (You can also do this using a disposable piping bag or a resealable plastic bag with a 1/2-inch opening cut from one corner.) Bake until evenly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the thickest portion comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through baking. (If you are making muffins, divide batter evenly between the prepared cups and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway through.)

While the doughnuts bake, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup/100 grams granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in a small bowl to combine. In a separate small bowl, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Let the doughnuts cool for 5 minutes after baking, then unmold them from the pans, brush with the melted butter and dredge them in the cinnamon sugar while they are still warm.