The Encyclopedia of Fall: C is for Cider Doughnuts

Visit an apple orchard this fall and you’re just as likely to see folks munching on golden-brown apple-cider doughnuts as you are actual apples. Beyond the standard cake doughnut, cider doughnuts have apple cider added right into the batter, lending a touch of sweetness and a subtle cider tang that most people find dangerously addictive. When we enjoy doughnuts in the fall, we continue a tradition that began in our farming days, when cooler temperatures meant the arrival of the butchering season, with its surplus of rendered fat–perfect for frying doughnuts. The abundance of apple orchards in New England made cider a logical and flavorful addition, whether intentional or accidental, to the doughnut batter. Hot from the fryer, cider doughnuts are sometimes glazed or showered in cinnamon sugar, but most often they’re gobbled up plain, purchased as singles or in paper bags of a half-dozen. Senior lifestyle editor Amy Traverso shares her recipe for Vermont Apple-Cider Donuts. Read more about Autumn A to Z in the September/October issue of Yankee MagazineRESOURCES