Ingredients For the Doughnuts:

3 cups apple cider (1 cup once reduced)

4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoons table salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup granulated sugar

6 tablespoons Kerrygold

Salted Butter

at room temperature

2 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup buttermilk

2 quarts oil for frying

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions: 

  1. Pour the 3 cups of apple cider into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium, and stir the cider occasionally and allow it to gently boil until the liquid has reduced, leaving one cup of liquid. This should take about 15-20 minutes. Transfer the reduced apple cider to a heatproof bowl and allow to cool completely. 
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or an electric hand mixer, cream the Kerrygold salted butter and sugar on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the room temperature eggs, then beat for another 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally.  
  4. Next, add the vanilla extract, buttermilk, and the cooled apple cider to the bowl of the stand mixer. Mix on low speed until the wet ingredients are incorporated. 
  5. With the mixer on low, slowly pour the flour into the liquids and mix just until the flour is completely incorporated, about 1 minute. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. 
  6. Pour the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll out to ½-inch thickness. 
  7. Use a doughnut cutter, or a 2-inch biscuit cutter to stamp out as many doughnuts as possible. Then use a 1-inch hole cutter, or the wide end of a piping tip to stamp out the center. Gently pull and press the scraps together, then reroll scraps to stamp out more donuts.  
  8. Make the cinnamon sugar coating mixture by combining 1.5 cups of granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon cinnamon in a medium size cowl. Set aside. 
  9. Meanwhile, heat the neutral oil in a large stock pan over medium heat, until it reaches 350°F. Using a frying/candy thermometer to ensure the temperature stays between 350-365°F. 
  10. Work in batches to fry 3 doughnuts at a time. Cook for 1-2 minutes until golden, flip using a chopstick, and then cook for another 1-2 minutes. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place the fried doughnuts on the paper towels for a minute to drain. Then, dip the doughnuts in the cinnamon-sugar bowl and coat both sides completely with cinnamon and sugar. Serve while warm.  

Recipe by Lion’s Bread.