Baked Whole Wheat Apple Cider Doughnuts

Changing leaves, pumpkins on porches, and hot apple cider. Is it any wonder that autumn is my favorite time of year? Now that the weather has cooled off I can get back into my routine of sleeping in on Sundays and then baking something more exciting than cinnamon rolls. During the summer there is just no way I can justify turning on the oven and heating up the whole house, but in the fall...it is on! I wake up on Sundays to the sound of Bubba mowing the lawn and I entice him back into the house with the smell of cinnamon. French toast, bread pudding, muffins, baked donuts, scones, whatever I choose he walks into the house with a huge smile on his face.

I adapted this recipe from a blogger in London. I used white whole wheat instead of all-purpose flour and I baked the donuts in mini bundt pans. (Dear Santa, I need a donut pan. I have been a very good girl this year. Love, Sunshine Mom)

You will need:

mini bundt pans or a donut pan (muffin pans will work in a pinch)
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 egg
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped apple
1/3 cup pure maple syrup (the real stuff!)
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)
3T oil
cinnamon sugar



I keep my cinnamon sugar ready to go at a moment's notice. You never know when the urge to have a piece of whole wheat cinnamon toast will hit you. Also good for jazzing up the kids' natural applesauce in their lunches.



Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and set aside.



Now for the apple. I used Fuji, but most any apple will do. Granny Smith would be fantastic. I would not recommend using Red Delicious as they can be kind of mealy. It does not matter at all if the apple turns brown, so don't sweat it. Peel...



then chop in medium size pieces.



Use a mini chopper or food processor to finely chop or even puree the apple. I like little bits of apple in the donuts, so I don't puree. I used a large apple so I ended up only using about 3/4 of it. Tink and I split the remaining pieces. (If you absolutely had to you could substitute applesauce, but try to get some of the excess moisture out of it first.)



In a large mixer bowl(I used my KitchenAid with the whisk attachment), whisk together the egg, brown sugar, apple, maple syrup, cider, yogurt, and oil. (*note: do not substitute butter for the oil. Using butter will cause the batter to create gluten and you will end up with a cakey donut. Oil keeps the donuts tender and airy like a fried donut.)





Switch to the paddle attachment or a large spoon and add half of the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.



Then add the rest of the dry. Don't overmix!



Grease whatever pan you are using. I just used pan spray. Then coat with cinnamon sugar.



Spoon the donut dough into your selected pan. If you are using a mini bundt, be careful not to overfill. I filled my less than half full and made sure not to cover the middle separation so that I would get a real donut shape.



Bake at 325 for 10-15 minutes. My mini bundts needed the full 15 minutes. While they are baking, ready a small bowl with cinnamon sugar. (If you don't want to coat them in anything once they are baked, then omit the next few steps. You could also use icing like the original poster did.)



When they are done baking, loosen the edges with a knife and then turn out into your bowl of cinnamon sugar.



Completely coat all sides.



I do not miss the greasy fried donut when I eat these! And they are every bit as tender and light and even more flavorful. There is also a lot less guilt when you think about the yogurt and whole wheat. So eat two! I did...



Pour some apple cider into a champagne flute and treat yourself!



Enjoy!!

my recipe card:

Vegetable Soup

The air conditioning is off, the windows are open, and for two days we walked around in sweatshirts and jeans. It's warmed back up into the 70's now, but for those two days nothing sounded better than a big pot of soup. I absolutely love this recipe for vegetable soup. (Thanks, Mom!) It shames that condensed junk in a can and (the best part for me) doesn't kick up my tomato allergy. Plus there is cabbage in it and I loooove cabbage!

Because of my allergy I don't add chopped tomatoes and use tomato sauce instead of paste. Something about how long the sauce is cooked makes it safe for me to eat. Feel free to add a big can of tomatoes or a few chopped fresh!

You will need:

2 pounds super trim beef for stew (optional)
one packet Lipton onion soup
5 cups water
2 small cans tomato sauce
2 chopped potatoes (medium to small size)
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2 medium chopped onions
6 beef bullion cubes
1/2 tsp celery salt
2 shakes Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans green beans (with juice)
2 bay leaves
1 cup okra
1 can corn (with juice)
1 small head of cabbage, chopped

This recipe is great without meat, but if you want to add meat:

Add 2 pounds stew meat to crock pot and sprinkle Lipton soup on top.



Add enough water to cover (about 5 cups).



Cook on high for five hours or low for eight. Then transfer meat to a large pot on the stove. (If you don't use meat just add the Lipton to the 5 cups of water in a large pot on the stove. Bring to a boil.)



Gather your other ingredients.



Onions should be in the next picture. They hide in a different drawer from the rest of the veggies and I always forget to take them out until I am ready to chop them up.



Chop up carrots, potatoes, and celery.



Add to the pot along with the tomato sauce. (Do not add okra, corn, or cabbage yet.)





Then the bullion cubes...



and the green beans. Do not drain the beans.



Toss in the bay leaves, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for at least 3 hours. Stir every now and again. The longer you cook the better, as long as you aren't boiling the soup the whole time. You don't want the veggies to turn to mush.



One hour before you are ready to serve the soup, add the okra, corn,



and cabbage.



Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook uncovered for a full hour.

Now you are ready to feast!



This soup is even better the next day and will keep for four days in the fridge. If you want to freeze it, pour into a freezer bag, seal, and lay the bag flat in the freezer. The soup freezes quickly that way and is easy to store. It will keep for a good six months that way.



*note: With the addition of the Worcestershire sauce, bullion, and canned veggies I do not add extra salt. Taste, taste, taste before adding any salt. If the idea of the sodium in bullion worries you, then add reduced or no-sodium canned veggies. But remember that fresh veggies (especially potatoes and tomatoes) soak up a lot of salt. You don't want bland vegetable soup.

Enjoy!!