D is for Donut!

Each Friday as part of our homeschool preschool, we end the week in the kitchen making some sort of yummy treat. And this week we made quite possible THE BEST THING TO EVER COME OUT OF MY KITCHEN!! We made baked apple cider donut holes. Maybe they don't count in your book as donut holes because they aren't fried in a vat of oil. Fine. Call them a muffin, call them whatever your creative heart comes up with. Just make them. I promise you'll fall in love. You might even get someone to fall in love with you if you can manage to share them. They are THAT good.

I INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE BATTER

1 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 egg, beaten 

1/2 cup apple cider (I used Trader Joe's)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Non-stick cooking spray

FOR THE SUGAR COATING

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon 

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

2 Tbsp melted butter

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Spray with a mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3) In a large mixing bowl, add all they dry ingredients and mix with a whisk. Set aside.

4) In a small sauce pan over medium heat combine the cider, sugar, vinegar, & butter until the butter is melted and everything is combined. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, stirring to combine.

5) Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until there are no lumps.

6) Fill each mini muffin cup 2/3 full with batter.  I use a small ice cream scoop.

7) Bake at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes. 

8) While the donut holes are baking, make the sugar coating. In a small bowl melt the butter for the sugar coating in the microwave. Set aside. In another small bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.

9) Allow to donut holes cool in the pan for two minutes. Remove each muffin and dip the top in melted butter, then roll in the sugar and spice mixture. Do this for each donut hole and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Enjoy right away. You can store left overs in an air tight container - if you have any!