Ingredients

DONUTS

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple cider

1 Half Stick (1/4 cup) Land O Lakes® Butter, melted

2 large Land O Lakes® Eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 medium (1 cup) apple, peeled, cored, finely chopped

GLAZE

1 1/2 cups apple cider

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions 

Combine flour, baking powder, apple pie spice, and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

Whisk all remaining donut ingredients together in large bowl until well mixed.  Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in apple. Cover; chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

Heat apple cider in 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Cook 7-10 minutes or until reduced by half. Remove from heat. Cool 15 minutes while frying donuts.

Heat 1 inch oil to 360°F in deep fat fryer or Dutch oven.

Pat dough with floured hand on lightly floured surface to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with 3-inch round biscuit cutter dipped in flour. Cut out centers with 1-inch cutter dipped in flour.

Gently place 3 donuts and 3 donut holes into oil. (Refrigerate remaining dough until ready to cook.) Cook 1 minute; flip donuts. Continue cooking 1 minute or until golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack placed over paper towels. Cool about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining donuts making sure oil temperature returns to 360°F in between batches.

Stir powdered sugar into cooled apple cider until smooth. Dip donuts into glaze to fully coat both sides. Let stand 5 minutes. Dip 1 side of donut in glaze again. Let stand until glaze is set.

Recipe Tip 

Don't throw away the scraps after cutting out your donuts! Fry and glaze them to make free-form fritters.