Classic Apple Cider Donut

The classic apple cider donut is our way of bottling up a chilly fall morning on the farm. We stir real cider into a tender, cake-style batter, letting the spice and apple mingle before frying each ring to a soft, golden crumb. Some folks like them plain, still warm in the bag; others wait for a generous tumble in cinnamon sugar that dusts your fingers just like raking leaves used to. Paired with a hot drink after a walk through the pumpkin patch or corn maze, these donuts have become part of many families' yearly traditions. One bite, and you will understand why people talk about them long after the last jack-o'-lantern has dimmed.