New Hampshire is known for its delicious cider donuts, which are a popular treat at local apple orchards and farmers’ markets. These donuts are typically made with fresh apple cider, which gives them a unique and delicious flavor. They are often served warm and dusted with cinnamon sugar, making them a perfect treat for a fall day. Many cider mills and apple orchards in New Hampshire offer cider donuts as a popular seasonal treat, and some even have special events and festivals dedicated to celebrating these delicious treats.
Ingredients: |
2 cups all-purpose flour |
1/2 cup granulated sugar |
2 teaspoons baking powder |
1/2 teaspoon salt |
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon |
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg |
1/2 cup apple cider |
2 eggs |
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted |
Oil for frying (vegetable or canola oil) |
1/2 cup granulated sugar |
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon |
Step-by-step cooking instructions of New Hampshire’s Cider Donuts:
Step-1 In a large mixing bowl combines the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Step-2 In a separate mixing bowl, whisks together the apple cider, eggs, and melted butter.
Step-3 Just combine the dry ingredients with the addition of the wet ingredients. It’s going to be sticky dough.
Step-4 Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Step-5 Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or large pot to 350°F.
Step-6 On a floured surface rolls the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness.
Step-7 Use a doughnut cutter or a round cookie cutter and a smaller cutter (or a bottle cap) to cut out the doughnuts and holes.
Step-8 Fry the doughnuts in the hot oil for about 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
Step-9 In a shallow dish, mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the coating.
Step-10 As soon as the doughnuts come out of the fryer, tosses them in the cinnamon sugar coating.
Step-11 Let the doughnuts cool on a wire rack before serving.
Nutritional value of New Hampshire’s Cider Donuts:
The nutritional value of New Hampshire-style cider donuts will vary depending on the specific recipe and ingredients used. However, in general, they are high in calories and sugar, and are not considered a healthy food option.
Typically, a single cider donut can contain around 200-300 calories, with the majority of those calories coming from carbohydrates (primarily sugar) and fat. They also tend to be high in saturated fat and cholesterol due to the use of butter and oil in the recipe. Additionally, they are often fried, which increases the calorie and fat content. They also contain small amount of protein and fiber, but they would not be considered a good source of these nutrients.
It’s worth noting that homemade cider donuts may have different nutritional value than the ones purchased in orchards or farm markets. As always, it’s important to be mindful of portion sizes and to enjoy these treats in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Background History of New Hampshire’s Cider Donuts:
In the late 18th century, an English doughnut-maker by the name of James Fry started selling donuts in New Hampshire. Fry’s Donuts quickly became a local favorite and soon began to spread across New England. By 1850, there were reportedly over 1,000 donut shops throughout the region.
James Fry is credited with inventing the modern doughnut and for popularizing them nationwide. His original recipe involved yeast and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), which gave his donuts their characteristic crispy exterior and fluffy interior.
Advantages of New Hampshire’s Cider Donuts: | |
1 | Delicious taste: Cider donuts are known for their unique and delicious flavor due to the use of fresh apple cider in the recipe. |
2 | Seasonal treat: Cider donuts are often only available during the fall season, making them a special treat to look forward to. |
3 | Family-friendly: Cider donuts are a fun treat for families to enjoy together, especially when visiting apple orchards or farmers’ markets. |
4 | Support local: Buying cider donuts from local orchards or farmers’ markets supports small businesses in the community. |
Disadvantages of New Hampshire’s Cider Donuts: | |
1 | High in calories: Cider donuts are high in calories and sugar, making them not a healthy food option if consumed in excess. |
2 | Fried: Cider donuts are often fried which increases the calorie and fat content. |
3 | Limited availability: Cider donuts are typically only available during the fall season, making them difficult to enjoy year-round. |
4 | Limited options: Cider donuts are typically only available in one flavor, which may not appeal to everyone. |
Compare with similar meals of New Hampshire’s Cider Donuts:
Here are some similar meals to New Hampshire-style cider donuts:
1 | Apple fritters: These are also a fried dough treat that contains apples and sometimes cinnamon, and also found in many apple orchards. |
2 | Apple cider doughnuts: These are similar to cider donuts but may be made with a different recipe or have a different texture. |
3 | Apple pie: A classic apple dessert that is often associated with fall and the apple harvest season. |
4 | Caramel apples: A traditional fall treat, caramel apples are made by dipping apples in melted caramel. |
5 | Apple crisp: A warm apple dessert that is often served with a crispy oat topping and a scoop of ice cream. |
6 | Apple butter: a spread made by cooking apples, sugar, spices and cider together for a long time, making a thicker, sweeter and spicier version of apple sauce. |
7 | Apple Cider: A traditional and popular non-alcoholic beverage that is made from apples and often enjoyed during the fall season. |
All these meals are commonly associated with the fall season and the apple harvest, and are often found at apple orchards, farmers’ markets, and cider mills during the harvest time.
Mostly questions asked about New Hampshire’s Cider Donuts:
1: What are New Hampshire’s Cider Donuts?
A: New Hampshire’s Cider Donuts are a popular treat made with fresh apple cider, which gives them a unique and delicious flavor. They are often served warm and dusted with cinnamon sugar, making them a perfect treat for a fall day.
2: Where can I find New Hampshire’s Cider Donuts?
A: New Hampshire’s Cider Donuts can be found at local apple orchards and farmers’ markets. Many cider mills and apple orchards in New Hampshire offer cider donuts as a popular seasonal treat, and some even have special events and festivals dedicated to celebrating these delicious treats.
3: What are the ingredients in New Hampshire’s Cider Donuts?
A:The ingredients in New Hampshire’s Cider Donuts typically include all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, apple cider, eggs, and unsalted butter.
4: How can I make New Hampshire’s Cider Donuts at home?
A: A recipe for making homemade cider donuts can be found in my previous answer.
5: Why are they called cider donuts?
A: They are “cake doughnuts” and the cinnamon, nutmeg, and apple cider in the batter give them their flavor.
6: Who invented the cider donut?
A: The Dish claims that American colonial settlers invented cider donuts. The abundance of unused animal fat resulted during the fall butchering season. Colonial chefs would combine seasonal apples with fry dough to use it up, and gradually, cider donuts turned into a homemade Halloween delicacy.
7: What state is known for cider donuts?
A: It’s a cider maker’s tradition to use some of the freshly pressed juice to make lightly tangy, apple-scented doughnuts like these.
8: Do cider donuts have alcohol?
A: This cider, which is made from freshly squeezed apples, is alcohol-free. As the cider ferments, the alcohol comes into being a little later.
9: What goes with cider and donuts?
A: Six combinations of cider and pastries for your Taste of Fall party:
Served with black currant cider sparklers are doughnuts filled with blackberry jam.
Warm Vanilla Cider with Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts.
Doughnuts with a brown butter glaze and cinnamon and caramel apple cider.
10: How do you keep cider donuts fresh?
A: Apple cider doughnuts can be kept at room temperature for up to three days in an airtight container. The day a donut is made is the greatest day to consume one.