Baked Apple Cider Donuts

• For the Donuts
• apple cider↗1 cup
• vegetable oil↗1⁄4 cup
• applesauce↗1 cup
• sugar↗1 cup
• large eggs↗2
• vanilla extract↗1 teaspoon
• all-purpose flour↗2 cups
• ground cinnamon↗1⁄2 teaspoon
• baking powder↗1 1⁄2 teaspoons
• kosher salt↗1 1⁄2 teaspoons
• For the Glaze
• powdered sugar↗2 cups
• apple cider↗2 teaspoons
• electric green gel paste food coloring↗

  for tinting

• assorted sprinkles and disco dust for decorating doughnut↗
• chocolate licorice, to make stems
• sour apple, fruit strips to make leaves↗

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease two 6-count donut pans and set aside.

2. 2

   In a small saucepan over high heat, bring cider to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 15 minutes.

3. 3

   In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, applesauce, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add the reduced cider and stir to combine.

4. 4

   In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just incorporated.

5. 5

   Transfer batter to a disposable piping bag. Pipe batter into donut pans, filling each well nearly to the rim. Bake until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean, 12-14 minutes. Allow doughnuts to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

6. 6

   Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together powdered sugar and apple cider. Tint to desired shade of green using gel paste food coloring (glaze should be the consistency of glue; thin with additional cider if necessary). Carefully dip the top of each doughnut into the glaze and decorate as desired with sprinkles, disco dust, a candy stem and candy leaves.