Samantha Seneviratne, author of the new cookbook Bake Smart: Sweets and Secrets from My Oven to Yours, believes that canned fruit might not deserve the not-so-stellar reputation it often gets. “We’ve all been advocating for the use of frozen fruit when…
Samantha Seneviratne, author of the new cookbook Bake Smart: Sweets and Secrets from My Oven to Yours, believes that canned fruit might not deserve the not-so-stellar reputation it often gets. “We've all been advocating for the use of frozen fruit when fresh is unavailable…but canned is a different story,” she said. “It gets a bad wrap for being overly sweet, but I realized that when it comes to dessert, that sweetness is an asset. Why not embrace it?”
According to Samantha, one way to appreciate canned fruit (and all its inherent sweetness) is by using it as the filling for a flaky, jammy galette. Specifically, the iteration in the just-published Bake Smart is full of canned apricots, along with pistachios and a touch of lemon zest.
Flavored with rich apple cider and filled with diced apples and warm spices, these apple cider donut muffins are a special fall treat. Top them with the apple cider glaze for the perfect sweet finish. One of the best parts of fall is taking a trip to the apple orchard. I’m all about grabbing a …
Flavored with rich apple cider and filled with diced apples and warm spices, these apple cider donut muffins are a special fall treat. Top them with the apple cider glaze for the perfect sweet finish.
One of the best parts of fall is taking a trip to the apple orchard.
I’m all about grabbing a few bags of crisp apples, a dozen freshly made apple cider donuts, and a jug of pressed apple cider.
And as much as I love making a big batch of spiced apple cider to enjoy while watching a movie, I also love taking some of that cider and recreating those orchard-fresh donuts with these apple cider donut muffins.
WHAT ARE DONUT MUFFINS?
Have you ever had a donut muffin before? I know we usually think of those as two separate breakfast treats, but magic happens when we combine them into one.
Imagine all of the deliciousness of a classic cake donut made just as easy as your favorite muffins.
Yes, you can use a donut pan to make baked donuts, but the one downside there is that you have to have a donut pan.
But when you make donut muffins, you can make them in your standard muffin pan – no special equipment needed!
I love my glazed donut muffins, but this time I decided to channel the flavors of the apple orchard and apple cider donuts and make these apple cider donut muffins.
HOW TO MAKE APPLE CIDER DONUT MUFFINS
These apple cider donut muffins have apple cider in the batter and glaze. When combined with diced apples in the donuts and plenty of warm spices, they are bursting with fall flavor in every bite.
I always love using my homemade apple pie spice. The combination of spices works perfectly in recipes like these apple cider donut muffins, apple hand pies, apple fritter bread, and so much more.
If you don’t have apple pie spice on hand, feel free to use ground cinnamon instead.
If you want to make these during a time of year when apple cider isn’t available, you can substitute unfiltered apple juice for a very similar flavor.
For the glaze, you will need:
3 tablespoons butter; melted
1 cup confectioners’ sugar; sifted
¼ teaspoon homemade apple pie spice
3 tablespoons apple cider, at room temperature
Again, if necessary, you can substitute ground cinnamon for the apple pie spice and unfiltered apple juice for the apple cider.
Making this recipe
This recipe makes 12 donut muffins, so begin by lining a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
To start the batter, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice, and salt.
In a measuring cup, combine the milk with the apple cider.
Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then add the milk and cider, then end with the rest of the flour mixture. Make sure you combine well after each addition.
Fold in the diced apples, the divide the batter into the prepared muffin cups. The cups will be nearly full.
Bake for 15-17 minutes. The donut muffins are done when the tops are domed and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool for 15-20 minutes, then whisk together the glaze.
In a bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Place a piece of parchment paper or a rimmed baking sheet under the cooling rack the muffins are on – this will help catch any glaze that drips off of the muffins.
Dip the muffin tops in the glaze, then set them back on the rack to allow the glaze to harden. If you have enough glaze left, you could even dip them twice for an extra-thick glaze.
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Before getting started, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly. You can also use this measuring method for the powdered sugar.
If you’re out of brown sugar, try whipping up a quick brown sugar substitute. You can also learn how to soften brown sugar if yours has hardened and save yourself a trip to the grocery store.
Grab a few of my tips for how to soften butter quickly if you forgot to set yours out to soften ahead of time.
STORAGE
Store the apple cider donut muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Because of the fresh apple in the muffins, they will get more moist as the days go on, so the glaze may start to soak into the tops of the muffins.
If you would like to make these donut muffins ahead of time and freeze them, I recommend freezing them before they are glazed. Place them in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to a month. Thaw at room temperature before glazing.
Flavored with rich apple cider and filled with diced apples and warm spices, these apple cider donut muffins are a special fall treat. Top them with the apple cider glaze for the perfect sweet finish.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin, or line with 12 paper muffin cups.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating to combine.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice and salt. In a glass measuring cup, combine the milk and apple cider. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture alternately with the milk/cider, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined. Fold in diced apples.
Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups nearly full.
Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they’re a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean. Remove pan to a cooling rack and allow muffins to cool for about 15-20 minutes.
In a medium bowl, prepare the glaze by mixing together the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, apple pie spice and apple cider. Whisk until smooth.
Place a layer of wax or parchment paper under the cooling rack. Dip the muffin crowns into the glaze, place the muffins back onto the cooling rack and allow the glaze to harden.
Notes
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To us, August means one thing: It’s time to use up all that summer produce. Whether it’s piles of zucchini, all shapes of heirloom tomatoes, or candy-sweet corn, it’s undeniable that fruits and vegetables are at their peak right now. Fruit, especially,…
To us, August means one thing: It’s time to use up all that summer produce. Whether it’s piles of zucchini, all shapes of heirloom tomatoes, or candy-sweet corn, it’s undeniable that fruits and vegetables are at their peak right now. Fruit, especially, shines in August, when berries and stone fruits have taken over farmers markets and grocery stores’ produce aisles alike.
Aside from eating it plain (which, we admit, is hard to beat), the best way to eat all this in-season fruit is to bake it in a pie. From traditional, lattice-topped versions made with all-butter crusts to easygoing galettes, you can’t go wrong with the combination of sweet-tart fruit and flaky pastry. To get you started, we’ve gathered 24 of our all-time favorite fruit pie recipes that are perfect for these final weeks of summer.
Love pineapple? Then take it to the next level by putting it on the grill! Grilled pineapple is delicious for breakfast or dessert and can be served in so many different ways. I told you earlier this week that we’re keeping things simple when it comes to recipes this week. And we’re still leaning into …
Love pineapple? Then take it to the next level by putting it on the grill! Grilled pineapple is delicious for breakfast or dessert and can be served in so many different ways.
I told you earlier this week that we’re keeping things simple when it comes to recipes this week. And we’re still leaning into summer flavors!
After all, it’s still hot here in Ohio. It’s not pumpkin weather at all yet!
Today we’re talking about one of my favorite grilling tricks: grilled pineapple! This is one that you’ve got to try – it’s simple and so delicious.
Made with fresh or frozen peaches, this peach cobbler is buttery and perfectly sweet. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I spent a lot of my life thinking I didn’t like warm, baked fruit desserts. But then one day several years ago I had some peaches from the farmer’s market and …
The best balance of tart and sweet, this refreshing lemon sorbet tastes like a frozen lemonade – perfect for any hot summer day. Anyone who has made homemade ice cream can tell you that it is one of the best things about summer. Whether it’s rocky road ice cream, peach ice cream, or key lime pie …
But what if you can’t do dairy, or simply want a lighter frozen dessert option?
That’s where sorbets come in.
This lemon sorbet is like eating frozen lemonade. It’s perfectly tart, cold, creamy, and totally refreshing. It’s everything you want on a hot summer day!
This is one of the simplest fruit tarts to make. Juicy fruits are embedded in a rich almond frangipane, making it easy to slice, and it keeps well, too. So now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about nectarines. Peaches get a lot of press. Yes, they’re juicy and yes they’re sweet. But honestly, I prefer the more assertive flavor of nectarines,…
This is one of the simplest fruit tarts to make. Juicy fruits are embedded in a rich almond frangipane, making it easy to slice, and it keeps well, too. So now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about nectarines.
Peaches get a lot of press. Yes, they’re juicy and yes they’re sweet. But honestly, I prefer the more assertive flavor of nectarines, with their slightly tooth-resistant skin, just enough to provide contrast to the juicy flesh, but not enough to make them necessary to peel. Yay for that as well.
Being a baker, summer is my favorite time of year. Not only are peaches, nectarines, cherries and plums abundant at the market, but as the seasons progress, the volume of fruits lowers the price, and I stock up on whatever I can, whenever I can. At Paris markets, I try to search out producteurs, the vendors who grow the food they sell, and every summer, one in…
Being a baker, summer is my favorite time of year. Not only are peaches, nectarines, cherries and plums abundant at the market, but as the seasons progress, the volume of fruits lowers the price, and I stock up on whatever I can, whenever I can.
At Paris markets, I try to search out producteurs, the vendors who grow the food they sell, and every summer, one in particular shows up at my market with lots of Reine Claude and mirabelle plums, a few different varieties of cherries, plump melons that you can smell standing a few feet away, tender figs, and fresh apricots.
Making the shopping experience even better, were the fellows who sold the fruits. Not only were they easy on the eyes, but they often put punky-looking cherries in baskets, labeling them “for clafoutis” (a nicer way of saying “for baking”) and selling them at a reduced price. This year, there seems to have been a turnover in staff – zut – but the replacements also offer up the imperfect fruit, or even an overload, at a discount.
Açaí Bowls (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) are popular smoothie bowls that are served at restaurants, cafés, and smoothie shops. But did you know they are easy to make at home? You only need a few ingredients and a good blender! Açaí b…
Açaí Bowls (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) are popular smoothie bowls that are served at restaurants, cafés, and smoothie shops. But did you know they are easy to make at home? You only need a few ingredients and a good blender! Açaí berries are one of the only fruits with healthy omega fats, antioxidants, and fiber. The berries…
These strawberry banana muffins are packed full of oats, fresh strawberries, and mashed bananas for a delicious breakfast or afternoon snack. I love when I get to enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee after getting Elle out the door to school. I’ll sip on some coffee sweetened with vanilla coffee syrup (or maybe a vanilla …
These strawberry banana muffins are packed full of oats, fresh strawberries, and mashed bananas for a delicious breakfast or afternoon snack.
I love when I get to enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee after getting Elle out the door to school.
I’ll sip on some coffee sweetened with vanilla coffee syrup (or maybe a vanilla chai) and scroll through my social media feeds before I get started on work. And it’s a really good morning when I have a muffin or scone to snack on.
These strawberry banana muffins fall into that category. And they’re perfect for this time of year when fresh strawberries are really starting to get good!
Açaí Bowls (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) are popular smoothie bowls that are served at restaurants, cafés, and smoothie shops. But did you know they are easy to make at home? You only need a few ingredients and a good blender! Açaí berries are one of the only fruits with healthy omega fats, antioxidants, and fiber. The berries… 