With the exception of one twisty road trip through the mountains where I drank a cup of cider right after and things didn’t go well, I’ve always been a fan of apple cider. Not apple juice. Cider. Totally different animal. The alcoholic version is nice, too.
And donuts are just a natural next step. You may have had a fried apple cider donut before, but have you tried the healthier baked version? With a maple cinnamon glaze? Step right up!
So the other day, I was sharing some of my thoughts about body image and the challenges that most (not some, most) women face when it comes to accepting and loving ourselves. And then this morning as I was doing my workout, I started thinking about where women develop our shared insecurities.
How many of you were made fun of as children? Just wondering. Because I was mercilessly teased. For whatever reason, I never got the cool memo, the one that signals the popular girls to let you alone. So of course, I spent a majority of my childhood thinking that I was ugly, that I was somehow wrong, and that I was missing whatever elusive piece it took to be part of the in crowd.
That probably explains why as an adult, I’ve always been very careful about all the external stuff, like fashion and appearance. It’s a self-defense mechanism to prevent people from making fun of me. That might sound silly, but the younger version of me still exists somewhere, and she’s afraid of being teased or left out.
We all have a backstory, and I’m insatiably curious about everyone’s stories. So if you ever want to share, put it in the comments! Did you have an experience that shaped the way you view yourself as an adult? If it’s private, ignore me. If not, then just stop to consider that as long as women continue to operate under the mistaken assumption that other women who seem fine on the outside are perfectly content with themselves all the time, nobody is benefiting from that kind of charade.
I’m all for sisterhood, and we can bond over childhood trauma or over donuts. Or both. Because both legitimately deserve to be discussed.
Donuts are evolving along with every other treat under the sun, and I’m glad. As delectable as a fried donut can be, it doesn’t exactly help your heart stay healthy. And it’s not even a sacrifice to go the baked route when a donut is this good!
These have a lovely apple cider kick, not to mention a perfect maple cinnamon coating. The glaze is made from sugar that gets pureed in the blender to be somewhere between granulated and powdered sugar. The result is a topping that is a hybrid of a traditional donut glaze and an equally delectable cinnamon-sugar topping. Who says you can’t have it all?
We never stop being who we were as kids, and that’s a mixed blessing. Even painful experiences can become empowering after the fact. And along the way, we can gather good friends and good donuts to help us on our journey.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a donut pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the apple cider, milk, eggs, vanilla and oil until smooth.
- Fill the donut pan carefully using either a spoon or a piping bag. I prefer to use a spoon, but it's whichever method you can use that will make the least mess. You only want to fill each cavity about three quarters of the way.
- Bake the donuts for 12-14 minutes until they are firm and spring back when touched lightly. Cool completely.
- When you're ready to make the glaze, pulse the sugar in a blender until it becomes finer in texture, somewhere between granulated sugar and powdered sugar. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar with the butter,cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup. Add the milk until the glaze becomes spreadable.
- Dip each donut into the glaze, twisting off the excess with a flick of the wrist. Place each donut carefully onto a plate and let the glaze set.
- Store loosely covered.