Baked Apple Cider Mini Donuts

We purchased an apple press this year and are pressing our own apple cider.  I mentioned this to someone and she told me about apple cider donuts.  Intrigued, I looked them up.  I decided I must make them!  I have tweaked my Baked Eggnog Mini Donuts with Eggnog Glaze recipe to include the flavors of fall.  Careful, they are addicting, especially warm.  I had downed a half dozen before I knew it.  Good thing I made them mini size!

As an after thought I thought an apple cider glaze instead of a cinnamon and sugar dusting might be lovely so I have included ingredients for that also.  

Baked Apple Cider Mini Donuts – makes 20 mini donuts           Printable Recipe

Donuts:
2-1/2 Tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup apple cider reduced (see instructions)
1-1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Couple dashes salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Pork Meat Balls with Dijon Cream Sauce with Wini Moranville

This recipe is from a fellow Iowan Blogger Wini Moranville.  After checking out her e-cookbook,

which is full of 22 wonderful recipes, I chose this pork meat ball recipe to share with you.  The recipe is simple and the dish looks divine.   See link at end to see how you can order your own e-cookbook for only $2.99! (Price as of 10/17/2014)

A bit more about the cookbook from Wini:  It's the result of a collaboration between French-born chef David Baruthio and me. (Chef Baru owns the widely acclaimed Baru 66 restaurant in Des Moines, Iowa). I just love the way this recipe shows that the French know their way around a meatball just as much as Italian-Americans do. 

Of course, we don't think of meatballs as something you'd braise, but in fact, on two different occasions, two different renown chefs (including David) have given me their recipes for meatballs, and both times they've been cooked partially submerged in liquid (not baked dry, as so many recipes call for). This method of cooking meatballs may just change your meatball-loving life!

A word about the recipe: As you shape the meatballs, you're going to think they're super soft and too flimsy to fry. You're going to wonder where the breading is. There is no breading in this recipe; hence, what you get is pure, rich, meaty flavor, along with that fresh green spark of the parsley. The trick is to use lots of oil to keep them from sticking. Use a large tablespoon to gently turn them. And don't worry--you'll drain off most of that fat!

P.S.  A HUGE thanks to Wini for taking the step by step photos for me to share with the recipe!

Pork Meat Balls with Dijon Cream Sauce

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #117

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