Baked Apple Doughnuts

 It is another beautiful autumn day!  The perfect day for baking something with apples!  When you were in high school at GBN I found a recipe that was perfect for a Saturday mornings like today.  You might have had a friend or two sleep over, and you almost certainly slept late.  That gave me time to bake a yummy breakfast treat.  I've been told that Grandma Warnygora made wonderful doughnuts from scratch.  Unfortunately, that is not one of my skills.  But these muffins have the wonderful flavor of apple doughnuts without all the fat from being cooked in oil.  Ty and Luke especially loved them, so if Luke was hanging out, these were a guaranteed hit! Have fun making and eating these "doughnuts"!

Baked Apple Doughnuts

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup shortening (I use butter)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups finely chopped, unpeeled apples

1/2 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Grease 24 muffin cups well; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Gradually add the 1 1/2 cups sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until well combined, scraping sides of bowl often.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes more.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.  Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to shortening mixture, beating on low speed after each addition, just until combined.  Fold in apples.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until dark golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.  Doughnuts will dip in the middle.  Cool in muffin pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Loosen edges of the doughnuts with a thin spatula.  

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon.  Carefully remove doughnuts from muffin cups; doughnuts will be tender.  While still warm, roll doughnuts in the sugar mixture.  Serve warm.  Makes 24 doughnuts.