September 19, 2010

Addiction Cured

Apple Cider Cinna-Knots.

 
Confession~ After I tried the apple cider donuts at Sky Top Orchard, I haven't been able to stop thinking about them! You may remember, the ones I mentioned in my Curried Apple Turnover post?

I've been craving them for a couple weeks. To be a bit more accurate, I physically ache for them morning, noon and night. I lay in bed at night and see floating golden rings of heaven, covered in sugar crystals...and they're smiling at me. This has been going on for days. It's become a bit of an issue. I'm seeking therapy.

One thing I've learned about food obsessions, is that a sure cure comes from developing a perfect recipe. That way, you KNOW you can get your fix any time you want. It removes the lure, you see.

One problem. Donuts are fried. And as you know if you've been around a while...I. HATE. TO. FRY. I avoid it at all costs! Well, would I let a little thing like frying stop my desperate need for homemade apple cider donuts? Of course not. There are always ways to get around frying!

In my last post I developed several recipes for a Saucy Mama contest. One of the recipes was Hot Knots, made out of pizza dough. These tender little dough knots seemed to hold infinite possibilities. What if they were dunked in butter and tossed in cinnamon sugar? OR, what if the pizza dough was made with apple cider...THEN dunked in butter and tossed in cinnamon sugar???

See what I'm getting at?

Apple Cider Cinna-Knots have cured me! They aren't quite the same as the famed donuts, BUT they are ultra-soft, apple-icious, bathed in butter, kissed with shimmering sugar, and EASY TO MAKE! 

This might be my best invention yet.

Sommer


Apple Cider Cinna-Knots

1 ¾ cups apple cider, divided
1 envelope dry active yeast
2 Tb. oil
4 cups bread flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
Extra oil and flour for prep

½ cup melted butter (1 stick)
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
A brown paper bag

For the dough: Place ½ cup of warm apple cider in your electric mixing bowl. Add the yeast and allow it to swell for 5 minutes. It should look foamy. Then add 1 ¼ cups of room-temperature apple cider, plus the oil and salt.

Using a bread hook, mix on low, adding the flour a little at a time. “Knead” in the mixer for 3-5 minutes until well combined but tacky.

Oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it to cover in oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 2 hours.

When to dough is more than double the original size, punch it down and place it on a floured work surface.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Divide the dough into two equal pieces, to make it easier to work with. Use your hands to turn the edges of the dough under to create a perfectly round, smooth mound.


Roll the dough (from the middle out) into a 12 inch circle. Then using a pizza cutter (or sharp floured knife) cut the dough into strips ¾ X 4 inches long.


Flour you hands and roll each strip into a 6 inch “snake.” Then cross the ends and tie the snake into a loose knot. Place it on a piece of parchment paper and repeat with the rest of the dough. The knots will expand, but not much. You can put them fairly close together.


Bake for 10 minutes.


Melt the butter in a large bowl. While the knots are still hot, toss them in the butter—coating each completely.


Place the sugar and cinnamon in a brown paper bag. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the knot out of the butter and place them in the bag.



Shake the knots until they covered in cinnamon sugar. Serve warm! The paper bag absorbs the extra butter! 


Makes approximately 60 heavenly Cinna-Knots!

Make sure ENTER the Saucy Mama Giveaway!

58 comments:

  1. Oh Dear! I will be dreaming with those tonight. They look divine. And the pictures are great, I can almost get them, almost Sigh*
    Have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
  2. These look so great. How creative. Can't wait to make the turnovers now that we're heading into apple season.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You can't post something so delicious when it's evening! And on a Sunday night! Now I'll be craving and I won't have time to try them tomorrow! Unfair! i want one, pleeease!

    ReplyDelete
  4. You have officially passed on the craving for apple cider cinnamon knots to me! Those look so delicious--how am I supposed to pay attention to writing a Government paper now?! :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. I now can see why I might be up all night dreaming about these! Bathed in butter and cinnamon. =)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I passed out. Period.

    Sommer! thats AWESOME! got to make it

    ReplyDelete
  7. OMG..buttery, aromatic..these knots look fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yummy !!! When I was a wee little one there used to be donut store right next to my school and my mom as a treat on Friday mornings would buy me an apple fritter - can't begin to tell you how much I loved it. This reminds me of that and the fact that oil is involved is even better !!

    ReplyDelete
  9. WOW!! I bet those are addictive!! Great job!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh, goodness! I definitely have to make these soon! Here in Normandy, France, we have apple cider everywhere(I'm an American doing study abroad)! Merci!

    ReplyDelete
  11. look heavenly! Thanks for sharing the recipe :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh, they look so good. I wish I had time to make some right now!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh my goodness! I need to make these for my kids! (I hate frying too).

    ReplyDelete
  14. I feel so much better that I'm not the only one who gets obsessed with a certain food LOL These knots are amazing looking and since I've been thinking about apple cider donuts quite often as well I will give your version a try since I really dislike frying at home too :o)

    ReplyDelete
  15. They are indeed heavenly. I wish I had one or two or three right now.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Ahhhh! These are gorgeous, Sommer - I must try them. And when we are in H'ville in a couple weeks, I am now going to have to visit Sky Top Orchard!! ( :

    ReplyDelete
  17. These look so scrumptious! I need to make them asap!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love the pictures and would give anything to have one of those yummy pastries jump out of the screen onto my plate. I never fry anything either and like your idea of baking them in the oven.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Those look too delicious for words!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I loved your curry apple turnovers, and these are fantastic, too! If only I had one with my coffee right now!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Mmm Mmm Mmm!! I can almost smell them through the screen of my computer. They look SO good!

    ReplyDelete
  22. These look fabulous. I can totally relate to the fear of deep-frying, which is what keeps me from trying all the awesome deep-fried food I keep seeing on other people's blogs. Plus, apple fritters and their ilk are like my kryptonite. I could eat them all day and still beg for more.
    So how much do I love that this recipe is actually doable even for us non-frying types? Tons, that's how much. Yay! :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. OMG, you genius you, how awesome are these, I love this recipe.....great job recreating your craving....
    sweetlife

    ReplyDelete
  24. Wow! You can tell something must be good if it's soaking through the paper bag!! These look amazing. Great invention.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Cider is so wonderful. Those doughnuts look divine!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    ReplyDelete
  26. I hate to fry as well - phobia of some sort that I need to get over. These look amazing and look FRIED :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Those sounds wonderful! What a great idea..and so glad you cured your yearning for those cider donuts.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Wow, never heard of apple cider donuts...and after seeing these...I don't even need to have tried them in order to crave them...they look so light and tasty...yummie!

    ReplyDelete
  29. They look mouthwatering! I want 1. Or 10.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Sommer...if it's not particularly that girl's time of the month...then, yes, I'd seek therapy.
    Before, you do...send some knots my way...those look scrumptious ;o)

    Flavourful wishes,
    Claudia

    ReplyDelete
  31. Sommer,

    I just made a batch up for dessert and the fam LOVED them! I am thinking it might be fun to try them using the Brioche recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day- a bit lighter/flakier but not too much.

    Loving reading your blog and trying out some of your recipes!

    Amy

    ReplyDelete
  32. Wow...u baked these and coated these with cinnamon sugar!! If I would not have read the post , I would have thought that they are fried!really clever!!
    Love anything apples...gotta try this one for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Good grief Sommer! These look mouthwatering! I can't believe I've lived in NC for 2 years and haven't had an apple cider doughnut yet. I definitely need to whip a batch of these up!

    ReplyDelete
  34. I am willing to tackle yeast again for these....thats saying A LOT :) thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  35. They sound really good. I'm also not a big fan of frying things, so this sounds perfect to me. I'll definitely have to try it out one autumn evening!

    ReplyDelete
  36. You simply must get help immediately, those look very addictive indeed. Delishhh

    ReplyDelete
  37. They look and sound delicious. It's always wonderful to be able to recreate a favorite treat. Taste memory is a wonderful thing. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

    ReplyDelete
  38. never seen or even thought to make one of these! they look scrumptious!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Holy cow! These look good. I love it.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Looks simply awesome, hey how to follow your blog, at the moment I'm just bookmarking this recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  41. So many recipes to try when I get home!! All these fall treats are making me want to get in the kitchen immediately!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Wow, these look and sound delicious. I want to run home and start baking these guys up right away! Yum!!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Not to belabor a frying point, but with all that butter, is there much of a difference? :)

    ReplyDelete
  44. Oh these do sound great, first time i had a knot was in NY on this recent trip, but it was garlic and delicious. Love the idea of a sweet knot...nice pics too!

    ReplyDelete
  45. I hardly think I'm now able to focus on the rest of my day after seeing this. Divine. Delish. to Die for.

    You should absolutely submit this to my Best Tastes of Fall Challenge. Fantastically amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Ever try to get those cider doughnuts that have the longest lines of all humanity? Next time I'm skipping the line and just making these.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Oh Cinna-YES, Sommer, Cinna-yes!!!

    My God, I've just realised, you are some kind of evil genius! These are beyond wonderful because they are also absolutely do-able. I love deep fried food but deep frying - meh!! Not so much :P

    ReplyDelete
  48. Oh you are Clever. This is AMAZING! I loove and adore and worship andything doughy, cinammony and sugary. YUM YUM YUM! I am making this today. WIll let you know how it goes. How did you manage to have any left for photos? I would have gobbles them up for sure!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  49. I read a lot of blogs...and this is a recipe that I'm jumping up and down about! Wow! What a delicious treat. I have a lunch group that I'm going to on Friday, and I think that these would be perfect to bring along. Thank you so much for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  50. Thanks for a great recipe.It looks so good!It is exactly the dish I’d love to eat

    ReplyDelete
  51. Thanks so much for posting this recipe. My husband and I crave apple cider donuts so much (we even served them at our wedding) but like you hate to fry. I'm still hopeful that I'll find a way to do the donuts (maybe baked?) but these knots will go a long way to tide us over 'til then.

    ReplyDelete
  52. These look fabulous. Great idea!

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for taking the time. If you have a question, I'll get back to you ASAP!