A History with Apple Cider Donuts
The first time I knowingly had an apple cider donut was when I was at a work event in Amherst, Massachusetts. Being the guy from Maryland, I recall my boss encouraging me to try one, explaining that it had been picked up that morning from one of New England’s top makers of apple cider donuts. I grew up loving all things apple, so much that I could probably do a monologue of apple dishes like Bubba with shrimp. I had certainly heard of these donuts, which are much more common now. They are a warm, spicy, apple-flavored, cake-like donut coated in cinnamon sugar. It was a very good donut, one that had me wishing for cooler weather and the changing of the leaves.
Fast forward four years and Cade, Liberty, and I had just completed our visit to Thoreau’s Walden Pond near Concord. We discussed where we would stay that evening, and I suggested we head for Amherst so that they could also experience a fresh apple cider donut the next morning before we returned to Maryland. This was part of a weeklong trip, and while I had everything planned out in the beginning, we were winging it by the end.
When we arrived in Amherst, I remember pointing out the Emily Dickinson Museum and thinking to myself that Cade and Liberty probably had yet to encounter her in their English classes. We drove by several of the higher education institutions in the area. After we checked into a hotel, I started doing internet searches for the best apple cider donuts. As it turns out, there were quite a few contenders. After cross-referencing a few different lists, we opted to go for Atkins Farms Country Market in Amherst.
Atkins Farms took the idea of a country market well beyond the family roadside market I had pictured. It was a large, locally owned store with all kinds of different produce and related goods. I kept thinking to myself, how does this place stay open? We headed over to the bakery section and ordered apple cider donuts for each of us. I got some coffee, and Cade and Liberty both opted for cider. As we waited, the first of two buses pulled into the parking lot. It quickly became apparent that Atkins Farms was not simply a country market, but it was rather a destination.
Cade, Liberty, and I got back in the van and headed to Maryland. We started talking about the donut we just enjoyed. Recognizing that there were limited options in Maryland, we decided to try making our own. We found a number of different recipes. Some started with the laborious process of boiling down fresh apple cider to concentrate it, while others called for prepared boiled cider. We ordered the boiled cider made by Willis Wood in Vermont. Ever since, we have kept a bottle on hand for this and other recipes.
At the time, Cade, Liberty, and I would often do breakfast on Saturday or Sunday morning together. Popular choices included muffins, blueberry pancakes, and waffles. Liberty had moved into a supervisory role, asking to see the recipe and reading the steps out to us. Cade is always eager to help in the kitchen and is way better at following directions than I am. Making breakfast together was fun and the food was typically very good. It was made even better by our discussions about trips to New England we had taken and what we would do on our next trip. When the food was ready, we would gather around the table, eat our food, and continue the conversation.
Over the next few weeks that fall, we tried both the baked and the fried versions of apple cider donuts. Both turned out relatively well. For the baked ones, we made two different icings: maple and apple cider, which made all the difference. The fried ones were more of a production because the hot oil raises the stakes when making food with younger children. They turned out well, but I do not have a photo to share, partly because of the stress of production and partly because the ones that were most visually appealing disappeared quickly.
We still make apple cider donuts once a year or so. And when we are in New England, we keep an eye out for a new apple cider donut to try. A couple years ago, we made them for my parents. My mother texted me later that she wanted to try making the baked apple cider donuts. I was happy to share with her the recipe, the pans, and the boiled apple cider.
The idea of finding something good and recreating it at home has become a fun challenge
for Cade, Liberty, and me. I would not say we have an apple cider donut tradition, but my family does have a history with apple cider donuts, one that now stretches across time, places, and generations.
