Modified from Everyday with Rachael Ray
1 1/2 cups flour, plus additional to roll with
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp powdered buttermilk (this was a giant pain in the butt to find and really expensive! It is supposed to last forever, so let's hope so! I don't know about you, but I never buy buttermilk, but never have an issue because I use regular milk and lemon juice in its place in recipes, so this really isn't important to me. But since the liquid is the apple cider, I couldn't figure out how to use regular buttermilk, so I bought it - Ray is worth to me.: UPDATE: According to a Q&A from a later Rachael Ray (guess I wasn't the only one stumped), you can just use powdered milk here.)
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup apple cider
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
Vegetable oil or shortening for frying
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, powdered buttermilk, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, cloves and salt. Make a well in the center. Stir cider, egg, butter and vanilla into the dry ingredients until well blended.
Refrigerate batter (this says only 1/2 of it...meaning you use the first half right away...I'd refrigerate it all for about a 1/2 hour first as it will make it easier to roll...if you have ever rolled doughnuts, you know how sticky they are even with using flour on your hands! I recommend making the dough and then refrigerate it while you are waiting for the oil to heat up rather than heating up the oil first as the batter won't be ready then.).
Heat oil until rippling (360). I use a little deep fryer (a fry daddy or something it is called), but you can use a regular deep fryer or you can just heat up the oil in a deep skillet.
Now this makes doughnut holes - so you roll one-inch balls (use a teaspoon to measure). Again, if you have made doughnuts, you know why the hole is there - makes it easier to fry! I'm going to make regular doughnuts next time, I think as it will just be easier for me personally. If you make the holes, work in batches (how many you can do in a batch depends on the size of your fryer) and do each ball until deep brown for about 2-3 minutes (regular doughnuts are the same time - without the middle, they cook faster even though they are bigger). You need all this time - remember you have to get the center cooked and it takes time. If you want regular donuts, pat out of the dough in parts and use a doughnut cutter to create your donuts to fry. Use a slotted spoon to pull the doughnuts out and put the holes on paper towels to drain. You can serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 30 doughnut holes or 1 1/2 dozen regular donuts.