These baked doughnut puffs get what I call the “dirt bomb” treatment: after they come out of the oven they’re dunked in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar, which forms an addictive, sandy/sugary/spicy coating reminiscent of the outside of a fried cinnamon sugar doughnut, without the mess of frying.
The original Dirt Bomb is a treat that may be local to the Cape Cod area, I’m not really sure – I’ve never seen them anywhere else. I first discovered them at the Cottage Street Bakery in Orleans, in the form of large, cakey muffins that were so huge, and so plastered with buttery cinnamon sugar coating, to eat one was a serious undertaking. Loving the concept, but wanting something a little smaller and less heavy, I developed a recipe for Blueberry Dirt Bomb Sweet Rolls that uses the same sweet dough I use for Sticky Buns. They’re amazing, and I highly recommend them if you have three hours or so for the rising and shaping of the dough.
In the meantime, these little cuties take minutes to stir together, and you can be eating a warm, cinnamon-spicy, lighter than air Apple Cider Doughnut Puff in under an hour.
Doughnut puffs may look like mini muffins, but they have a cake-like crumb that’s much closer in texture to a cake doughnut than a muffin, hence their name. To give them an appropriately autumnal vibe I cut down a little on the buttermilk and the sugar in the batter and replaced them with a thick and syrupy apple cider reduction. The apple flavor is subtle, but the cinnamon in the coating really brings it out.
Making these ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- Apple Cider Doughnut Puffs are at their very best when they’re still warm from the oven – you won’t believe how light and pillowy and buttery/cinnamony they are, how much like a freshly fried doughnut but so much simpler to make. If you don’t have the opportunity to eat them warm, then at least do try to enjoy them the day they’re baked. Do not reheat them or the topping will melt.
- Leftovers of the butter-and-sugar topped puffs will keep for one more day after the day they’re baked, but no longer. If you want to keep some of the puffs longer than that, wait until the day of serving to dunk them in butter and cinnamon sugar. Store the bare puffs well wrapped at room temperature for 3 or 4 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.
Apple Cider Doughnut Puffs
Ingredients
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, preferably European-style, divided, plus additional for the pan
- 1 cup apple cider
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1½ cups (6 3/8 ounces or 180 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon of Morton’s)
- 1¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- Pinch of ground clove
Directions
- Step 1 Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 12-cup standard-sized muffin tin.
- Step 2 Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Pour the melted butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and let it cool. At the same time, bring the apple cider to a boil in another small saucepan over high heat. Boil until the cider is reduced to ¼ cup, about 10 minutes. Pour the cider reduction into a liquid measuring cup and set it aside to cool slightly. Add the buttermilk to the cider, then set the mixture aside.
- Step 3 In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the nutmeg and clove.
- Step 4 Add 1/3 cup of granulated sugar to the cooled butter and mix on medium low speed to combine. Add the egg and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture has thickened and lightened in color, about 3 minutes.
- Step 5 Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix on medium-low speed until combined. Add the cider/buttermilk mixture, mixing until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat on medium speed until all the ingredients are combined and the batter is smooth. Don’t overmix.
- Step 6 Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, dividing it evenly among the cups. Bake the puffs until they’re golden brown and, well, puffy, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Step 7 During the last few minutes of the baking time, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and transfer it to a shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, combine the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and 1½ teaspoons of cinnamon.
- Step 8 Use a knife to gently ease the puffs out of the muffin cups and move them to a cooling rack. Working with one puff at a time, quickly dunk the puff in the melted butter, turning it in your hand to coat all sides without soaking it. Drop the puff into the cinnamon sugar and toss it to coat all sides with a light coating of the sugar. Return the puff to the cooling rack and repeat with the remaining puffs. (As the level of butter gets low, you’ll have to drop the puff into the bowl and roll it around to pick up butter on all sides – just work quickly and don’t let the puffs soak in the butter or they’ll pick up too much and get heavy.) Serve immediately, or store in a single layer in an airtight container for up to one day.
