Apple Cider Doughnuts

This week, I saw a recipe at Serious Eats that reminded me of Millburn Orchards, an apple farm that a friend introduced me to sophomore year. And oh! What jams! What apples! Yet, the most wondrous thing of all were the apple cider doughnuts. So soft, so tasty, so smothered in granulated sugar. Oh joy! She's a good friend, that one.

Tired student + hot oil. Probably not the best idea, hence a blackened and charred first doughnut attempt. Several trial and errors later I found the following:

- I don't have a candy thermometer, but I did see somewhere that placing a chopstick in the center of  the oil would show if the oil was hot enough. If bubbles start rising steadily around the stick, the oil is ready. In this case, a steady but slow bubble stream was hot enough. Too fast = too hot. 

- If the dough is flattened (and I mean flat) before frying, I could make sure the dough cooked all the way through. Don't worry, it puffs up nicely.

No special reason for the hearts, just thought tiny doughnuts would be better for a first try (read: I'm kind of a wuss). Next time, I'll try different flavors and maybe be less of a wuss.