APPLE CIDER DONUTS

The air is cool and crisp, back into long sleeves, and snuggling under the blanket at night while watching TV, or listening to music. Apples are so scrumptious right now, I have them for lunch every day. After working on my previous Apple Walnut Muffins, I was reminded of the days we used to take our kids to the farm, pick apples and feast on Apple Cider Donuts.
I am determined to make an impossibly decadent raw version of these. This batch is currently in the dehydrator, but I grabbed them for a quick photo shoot, just to tease you all! They are bite-sized "donuts" despite the way they appear in the photo.

I tried to make them more chewy like a donut, so added a small amount of sprouted kamut flour. I want to make these again and tweak a bit...but for the first run, pretty tasty!

TIP - to make following some of these recipes easier...and to give yourself more flexibility - SPROUT some grains like Kamut and buckwheat in advance - dehydrate and grind into flour. Store in freezer!  Once you have grains sprouted and ground into flour- preparing breads and crackers is a breeze!

Apple Cider Donut Ingredients
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked 4 hours
1/4 cup cashew flour (finely ground cashews)
2 T ground flax seed
3 T ground chia seeds
1 banana, sliced
pinch sea salt
2 1/2 sweet red apples , cored and chopped
2 1/4 cups almond flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour (I sprout buckwheat, dehydrate and grind into flour)
1/2 cup apple cider (replace with apple juice if you prefer)
1 T lemon juice
2 T sprouted Kamut flour (optional or use buckwheat)
6 Tablespoons maple syrup (dark amber, or your favorite sweetener)
1/4 cup golden raisins, soaked
1 tsp vanilla extract (or 3 drops Medicine Flower Vanilla Extract)
pinch ground nutmeg

Garnish
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tablespoon coconut palm sugar (optional)

Directions
Process first 6  ingredients in food processor until well ground. Add and process remaining ingredients.

Place batter in freezer to stiffen. Form small donut shapes and place on non stick dehydrator sheet.

(or use this mini donut mold - Scrape off excess batter, and freeze for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the donut from mold and place on nonstick dehydrator sheet).

Garnish with cinnamon or cinnamon/sugar combo.

Dehydrate at 135 degrees F for 1 hour. Dehydrate at 110 degrees F for 12 to 18 hours (depending on size and weather). After first 3 hours, flip donuts over and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar. It's best to flip several times during dehydration.

Serve as is, or top with your favorite honey, maple syrup, icing, chocolate sauce, etc. Great Halloween snack for the kids.