Did you ever have one of those days where you just need to do something, anything, to keep busy? That was me recently at my son’s home in New Jersey.

My youngest grandson, just 4 months old, was headed the next day to the hospital for surgery. And like any grandma, I was on edge with worry.

Baking always is a great, meditative way to burn an hour or so. Measuring out ingredients requires focus and the aroma of something baking in the oven is an instant mood-lifter. So I thought, why not?

Since I come from a family of nurses, I also know that it’s always nice to provide the medical staff that takes care of a loved one with something tasty. So I decided to make one of my favorite fall treats for my son and daughter-in-law to take along to the hospital: apple cider doughnuts.

Most everyone loves doughnuts, and in October, ones made with local apple cider and dusted with cinnamon sugar are a quintessential fall treat.

Dan reported back that the doughnuts were a hit, and thankfully, so was little Georgie’s surgery.

About the doughnuts: If you choose a fried recipe, things can get messy pretty quickly. Also, you need pretty good temperature control because if the oil is too hot, the outside of the doughnuts will burn but the insides will still be raw and doughy; too cold, and the doughnuts will soak in too much oil and taste heavy.

If you bake them instead, they might not be as pillowy as their fried counterparts, but they’re still a good, sweet treat.

This recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction is a favorite. Made with an apple cider reduction and dusted in a warm, seasonal mix of cinnamon and sugar, they embody everything people love about fall in sweet dough form.

The doughnuts are best warm, but they are also quite tasty at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts

Cooking the cider down concentrates its flavor so you need to add less to the batter. Be careful not to overmix — you don’t want the dough to produce gluten.

Scooping flour right out of the bag compacts it; for more precise measuring, spoon and level it instead.

INGREDIENTS

For doughnuts:

1 1/2 cups apple cider

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For topping:

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon apple pie spice

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

Reduce the apple cider: Stirring occasionally, simmer apple cider in a small saucepan over low heat until you’re left with about 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. If there are any spices or solids on top, leave them. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray doughnut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Make the doughnuts: Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, apple pie spice and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Whisk melted butter, egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, milk and vanilla extract together. Pour into dry ingredients, add reduced apple cider, and mix everything together with a whisk or spatula until smooth and combined (only until the flour disappears). Batter will be slightly thick.

Spoon the batter into the doughnut cavities, or use a large zipped-top bag with the corner cut off the bottom to pipe it into the pan. Fill each about halfway.

Bake for 10-11 minutes or until the edges and tops are lightly browned. To test, poke your finger into the top of the doughnut. If it bounces back, they’re done. Cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Re-grease the pan and bake the remaining batter.

Coat the doughnuts: Combine granulated sugar, cinnamon and apple pie spice together in a medium bowl. Once cool enough to handle, dunk both sides of each doughnut in the melted butter, then generously in the apple spice topping.

Doughnuts are best served immediately. Leftovers keep well covered tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Makes 12-16 doughnuts, depending on pan.

— sallysbakingaddiction.com

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A block party propelled third-seeded Stewartville over sixth-seeded Mahtomedi Wednesday night at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, punching their ticket to the Class 3A semifinals.

A dominant defensive display by the Tigers held the Zephyrs to a .011 hitting percentage, and Stewartville head coach Sam Pederson said even battling sickness his team’s effort at the net was “insane.”

“For them to work as hard as they did and feel the way that they did, not our best, huge that we were able to control the game in that aspect,” Pederson said.

Stewartville, a storied Minnesota volleyball program with five state championships, made a statement at the net in its state tournament opener. The Tigers thwarted the Zephyrs’ hopes of an upset in Mahtomedi’s fourth consecutive state tournament appearance.

Stewartville overpowered the Zephyrs at the net down the stretch in the first set to take the opening set with a 25-20 victory. This theme continued throughout the match, as the Tigers put up 20 total team blocks to the Zephyrs’ five.

Mahtomedi senior outside hitter Louisa Tarnowski took over in Set 2, posting nine kills in the frame, as the Zephyrs built a 16-11 lead part way through the second set. Tarnowski finished the match with a monster stat line of 21 kills and 21 digs.

Zephyrs senior libero Claire Crothers said the confidence Tarnowski exudes is infectious and integral against a block like Stewartville’s.

“She was feeling good, which made all of us feel good too,” Crothers said. “So, I think that it kind of just spread to the rest of the team and that really helps.”

A late charge from the Tigers forced the set into extras, but Zephyrs senior outside hitter Sahar Ramaley found the donut in Stewartville’s defense to secure the second set, 26-24.

Riding the momentum built at the tail end of Set 2, Stewartville jumped out to a 9-2 lead. The Tigers got big swings from a pair of seniors in middle hitter Matilda Dube and opposite Ella Theobald in the opening stages of the third set.

Stewartville slammed the door shut in the third set, 25-15, as Tigers senior middle hitter Dream Petersohn smashed a swing off Mahtomedi’s block to reclaim its lead in the match.

In the fourth set, Stewartville dominated the net, constructing a 16-8 advantage in search of the blow that would knock out the Zephyrs.

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Mahtomedi mirrored its first set determination and clawed back into set 4, pulling with two on Stewartville’s first match point. But Theobald tooled the Zephyrs’ block, pushing the Tigers over the line with a 25-22 set 4 win.

Coach Pederson said he is a newer member of the Stewartville volleyball family, but his team understands the tradition and standard that comes with being a Tiger.

“To see them know what that is, but then not just want it to be history, but they want to be a part of it in the way that they can push themselves,” Pederson said. “… It just makes it a lot of fun for us coaches. We get to work on a lot of things that are at a pretty high level and make a difference for us because they’re willing to learn.”

The next challenge for the Tigers is a matchup with Benilde-St. Margaret’s in the Class 3A semifinal Friday morning at 11 a.m. on the same Grand Casino Arena court.

Feeling high and mighty after convincing victories over cellar dwellers Charlotte and Brooklyn, Minnesota consumed a heavy dose of reality Wednesday in New York.

The Knicks lit Minnesota’s defense up en route to a runaway 137-114 victory for New York at Madison Square Garden, which spoiled Anthony Edwards‘ return to the Wolves’ lineup.

Here are takeaways from the Timberwolves’ defeat:

Ant back

Anthony Edwards returned to action after missing the team’s last four games with a hamstring strain. While Edwards was reportedly set to miss two weeks with the ailment, Grade 1 hamstring strains typically carry a 7-to-10 day recovery window.

Wednesday marked the 10th day since Edwards suffered the strain. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch told reporters pregame the guard was “itching” to get back on the floor.

However, the star guard was ineffective for Minnesota. The Wolves lost his 29 minutes by 25 points.

Edwards will have to be more effective if Minnesota is to compete with quality teams.

Strong opponent struggles

Minnesota had no issue taking out the likes of Charlotte and Brooklyn in recent games. But strong foes have given the Wolves fits thus far this season.

Minnesota has been handled by the likes of Denver, the Lakers (x2) and now the Knicks. It’s beaten Charlotte, Brooklyn and Indiana, all strong candidates to finish in the bottom five in the NBA standings.

The good news for the Timberwolves: Eight of their next nine games are cupcakes. The bad news: If they can’t contend with the top third of the Association, what’s the point?

Defensive struggles

Minnesota entered the game in 22nd in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing 116.4 points per 100 possessions. But, if you’re wondering how they’ve defended quality foes, the defensive rating was 126.2 in losses.

Both numbers are sure to balloon following Wednesday’s game in which the Knicks shot 54% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc. New York tallied 62 points in the paint and, perhaps most prohibitively for Minnesota, grabbed 21 offensive rebounds that led to 31 second-chance points.

A defense-first team in recent years, that end of the floor looks like a liability for Minnesota.

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As he reflected on the incredible effort he made for the Vikings against the Detroit Lions, edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel had a bone to pick.

Though garnered praise from his teammates for his ability to make a tackle for a loss from on his back, Van Ginkel was not too happy with the sequence that resulted in him getting knocked down in the first place.

On the particular snap in question, Van Ginkel was lined up with his hand in the dirt, preparing to rush the passer. As soon as the ball was snapped, Van Ginkel got crushed by receiver Kalif Raymond, who motioned inside, then sprinted full speed ahead to make a block.

The hit immediately knocked Van Ginkel off his feet, and while he was left out of position, he quickly diagnosed what was happening around him and still managed to bring running back Jahmyr Gibbs down in the open field.

“I kind of thought it was a dirty play,” Van Ginkel said. “I’m just going to pass rush and all of a sudden I get whiplash because a guy blindsides me.”

Never mind that the block from Raymond technically wasn’t illegal. That didn’t change the way Van Ginkel felt about it.

“I think that it’s something that the league should look at” Van Ginkel said. “We can’t be doing that.”

Asked if he felt it was a cheap shot in real time or after watching the film, Van Ginkel said he knew right away, then he insinuated that he thinks that type of block should be taken out of the game.

“I had no clue he was there,” Van Ginkel said. “How are we supposed to protect ourselves in those cases?”

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