Halloween’s aftermath is here, and with it the burning question of what to feed everyone to counter handfuls of miniature peanut butter cups (mmm) or multiple packets of Nerds Gummy Clusters (shudder).

Genevieve Ko and I are in complete agreement on the answer: chili. Saucy, sturdy and hearty — and inherently festive, too, since it’s a dish for gathering — chili absorbs the excitement and jittery exhaustion of the day better than any frozen nugget could. Make it ahead of time if you like, so you just have to heat and serve.

Try Genevieve’s new recipe, a fresh and very quick turkey chili. (Cornbread is never a bad idea either!)

1. Quick Turkey Chili

Quick Turkey Chili. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. (Linda Xiao/The New York Times)

Can this be considered chili if it’s ready in half an hour? For a completely fresh take, yes — yes, it can. Right when it’s done, the kale, cilantro and peppers remain green as grass with a bright bite. The turkey is still tender and juicy, the tomatoes tangy and the spices tingly. Those distinct lanes of flavor merge if you keep the pot over low heat for an hour or more, or if you pack up leftovers and reheat them throughout the week. Thickened with lentils and a whole pound of kale, this chili is hearty with protein and fiber, making it as satisfying as it is satiating.

By Genevieve Ko

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Grapeseed or canola oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

3 Hatch or Cubanelle peppers, seeded and diced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 serrano or jalapeño chile, seeded for mild if desired, finely chopped

Salt and black pepper

1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 pound frozen kale, thawed

2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles

2 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed

1 (15-ounce) can lentils, drained and rinsed

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped (including stems)

Lime wedges, sour cream or yogurt, cheese and rice (optional), for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over high until hot. Add a very thin sheen of oil and swirl to coat. Add the onion and spread in a single layer. Cook, without stirring, until the bottoms are deeply charred, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Drizzle more oil into the pan. Add the peppers, garlic and serrano. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Push the vegetables to one side of the pot.

3. Coat the empty side of the pot with oil, and then add the turkey and spread it over that half of the pan. Sprinkle the turkey and vegetables with the chili powder, coriander and cumin. Cook, smashing the spices and aromatics into the meat and breaking the meat into tiny pieces, 2 to 3 minutes. The spices should smell toasted.

4. Add the kale and cook, stirring, until any liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. For a thicker chili, smash the lentils a bit. Stir in the lentils and return to a boil. Turn the heat down to maintain a simmer and stir in half of the cilantro. At this point, the chili is ready and will taste light and fresh with crisp green vegetables. You also can keep simmering it for hours over the lowest heat setting for a softer, stewier chili. If the mixture dries out, add more broth or water.

5. Serve the chili with the lime wedges, sour cream, cheese and remaining cilantro, over rice if you’d like.

2. Cumin Beef and Green Bean Stir-Fry

Spicy Cumin Beef and Green Beans. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. (David Malosh/The New York Times)

Borrowing from both Hunan and Indo-Chinese cuisine, this speedy stir-fry features a generous amount of crushed cumin seeds for their aroma and earthy flavor. While ketchup is commonly used in Indo-Chinese cooking to provide tangy sweetness, sriracha does double duty, delivering a spicy kick without needing to reach for the chile powder. Green beans are ideal here for their mild sweetness and crunchy texture, but any quick-cooking vegetable will work in their place.

By Zaynab Issa

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon cumin seeds, crushed (see tip)

3/4 pound steak, such as sirloin, boneless short rib, New York strip or rib eye, cut against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see tip)

4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided

2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided

4 garlic cloves, finely grated

1 (1-inch piece) fresh ginger, finely grated

1 tablespoon sriracha

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

12 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved

Kosher salt

Cooked jasmine rice, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, combine steak, cumin, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Toss to evenly coat the steak. Set aside. (Steak can be marinated, refrigerated, up to 3 hours in advance)

2. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch with the garlic, ginger, sriracha, sugar and vinegar. Stir well to combine.

3. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high. Once warmed through, add oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add steak and cook, undisturbed, until charred on the underside and still pink on the surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir and toss briefly, then transfer the steak to a plate.

4. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan to deglaze it, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Add green beans, season with salt and stir-fry until the green beans are crisp-tender and about 1 tablespoon of liquid remains, 3 to 5 minutes.

5. Return the beef to the pan and pour in the soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring frequently until warmed through and thickened, about 1 minute. Serve immediately over rice.

Tips: To crush cumin seeds, use a mortar and pestle or briefly pulse in a spice grinder. (Another option is to chop the seeds on a cutting board or crush them under a skillet. Instead of cumin seeds, you can also use 2 teaspoons ground cumin.) To make the steak easier to slice, chill it in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Creamy Tortellini Soup

Store-bought, cheese-filled tortellini are immersed in an extra creamy tomato broth alongside Italian sausage and Tuscan (lacinato) kale, creating a hearty and comforting soup that comes together in 30 minutes. Paprika and dried fennel seeds give the soup an unexpected flavor profile that enhances the sweet creamy tomato broth. Kale is added in the last few minutes of cooking, ensuring it keeps enough of its bite. Lemon juice finishes off the soup, bringing a hint of brightness at the very end. Endless subs and additions are welcome for this recipe, with kale easily replaced with spinach, Swiss chard or cabbage. The sausage can be left out for a vegetarian option and the heavy cream can be subbed with whole milk or non-dairy cream for a lighter broth. And of course, the tortellini can be replaced with ravioli, which are basically the same thing, but shaped differently.

By Dan Pelosi

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Total time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound loose sweet Italian sausage or sausage links, casings removed (optional)

1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried fennel seeds

Salt and black pepper

Crushed red pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (28-ounce) can tomato purée

8 cups (64 ounces) vegetable or chicken stock

1 (9- to 10-ounce) package refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

1 bunch Tuscan (lacinato) kale, leaves stripped and chopped

1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil

1 lemon, juiced

Grated Parmesan, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. If using the sausage, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high (if not using sausage, heat the oil on medium, then proceed to Step 2.) Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon as you go, until it is browned, 5 to 9 minutes. Push the sausage to one side of the pot and spoon out any excess grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind.

2. If necessary, adjust heat to medium, then add onion, garlic, paprika, fennel, 1 1/2 teaspoons each salt and black pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until the onion is just softened and everything is fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it darkens, 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust heat to high, stir in tomato purée and stock, cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil, then add the tortellini and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes (1 minute longer if frozen).

3. Add the heavy cream, kale and basil, and cook, stirring, until warmed through and the kale and basil are just wilted, 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Stir to incorporate, then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

4. Serve warm topped with plenty of grated Parmesan. Soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

4. Crispy Sour Cream and Onion Chicken

Crispy Sour Cream and Onion Chicken. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. (Johnny Miller/The New York Times)

Picture sour cream and onion dip slathered on chicken cutlets, dredged in panko breadcrumbs, and fried until crisp like a potato chip, and you’ll envision this recipe. The marinade doesn’t just deliver flavor here: The lactic acid in the sour cream also keeps the thin chicken breasts juicy. Shower the crispy chicken with fresh chives and lemon juice, or, if you crave something creamy for dunking, pair it with a dip of sour cream, lemon juice and chives.

By Ali Slagle

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally (see tip) and pounded 1/8-inch thick, or use 4 chicken cutlets (don’t split or pound)

Salt and black pepper

1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

1/4 cup thinly sliced chives (or 1 tablespoon dried chives), plus more for serving

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

Canola oil, for frying

1 lemon, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS

1. Pat chicken dry, and season both sides with salt and pepper.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, chives and 1 tablespoon onion powder. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat. (Chicken can sit in the marinade for up to 8 hours. Refrigerate, then let come to room temperature before cooking.)

3. In a shallow bowl or lipped plate, stir together the panko and remaining 1 tablespoon onion powder; season with salt and pepper.

4. Working one at a time, press the chicken breasts into the panko, using your fingers to pack the panko onto both sides of the chicken, and place on a large plate or a sheet pan.

5. Line a plate with paper towels. Heat 1/8-inch canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Drop a piece of panko in: If it sizzles, the oil’s ready. Add a chicken cutlet (or two, if they can fit comfortably), and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding and heating more oil as needed, and removing excess panko from the pan with a slotted spoon.

6. Serve chicken with more chives and lemon wedges for squeezing.

Tip: Freezing the chicken breasts for 15 minutes to firm them up will make slicing them through the middle easier.

5. Sheet-Pan Shrimp Tikka

Sheet-Pan Shrimp Tikka. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. (David Malosh/The New York Times)

This quick, flavor-packed meal brings the smoky, tangy essence of tandoori-style cooking into the kitchen with minimal effort. The shrimp are marinated in spiced yogurt to infuse them with bold flavor before being roasted over a bed of vegetables in just minutes. Bell peppers and onions add sweetness and a bit of crunch, while a final blast under the broiler gives everything a slight char. Serve with warm naan, roti or fluffy basmati rice and a cooling raita for a complete meal.

By Zainab Shah

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon ginger paste or finely grated ginger (from a 1-inch piece)

1 tablespoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic (3 to 6 cloves)

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 1/2 teaspoons garam masala

1 1/2 teaspoons Kashmiri chile powder or other mild red chile powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or other neutral oil, divided

Salt

1 1/2 pounds large peeled and deveined shrimp

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds

Lemon wedges, for serving

Naan, roti or basmati rice, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Arrange one oven rack closest to the broiler and another on the middle position. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Marinate the shrimp: In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, ground cumin, garam masala, chile powder, coriander, turmeric, 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate.

3. On a large sheet pan, toss all the bell peppers with the onion, the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, the cumin seeds and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roast the vegetables until tender and lightly browned, 20 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and flip over any especially browned vegetables. Arrange a rack 6 inches from the broiler and set the oven to broil on high.

4. Place the marinated shrimp in a single layer on top of the roasted vegetables. Broil until the shrimp start to char, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove the sheet pan, flip the shrimp and broil for another 3 minutes.

5. Serve with naan, roti or rice, along with lemon wedges.

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AUSTIN, Texas — The Whole Foods flagship in Austin is a shrine.

With its acres of organic and regenerative produce, a craft beer bar with cheese pairings, and seemingly endless shelves of specialty groceries sculpted to perfection by an attentive floor staff, it is a shrine to what fixed Whole Foods Market in the American imagination as a luxuryland of healthy, aspirational eating.

But with its world headquarters office tower looming overhead, self-service kiosks, harried Whole Foods workers loading carts for pickup customers and grab-and-go shoppers lugging armfuls of ready-to-heat dinners, it is also a physical manifestation of what the brand has become: a mainstream American supermarket.

Even so, the presiding presence of Whole Foods past, John Mackey, who founded the company in 1980 just blocks away and was its CEO for 42 years, still makes regular pilgrimages to the salad bar, as if checking on his creation.

He’s not the only one. Tourists also drop by to take photos in front of the store, a testament to the power of the brand.

The Whole Foods Market flagship store in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 16, 2025. As diet and wellness become increasingly politicized, one of the most recognizable grocery brands is navigating the debate. (Katherine Squier/The New York Times)

Since its founding in 1980, Whole Foods has changed the way Americans eat, helping to elevate the organic movement from niche lifestyle to booming product category. It scared Big Food, and shook up retail generally by transforming a dreary chore such as grocery shopping into what it called a “sensory experience.”

Today the company has 529 locations in 44 states and Washington, D.C. Its business, which accounts for less than 2% of domestic grocery sales, is dwarfed by global giants such as Kroger and Walmart. Its profit margins are significantly higher, though, and it continues to be the grocer others emulate when it comes to product offerings.

“I think we’re in a great spot in the industry,” said Jason Buechel, the CEO since Mackey’s departure in 2022, citing “the standards we put into place and the consciousness we helped bring to consumers.”

Yet in the eight years since it was acquired by Amazon, Whole Foods has found itself searching for a place in the very landscape it redefined. As its prices have come down, its feeling of exclusivity has waned. Rival grocers have built their own emotional attachments with shoppers, a relationship that would have seemed ludicrous before Whole Foods made it a core strategy.

And that was before the dramatic takeover of the nutrition debate by the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.

The MAHA version of the natural-food cause isn’t exactly political friends with the affluent, blue-state progressives who have long been the Whole Foods customer base. And in a moment when Americans are more concerned than ever about eating healthy, the world’s most visible health-conscious grocer has been uncharacteristically reticent.

The paradox is that Whole Foods, of all brands, should be ready to meet the zeitgeist. After all, Mackey is a vehement capitalist, a libertarian and a zealot when it comes to eating well. Whole Foods has horseshoe politics in its DNA.

“There has always been a get-out-of-my-face, don’t-tell-me-what-to-do, anti-government, anti-corporation side to the healthy food movement,” said Corby Kummer, executive director of Food & Society at the Aspen Institute. “Whole Foods has always been for people who want to reject the mainstream.”

Alex Clark loves Whole Foods. But she also resents it.

Clark hosts the highly rated podcast “Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark,” part of the Turning Point USA network founded by Charlie Kirk. During the pandemic, she was consuming a diet of ultraprocessed food — “I was at Chick-fil-A, like, four times a week” — when she underwent a conversion.

In a fit of disgust, she said, she “got rid of everything that had artificial dyes, seed oils and wasn’t organic. I mean, literally everything. I’m that type of person, all in or out. It was full throttle overnight.”

Today in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she lives, Whole Foods has become the “main place that I grocery shop,” she said. (According to her, Kirk was a frequent shopper there as well.) But she feels that the grocer has been reluctant to embrace MAHA publicly.

“It has to be politically motivated,” she said, “Like: ‘We don’t want to be perceived as Trump supporters,’ which is just ridiculous.” She accused the company of shying away from signature MAHA causes, such as opposition to seed oils, and betraying its mission to improve American health.

“The consumer has gotten very smart, and they do notice,” Clark said. “They do notice Whole Foods’ lack of voice in this movement and wondering where their leadership is in this.”

She’d like to tell Whole Foods: “This is the moment that you guys have allegedly fought for your entire existence. Why are you slowing down when you should be ramping up?”

Not everyone sees Whole Foods as distancing itself from the new health movement, however. Indeed, some wish the company would distance itself more.

“MAHA is clobbering public health right now,” said Jessica Steier, a public health scientist and a founder of “The Unbiased Science Podcast,” and companies are “jumping on the bandwagon.” She cited Whole Foods as “a place that is feeding into all of the logical fallacies that seed oils are bad, that food colorings are bad, supplements and all the other things that make us in the science space really cringe.”

Shopping bags are displayed for sale at the Whole Foods Market flagship store in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 16, 2025. As diet and wellness become increasingly politicized, one of the most recognizable grocery brands is navigating the debate. (Katherine Squier/The New York Times)

That people on both sides of the debate draw such different conclusions about Whole Foods’ stance suggests how murky the company’s messaging has been, just as some other businesses are seizing the opportunity of the MAHA moment.

When asked directly about its stance on the movement, the company responded with a written statement: “We welcome the growing recognition that health is closely tied to the food we eat. Whole Foods Market has always been a haven for customers that are seeking more holistic approaches to their wellness, and we plan to stay the course.”

It’s hard to imagine John Mackey being so cautious.

Mackey believes in what he calls “conscious capitalism,” an offshoot of libertarianism that venerates both the free market and sustainability.

A mystique developed, an aura of invincibility, of the ability to make almost anything work. In one audacious experiment, for instance, the company set out to build a network of local farmers in Hawaii to supply native staples like taro and papaya, which could be bought more cheaply in California and Mexico.

After the 2008 recession, as the appetite for emu eggs and saffron threads cooled, the company’s stock price stagnated. Investors grew disenchanted with Mackey’s freewheeling leadership style. He found himself increasingly on the defensive, fighting off the “sharks,” he called the investors publicly, who wanted Whole Foods to focus less on serving a “higher purpose” in order to compete with Kroger and Walmart.

“The regional model was really hard to manage,” said Errol Schweizer, a former vice president of the grocery division, particularly the high labor costs. In the 2010s, Whole Foods submitted to pressure with centralization in Austin and layoffs of between 3,000 and 5,000 store-level employees, Schweizer said.

Ambitious initiatives such as the Hawaiian supply network were abandoned, as “every operational element of the business was being scrutinized to be stripped down,” said Mike Schall, a veteran of Unilever and Wise Foods who came to Whole Foods to work for Mackey in 2011.

In 2017, Mackey made a desperate move, reaching out to Amazon. The $13.7 billion acquisition was concluded within weeks. “It was a shotgun wedding,” Schall said.

The deal gave Amazon a foothold it had long coveted in the brick-and-mortar grocery world, and allowed Mackey to preserve some of his business model. But not all.

The produce section at the Whole Foods Market flagship store in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 16, 2025. As diet and wellness become increasingly politicized, one of the most recognizable grocery brands is navigating the debate. (Katherine Squier/The New York Times)

Whole Foods under Amazon is clearly trying to be more things to more people.

“They’ve broadened their approach, and that’s the smart thing to do,” said Phil Lempert, a food industry analyst and the editor of SupermarketGuru. “Those die-hard Whole Foods people from generations before, they went to Erewhon. They went to Sprouts. They don’t exist anymore.” Under Amazon, he added, the company is “going after Gen Z, millennials and new generations of shoppers.”

So far, Amazon seems happy with Buechel’s tenure: This summer it consolidated its entire grocery business, including Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go, under his leadership.

Another change is that as Whole Foods has become less visible publicly, others have stepped into the pulpit where it used to lead the healthy food movement.

“Originally the movement was liberal,” said Sonalie Figueiras, editor of the progressive food website Green Queen Media. “Now it’s right-wing. Where is Whole Foods in the story? They moved the needle on food culture. They mainstreamed a lot of these things.”

“The left led the way on health and wellness for a long time,” Clark said. “I don’t know why, but they handed the baton to the right.”

The salad bar at the Whole Foods Market flagship store in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 16, 2025. As diet and wellness become increasingly politicized, one of the most recognizable grocery brands is navigating the debate. (Katherine Squier/The New York Times)

But there may be signs that the company is still looking to read the cultural winds.

Recently, it introduced a new design for its shopping bags, covering them with the slogan “It’s What’s Not in the Bag,” and a list of all 562 ingredients the company bans from its shelves.

“When I saw those bags, I thought the message they’re sending is ‘Everyone’s talking about this now, but we’ve been in the trenches,’” said Helena Bottemiller Evich, a former Politico reporter who runs the influential blog Food Fix. “Of course they did it without touching MAHA as a topic. It was very subtle, and also not subtle.”

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Today is Thursday, Nov. 6, the 310th day of 2025. There are 55 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Nov. 6, 1860, former Illinois congressman Abraham Lincoln of the Republican Party was elected president of the United States as he defeated John Breckinridge, John Bell and Stephen Douglas.

Also on this date:

In 1861, an unopposed Jefferson Davis was elected to a six-year term as president of the Confederate States of America, after serving much of the year as its provisional president.

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In 1888, Republican presidential candidate Benjamin Harrison won the electoral vote over incumbent Democrat Grover Cleveland, despite Cleveland gaining 90,000 more total votes; it would be the last time the popular vote winner would lose the election until 2000.

In 1947, “Meet the Press,” the longest-running television show in America, made its debut on NBC; the host was the show’s co-creator, Martha Rountree.

In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower won reelection, defeating Democratic nominee Adlai Stevenson II for the second time.

In 1977, 39 people, mostly students, were killed when the Kelly Barnes Dam in Georgia burst, sending a wall of water through Toccoa Falls College.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan won reelection by a landslide over former Vice President Walter Mondale. The Democratic challenger won just one state, his native Minnesota.

In 2012, President Barack Obama won reelection, vanquishing Republican former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 332 electoral votes to Romney’s 206.

In 2022, a passenger plane crashed into Lake Victoria as it approached an airport in Tanzania, killing 19 people aboard.

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor Sally Field is 79.
Jazz musician Arturo Sandoval is 76.
Author Michael Cunningham is 73.
Journalist-author Maria Shriver is 70.
Author Colson Whitehead is 56.
Actor Ethan Hawke is 55.
Actor Thandiwe (tan-DEE’-way) Newton is 53.
Model-actor Rebecca Romijn (roh-MAYN’) is 53.
Actor Taryn Manning is 47.
Actor Emma Stone is 37.
Comedian-actor Bowen Yang is 35.
Olympic swimming gold medalist Bobby Finke is 26.

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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