Apple cider donuts by Flickr user joyosity.

Dish of the Week: Apple cider donuts

One of the best things about fall is the food. The cooler weather marks the return of local apples and all the delectable things that can be made from them, including apple butter, apple pie, apple cider, and, most importantly, apple donuts. Few things taste better on a crisp fall day than a hot cider donut, dusted in cinnamon sugar, and washed down with a cup of fresh apple cider.

Cider donuts are a kind of cake donut made with boiled-down apple cider and usually sold at “you pick” apple orchards. Made right, the donuts are light and tender, with a carmel-y sweetness and faint apple flavor. They don’t taste as much like fresh apples as spices and cider, but they are undeniably delicious.

Unfortunately, cider donuts are hard to come by in the city. For a taste of fried apple goodness, you’ll have to drive out to an orchard. A handful of Virginia orchards sell homemade cider donuts, including Stribling Orchard in Markham, Marker Miller Orchard in Winchester, and Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville. If you don’t want to pick your own apples, stop by The Apple House, a restaurant and country store near Shenandoah National Park, for some applewood-smoked pulled pork and fantastic apple butter donuts.