• To prepare the doughnuts, start by adding cider, 1/4 cup of butter, 1/4 cup sugar and salt to a sauce pan. Heat until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile in a small bowl or cup add your yeast and 2 tbs of water together. Mix together and allow to sit until foamy.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer, using the dough hook, mix 1 cup of flour, apple pie spice, 1 egg, your cider mixture and your yeast together. Slowly pour in remaining flour until dough comes together and is only slightly sticky. I used between 2-3 cups total. Turn mixer on to high and "knead" for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Roll dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise. When the dough has doubled in size (about one hour) pour out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Roll out using a rolling pin or use your hands to flatten the dough into a 1/2 inch thick circle. Using a floured biscuit cutter, cut circles out and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet to rise until doubled in size again.
• Any scraps of dough left after you are done cutting can be fried up as is, rolled into balls. Also set aside to rise.
• Heat cooking oil to 375°F degrees.
• Drop doughnuts in the oil no more than 3 at a time. Fry for 3 minutes flipping half way through. Remove from oil when they are golden brown. Place onto paper towels to drain access grease.
• Immediately toss in cinnamon and sugar.

Caramel sauce:

• In a heavy bottomed sauce pan on medium/high heat add sugar and heat/ whisk until the sugar has melted and becomes an amber brown color. Remove from heat and slowly stir the butter until melted.
• Return to heat and cook until it reaches about 325-350 degrees (I highly recommend using a candy thermometer!)
• Once it reaches the desired temperature remove from heat and slowly stir in your cream, mix until smooth. Stir in cinnamon and allow to cool to room temperature.
• To fill doughnuts using a sharp knife cut a small hole though the side of the doughnut, careful not to pierce it all the way through.
• Add caramel to a piping bag with a medium sized tip (I use anything I have on hand) Pipe/fill each doughnut.
• Serve immediately. Recipe yields about 12-15 large doughnuts.